Hadleigh War Memorial

A First World War memorial, dedicated in 1922, with a later inscription added after the Second World War.

MATERIALS: stone.

PLAN: the memorial stands within its own fenced garden at the south-east corner of the recreation ground. The entrance to this area is at the junction of London Road and Chapel Lane and there is no direct access from the recreation ground to the war memorial garden.

EXTERIOR: it takes the form of an orb adorned with a festoon atop a fluted Ionic column. The column rises from a pedestal with a splayed foot and recessed panels on each face. This is set on a three-stepped base.

The west face of the pedestal bears the inscription THIS MONUMENT IS ERECTED/ TO THE HONOURED AND UNDYING/ MEMORY OF THE MEN OF THIS/ PARISH WHO LAID DOWN THEIR LIVES/ FOR THEIR KING AND COUNTRY IN THE/ GREAT WAR A.D. 1914 – 1919/ THE MEN WERE VERY GOOD UNTO/ US AND WE WERE NOT HURT/ THEY WERE A WALL UNTO US/ BOTH BY NIGHT AND DAY/ 1 SAM 25 15-16. The names of the First World War fallen are recorded on the remaining faces of the pedestal.

On the west face of the top step of the base, carved in relief, is the dedication 1939 AT THE GOING DOWN OF THE SUN 1945/ AND IN THE MORNING WE WILL REMEMBER THEM.