Hertford War Memorial Including Raised Elliptical Surround

The Hertford War Memorial, constructed between 1920 and 1921, stands in Parliament Square and was designed by Sir Aston Webb with sculpture by Alfred Drury. It is a group value building, recognised for its contribution to the townscape. The memorial is built of Portland stone and incorporates a bronze sculpture. It takes the form of a truncated obelisk set on a base with a raised, curved surround, incorporating inclined slabs inscribed with the names of those who died.

The base is structured with a recessed course, a band, a projecting quadrant band, and a pulvinated frieze carved with bay leaves and tassels, set between bands with a cavetto moulding. The east and west sides bear carved Roman capital inscriptions, reading "Laus Deo," "To the Men of Hertford who gave their lives in the Great War 1914-1919," and with the addition of "And in the Second World War 1939-1945" beneath. Near the top of the east and west sides are carved laurel wreaths surmounted by crowns, with inset dates "1914" and "1919." A set-back band forms a plinth for a life-size sculpture of a hart, which faces north.

The memorial sits at the centre of Parliament Square, on a raised, elliptical Portland stone surround, with four sets of steps. This surround is flanked by piers with a battered profile, each featuring a recessed top and ball finials. Raised tablets inscribed with the names of those who died in the Second World War are set in front of the principal faces of the memorial.

Parliament Square was created after the First World War following the clearance of shops and cottages. The site was gifted by Sir Edward and Lady Pearson. The stone used is from the same quarry as that used for The Cenotaph in Whitehall, and the contractor was Andrews of Hertford. The memorial was unveiled by the Mayor of Hertford, Alderman J Burnett-Smith, on 6 November 1921.