South Park War Memorial, Reigate

First World War memorial. 1920 by the local architect, Vincent Hooper. Names of the fallen from the Second World War subsequently added.

MATERIALS: Portland stone. Bronze laurel wreath.

DESCRIPTION: the memorial is located on the east side of Church Road opposite the entrance to the Church of St Luke. It consists of a tapered Latin cross set on a tall multi-stage plinth. The top stage of the plinth is square with carved scrolls. Below this is an octagonal stage with a moulded lower section and bearing the Latin inscription DEUS VULT (’God wills it’) on the rear face. The bottom of the plinth consists of two square stone blocks on a three tier base. The front face of lower block bears a bronze laurel wreath above the inscription THEIR NAME LIVETH FOR EVERMORE. Above it on the upper block is the inscription DEDICATED TO THE MEMORY/ OF THE MEN OF THIS PARISH/ WHO DIED IN WAR/ 1914-1918. The 21 names of the fallen of the First World War, with their rank, are inscribed on the other three faces of the upper block and the 28 names of the fallen of the Second World War, with the date 1939-1945, on the lower block.

The memorial is surrounded by stone paving with steps to the front descending to the road.