Fleet War Memorial

A stone war memorial of 1920, with names added after the Second World War and later in the C20.

MATERIALS: Portland stone.   DESCRIPTION: the Fleet War Memorial is located in Gurkha Square, and faces south-east on to a car park. It is formed of a curved stone wall, which extends either side of a sturdy stone cross. The wall is constructed of rough-hewn, squared-stone blocks, and rises in the centre. It has rough-hewn coping, and a low stone bench at either end. The face of the wall carries four stone tablets which are inscribed with the names of the fallen.

The cross surmounts a broad, tapering shaft, and is styled in a geometric Celtic idiom. It is supported by a battered, and stepped plinth, which is faced by a fifth tablet. This is carved in plain-relief with the words ‘OUR GLORIOUS DEAD / 1914 - 1918 AND 1939 – 1945’, and below there are further inscribed names of the fallen.  At the bottom of tablet there is a secondary inscription ‘AND IN MEMORY OF THOSE WHO LOST THEIR LIVES IN WARS AND CONFLICTS SINCE. In all, 155 combatants are commemorated (2018).