War Memorial and War Memorial Garden Terrace

The War Memorial and War Memorial Garden Terrace is a significant First World War memorial designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens in 1927, constructed from Portland stone and featuring bronze flambeaux. The memorial consists of a wreath-topped tomb chest positioned on a low screen wall, adorned with the carved and painted city arms supported by two angels on the front. At each end, pedestals hold gilt bronze flambeaux, and beneath the tomb chest lies a Stone of Remembrance.

The memorial bears inscriptions on its front face: the central section reads "OUR GLORIOUS DEAD/ THEIR NAME LIVETH/ FOR EVERMORE/ REMEMBERING ALSO ALL OTHERS OF THIS CITY WHO HAVE GIVEN THEIR LIVES IN THE SERVICE OF THEIR COUNTRY." The left side is inscribed with "1914/ 1919," accompanied by a laurel swag beneath, while the right side features "1939/ 1945," also with a laurel swag beneath.

The War Memorial Garden Terrace, established in 1938, is situated on a stepped, sloping site that runs parallel to the main facade of the City Hall and faces the market square. It includes seven lamp-posts with bell lights, along with one later 20th-century replacement, positioned at regular intervals on either side of the central memorial, aligning with the steps that accommodate the slope. The lights and flower tubs rest on a small plinth behind the paving, which is bordered by metal railings on the market square side, featuring a slight segmental projection opposite the memorial. Two corner flagpoles with bronze bases display depictions of Peace and Plenty in shallow relief, and steps lead down to the market square at the southern end.