Tenterden War Memorial

The Tenterden War Memorial is a First World War memorial designed by architect W. Wrigley Diggle of London and dedicated in 1920, with a dedication for the Second World War added later. It is made of Portland stone.

The memorial features a square-section shaft that stands on a square plinth, which is supported by four octagonal steps. At the top of the shaft is a stylised lantern, adorned with two lozenge-shaped panels that display the Arms of Tenterden and the Crest of the County of Kent in relief. Each face of the shaft includes panels that depict stylised spears pointing down toward the plinth.

On the front face of the square plinth, there is a panel featuring an angelic head with outstretched wings in relief, beneath which an inscription reads: ‘TO THE MEN OF TENTERDEN/ WHO GAVE THEIR LIVES/ DURING THE GREAT WARS/ LIVE THOU FOR ENGLAND/ WE FOR ENGLAND DIED’. The names and ranks of 83 fallen soldiers are inscribed on panels on the other three sides of the plinth, while the names and ranks of 26 fallen from the Second World War are inscribed on the same faces of the base of the plinth and the top step. The dates ‘1914-1919’ and ‘1939-1945’ are inscribed on opposing faces at the top of the plinth.