Hythe War Memorial

The Hythe War Memorial is a monument erected in the 1920s in a small garden of remembrance beside the Grand Military Canal. It is a white marble pillar with a square section, notable for the bas-relief frieze carved onto its four faces, depicting twelve servicemen representing different forces and ranks. The corners of the pillar are rounded and adorned with carved laurel garlands. The top of the pillar is capped with a marble orb, decorated with a stylised depiction of the sea created using blue mosaic and carved fish. A bronze winged figure of Victory stands on the orb, holding aloft a bronze model of a medieval Cinque Ports ship.

The monument is set on a square marble base, originally positioned in the centre of a shallow circular pool, which is now a planted bed. A wide stone pavement surrounds this bed. Originally, bronze lion-head spouts were attached to the base to form a fountain, but these are now missing. Behind the pillar stands a low, curved stone wall bearing the inscription "THESE DIED THAT WE MAY LIVE". Ceramic panels mounted on the wall list the names of 154 individuals who died in the First World War. The wall originally ended with piers at each end; these now support plaques commemorating those who lost their lives in subsequent conflicts, including 40 who died in the Second World War. The wall has been extended on either side to follow the curve of the original section, forming short wings that terminate with a second set of piers.