Summary

First World War memorial, with later additions for the Second World War.

Description

The war memorial consists of a c4m tall, square, tapering limestone column which stands on Hurst Road, East Molesey, beside the River Thames. Beneath the abacus, on each face of the column is a raised arch which encloses incised inscriptions. The south-east face of the war memorial bears the principal inscription IN/ MEMORY/ OF THE/ MEN OF/ EAST &/ WEST/ MOLESEY/ WHO/ FELL/ IN THE/ GREAT/ WAR/ 1914/ 1919 while the remaining three faces list those who lost their lives.

Beneath the principal inscription is small rectangular bronze plaque which was added following the end of the Second World War, reading ALSO THOSE/ WHO DIED/ 1939-45. The column stands on a two-stepped base in a paved area. Three steps, enclosed by a low wall, lead up to the memorial on the south-east side.

This List entry has been amended to add sources for War Memorials Online and the War Memorials Register. These sources were not used in the compilation of this List entry but are added here as a guide for further reading, 5 December 2016.

History

The aftermath of the First World War saw the biggest single wave of public commemoration ever with tens of thousands of memorials erected across England. One such memorial was raised beside the River Thames at Molesey Lock, dedicated to the 131 men of East and West Molesey who lost their lives. An additional plaque was added following the end of the Second World War. Another local war memorial dedicated to the men of West Molesey stands in a small garden on Walton Road, West Molesey.

Reasons for Listing

The war memorial to the men of East and West Molesey, situated on Hurst Road, is listed at Grade II for the following principal reasons:
* Historic interest: as an eloquent witness to the tragic impact of world events on this local community, and the sacrifice it has made in the conflicts of the C20;
* Design: an elegant limestone memorial pillar.

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q26677520

External links are from the relevant listing authority and, where applicable, Wikidata. Wikidata IDs may be related buildings as well as this specific building. If you want to add or update a link, you will need to do so by editing the Wikidata entry.

Recommended Books

• 
  Old House Eco Handbook: A Practical Guide to Retrofitting for Energy-Efficiency & Sustainability
• 
  Essex: Buildings of England Series (Buildings of England) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Sussex: West (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Somerset: North and Bristol: The Buildings of England (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  The green guide for historic buildings: how to improve the environmental performance of listed and historic buildings
• 
  Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990