East Grinstead War Memorial

The East Grinstead War Memorial was designed by E G Gillick and unveiled in 1922. It is a hexagonal Clipsham stone column standing approximately 7.5 metres high, set upon a tall plinth mounted on a stone base. The top of the column bears the date 1914 and is topped by an orb and a gilt bronze cross. Five of the six panels on the plinth list the names of 205 local men who died in the First World War. The sixth panel, facing the High Street, displays the town’s arms—five feathers—and includes an inscription expressing gratitude to the men of East Grinstead who lost their lives in the war of 1914-1918, stating the monument was erected so that future generations may value the freedom for which they died and remember their names. A smaller, rectangular panel added to the plinth commemorates those who died in the Second World War (1939-1945) and subsequent conflicts.

A commemorative paving stone at the base of the memorial, laid on 23 August 2014, honours Sidney Godley, born in East Grinstead, who was the first non-commissioned soldier to receive the Victoria Cross in the First World War. The stone reads "PRIVATE/ SIDNEY GODLEY/ROYAL FUSILIERS/(CITY OF LONDON REGT)/23RD AUGUST 1914”.

The memorial is situated within a circular York Stone paved base, accessible via steps flanked by two raised flower beds enclosed by retaining sandstone walls. The original walls on either side of the base have been extended at a later date to create these landscaped beds; these later extensions and flower beds are not included in the listing.