The Merchant Navy Memorial, First World War section

MATERIALS: Portland stone with bronze plaques, wrought iron gates.

DESCRIPTION: the memorial stands on the southern side of Trinity Square Gardens, next to the Tower of London and oriented east-west on Tower Hill. It is surrounded by a number of designated buildings and structures.

The memorial, raised on a platform above street level, is in the form of a temple of three bays. Each bay is formed of piers and columns in the long side walls, flanking the central open space. The piers forming the bays have external round arch curved niches in Portland stone, and are clad in rectangular bronze panels laid in a stretcher bond pattern and giving the appearance of rusticated walling. These panels bear the names of the missing, arranged by vessel.

The entablature with cornice is of the Doric order. The low pitched roof with side parapets and capped with a low, flat, circular dome has pedimented gable ends over the entrance arches to the east and west ends. Bronze security spikes are fixed in the wall openings to the southern elevation. To the centre is a square, stepped, attic, reminiscent of the original design for the York City Memorial but surmounted by a drum rather than a War Stone.

The principal dedicatory inscription, in bronze, on the front (south) side of the central attic reads 1914-1918/ TO THE GLORY OF GOD/ AND TO THE HONOUR OF/ TWELVE THOUSAND/ OF THE MERCHANT NAVY/ AND FISHING FLEETS/ WHO HAVE NO GRAVE BUT THE SEA. Elaborate bronze swagged wreaths are set to either side. On the north side is carved 1914 – 1918.

The temple is floored with black and white chequerboard stone paving. A flight of five stone steps, with iron gates, leads up from the street at either end of the temple and from the platform further steps lead down into the garden and Second World War memorial below, on the north side.

This List entry has been amended to add the source for War Memorials Online. This source was not used in the compilation of this List entry but is added here as a guide for further reading, 17 February 2017.

This list entry was subject to a Minor Amendment on 4 August 2025 to update the Address