Description

850/0/10042

SOUTH STREET
Dorking War Memorial

27-FEB-08

GV
II
War Memorial, erected in 1921, extended after 1945. Designed by Thomas Braddock. Portland stone ashlar.

The memorial is on a raised platform set against a wall retaining an upper road. It takes the form of an aedicule, with plain pilasters, a moulded cornice and triangular pediment with central cartouche. Three slightly recessed panels are inscribed with the names of the fallen, above which in large capital letters are engraved the words "IN MEMORY OF DORKING MEN WHO FELL IN THE GREAT WAR". The plinth bears a smaller inscription: "They were a wall unto us both by night and by day 1 Sam XXV 16". The pilasters each have roundels bearing the dates 1914 and 1919.

Attached to either side of the main 1914-1919 memorial are low splayed projections in the form of pedestals, the inner-facing panels of which display the names of those who died in the Second World War. At the end of each respectively are the dates 1939 and 1945, each circled by a wreath. There are two flagpoles attached to the retaining wall on either side of the earlier memorial, which are part of the original design.

SUBSIDIARY FEATURES: The spotlights attached above the cornice are modern additions and not of special architectural or historical interest.

HISTORY: The war memorial was unveiled in 1921 to commemorate the men of Dorking who had lost their lives in the Great War. An inscription records that the architect was Thomas Braddock, who had won a competition to design the memorial. Braddock, MP for Mitcham between 1945 and 1950, is better known for his political career, although he was also part of the team that designed cinemas in London for the Odeon chain, including Leicester Square.

The memorial originally seems to have incorporated a bandstand, iron railings and wooden seating. During the Second World War the railings were taken for the war effort, and after the war the seating was removed and two low walls added to either side of the memorial: these commemorate the dead of the Second World War. The two flanking flagpoles, originally rising from near the base of the memorial on the retaining wall, were moved to a higher position to accommodate these extensions. Later additions include three spot lights attached above the cornice.

SOURCES: Biographical information on Thomas Braddock from the Dictionary of Scottish Architects (www.scottisharchitects.org.uk).

REASON FOR DESIGNATION DECISION: Dorking War Memorial is listed for the following principal reasons:
* It is an eloquent witness to the impact of the two World Wars on the town and its residents.
* Its imposing classical design in high-quality Portland stone ashlar provides a dignified and solemn setting for the names of those who died in the Great War.
* It is a moving reminder of the considerable numbers of lives lost in both world wars, but particularly in the Great War.

TQ1640849257

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.

Reasons for Listing

Dorking War Memorial is designated at Grade II for the following principal reasons:
* It is an eloquent witness to the impact of the two World Wars on the town and its residents.
* Its imposing classical design provides a dignified and solemn setting for the names of those who died in the Great War.
* It is a moving reminder of the considerable numbers of lives lost in both world wars, but particularly in the Great War.

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q26671640

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

• 
  Staffordshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Oxfordshire: North and West (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Huddersfield in 50 Buildings
• 
  [(Bedfordshire, Huntingdon and Peterborough)] [By (author) Nikolaus Pevsner] published on (January, 1968)
• 
  Cambridgeshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Cork: City and County (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of Ireland)