Stowmarket War Memorial Gates

MATERIALS: Brick pillars, iron gates and railings, and bronze plaques.

DESCRIPTION: Stowmarket War Memorial Gates are located at the entrance to Stowmarket Recreational Ground, on Finborough Road. The gates are hung from two brick piers surmounted by corniced stone caps each supporting a stone ball finial. The elaborate wrought iron gates with spiked dog rails and ornate scroll-work above display the town coat of arms. A panel to the top of the left-hand gate reads MEMORIAL with, on the panel to the right, GATES 1920.

Bronze panels on each gate commemorate the fallen of the Second World War and read IN HONOURED MEMORY OF THOSE OF/ THIS TOWN WHO FELL IN THE SECOND WORLD WAR/ 1939 – 1945/ (NAMES). Tall rectangular bronze plaques to each brick pier record the First World War dedications, reading TO PERPETUATE THE MEMORY/ OF THE MEN OF THIS TOWN/ WHO FELL IN THE GREAT WAR/ 1914 – 1919/ (NAMES). Additional small plaques are fixed to the piers.

Either side of the gate piers secondary gates are hung at the pedestrian walkways, meeting ancillary brick piers with stone caps and ball finials. These are adjoined to low quadrant walls to either side, supporting curved railings with similar spiked dog rails and ornamental standards. These end in similar brick piers with stone caps and ball finials.

This List entry has been amended to add sources for War Memorials Online and the War Memorials Register. These sources were not used in the compilation of this List entry but are added here as a guide for further reading, 5 June 2017.