Cowes War Memorial

Heritage listing

Details MATERIALS: granite memorial and stone plaques, bronze plaque, metal railings. DESCRIPTION: the memorial is located in Northwood Park, immediately to the south of Northwood House (Grade II*) and the former stable range of Northwood House (Grade II). It consists of a three-stepped granite base from the original memorial from which rises, off-set to the side of the top step, the lower section of the granite column which also survived the Second World War air-raid. The upper section of the column is laid with the damaged end resting on the top step and the head raised and supported by the column base. A bronze plaque on the east-facing side of the memorial reads 1914 – 1918 1939 – 1945/ THIS MEMORIAL, ERECTED TO THE MEMORY OF THE/ RESIDENTS OF COWES WHO LOST THEIR LIVES IN THE/ GREAT WAR 1914 – 1918, STOOD AT THE JUNCTION OF HIGH/ STREET AND MARKET HILL, AND WAS SEVERELY DAMAGED/ IN AN AIR RAID ON THE NIGHT OF THE 4TH – 5TH MAY 1942/ IN THE WORLD WAR 1939 – 1945./ RE-ERECTED AS A MEMORIAL TO THE TWO WARS AND TO/ THE MEMORY OF ALL WHO MADE THE SUPREME SACRIFICE/ IN DEFENCE OF THEIR COUNTRY. SUBSIDIARY FEATURES: the memorial stands on a paved platform bounded by a low metal rail. Stone plaques, inscribed and gilded, are inset into the paved area: four to the south side and three to the north. The plaques on the south side replicate the original First World War dedication and mark the later air-raid, reading PRO PATRIA/ IN PROUD AND/ LOVING MEMORY OF/ THE MEN BELONGING/ TO THIS TOWN/ WHO LAID DOWN/ THEIR LIVES IN THE/ GREAT WAR/ 1914 – 1918/ (NAMES)/ THE NAMES GIVEN/ REPRESENT THOSE ON/ THIS WAR MEMORIAL/ UNTIL ITS/ DESTRUCTION ON/ 4/5 MAY 1942./ NAMES IN ITALICS/ HAVE BEEN ADDED/ SUBSEQUENTLY./ THE/ ORIGINAL MEMORIAL/ WAS UNVEILED BY/ MAJ GEN J. E. B. SEELEY/ 31 MARCH

From the Historic England List Entry under OGL v3.