South Benfleet War Memorial

The South Benfleet War Memorial was built in 1920, designed by Sir Charles Nicholson and carved by Percy Delf Smith. It commemorates the men of South Benfleet who died in the First World War, with a later addition remembering those lost in the Second World War.

The memorial is constructed from Portland stone. It consists of a moulded cross on a tapering square shaft, which stands on a square plinth with cut-away corners. Inscriptions are present on all four sides of the plinth. The west face reads: 'TO THE GLORY OF GOD/ THIS MEMORIAL WAS ERECTED/ BY THE PARISHIONERS IN/ GRATEFUL REMEMBRANCE/ OF THOSE WHO FELL IN THE/ GREAT WAR 1914-1919'. The north and south faces list the names of the fallen, and the east face reads: 'ALSO/ DEDICATED TO/ THE MEMORY OF/ THOSE WHO MADE/ THE SUPREME/ SACRIFICE IN/ WORLD WAR/ 1939-1945'. The plinth is set on a stepped square base.

The memorial was erected through public subscription. Sir Charles Nicholson, who designed the memorial, was a noted architect responsible for several churches nationwide and the War Memorial Chapel at Rugby School. Percy Delf Smith, the carver, was a typographical designer known for his work on the London Underground. The memorial was unveiled on 30 May 1920. It shares Group Value with the adjacent Church of St Mary and the churchyard monuments.