City of Gloucester War Memorial

The City of Gloucester War Memorial stands in a corner of Gloucester Park in Gloucester, beside a busy road junction. It honours the people of the city who died in the world wars and later conflicts, and it has been a Grade II listed structure on the National Heritage List for England since 22 April 2022.

What does the memorial look like?

It has two parts. At the centre is a Portland stone cenotaph on a platform of three steps, crowned by a bronze sphinx, the emblem of the Gloucestershire Regiment. Behind it a curved Wall of Remembrance sweeps around the precinct, interrupted by iron gates. Bronze plaques carry the names, and the raised sections of the wall bear the inscription "1914-1918 / To the Men of Gloucester".

Who designed it, and when was it unveiled?

The cenotaph was the work of local sculptor and carver Arthur Percy Frith. Field Marshal Lord Plumer unveiled it on 28 March 1925. Its names are those of men from the 1/5th and 2/5th Battalions of the Gloucestershire Regiment who died between 1914 and 1918. H. H. Martyn of Cheltenham produced the bronze sphinx and plaques.

The Wall of Remembrance and the surrounding precinct came later, designed by Waller and Son. The tenth Duke of Somerset unveiled these additions on 23 October 1933. Their plaques list city residents of every service who were lost in the First World War.

How did the memorial change after 1945?

In 1948 the City Council took over the project and had the names of Second World War dead added on the eastern side of the wall. Lord Beaufort unveiled the revised memorial on 30 June 1949. A plaque also names 17 women killed in the bombing of Gloucester, and a later plaque commemorates the Korean War.

Why stop here?

The memorial shows, in one small site, how a city recorded successive losses across the 20th century: a 1925 cenotaph, a 1930s wall, and postwar additions. Historic England lists it for its historic interest as a record of how world events affected Gloucester. A visit takes only a few minutes and fits easily into a walk through the city centre, for example on the way to the cathedral.

Frequently asked questions

Is there an entrance fee?

No. The memorial is in a public park and can be seen at any time.

What is its heritage status?

It is listed at Grade II on the National Heritage List for England, designated on 22 April 2022.

What is the bronze figure on top?

A sphinx, the badge of the Gloucestershire Regiment, whose 1/5th and 2/5th Battalions are named on the cenotaph.

Who does the memorial commemorate?

Gloucester residents who died in both world wars, women killed in the city's bombing, and those lost in the Korean War.