Hitchin War Memorial

First World War memorial by Walter Millard. Erected in 1922. Additional names added after 1945.

MATERIALS: carved from Portland stone.

DESCRIPTION: the Hitchin war memorial stands in front of St Mary’s Church and occupies ground taken out of the south-west corner of the churchyard. Built of Portland stone, the memorial comprises a cross on raised base, set in front of a battlemented screen. The wheel-headed cross stands on a tall octagonal shaft placed upon an octagonal base, on the front of which is a shield with the cross of St George; it has a crenellated moulding to the top. This stands on a taller octagonal plinth with a projecting moulding to the top. On the front of the frieze is an inscription in raised capitals: TO THE UNCONQUERED DEAD 1914 1919. Around each face of the base are added Portland stone panels: seven of them list single columns of names, while the front (south-west) panel has a relief of a wreath of poppies above the inscription WE WILL REMEMBER THEM: these list the dead of the Second World War, with a reference to ALL OTHER SERVICEMEN KILLED IN ACTION at the end of the names. The whole stands on a two-stage lower base. The cross stands within an enclosure, the front of which is screened by a low wrought iron gate and railings. The sides and rear of the enclosure comprise a five-sided Portland stone battlemented screen with square piers to either side. Set within this are eleven panels, each with a single column of names: these were the dead of the First World War.