By Jenna Pudelek, Chief reporter
Thursday, July 21, 2011
10:16 AM
Monument must be retained in its current location, say residents
A cautious welcome has been given to news that Tunbridge Wells’ landmark War Memorial has been awarded grade II-listed status.
Fears had been raised that the tribute to the soldiers killed in the First and Second World War could fall victim to redevelopment plans for the town centre.
English Heritage has now added the Mount Pleasant monument to its list of buildings of special architectural or historic interest meaning there are restrictions on what can be done to it without special consent.
Concerns for the future of the site were sparked after Tunbridge Wells Borough Council announced that the civic complex, which includes the memorial, was among those earmarked for development.
There is strong opposition against moving the monument, a stone wall with a bronze figure and plague, in front of the, also grade II-listed, Town Hall.
David Wakefield, chairman of the Tunbridge Wells branch of the Royal British Legion, said: “It is very good news that the memorial has been listed.
“We think it is the best site in town for the War Memorial, nothing better has yet been proposed.
“It is in a large public space for the Remembrance Sunday parade. It is ideal in terms of accessibility and visibility.”
The stone wall into which the memorial is built is a remnant of the Calverley Estate designed by the architect Decimus Burton in the early 19th century, which was knocked down to build the Town Hall complex in 1939.
Barry Sillince, a member of the Royal Tunbridge Wells Civic Society, questioned whether the listed status would protect only the monument or its location as well, which he saw as vital.
He said: “The War Memorial is important where it is because when the civic complex was developed it was put there deliberately giving gravitas to the town centre as a public forum.
“I cannot imagine it being relocated somewhere else because it would not command the respect and dignity of its current site.”
English Heritage also noted its location, stating: “although the memorial pre-dates the civic complex, these listed buildings provide a handsome and fitting setting for the memorial”.
Meanwhile, Mr Sillince said recent conflicts made the monument an important symbol of the sacrifice made by our soldiers for a younger generation too.
“We tend to think of it representing the First and Second World War but now it is altering dramatically because of Iraq and Afrghanistan. There are a lot of mothers and children coming along whose husbands and fathers have been killed in military service recently and the memorial is an focal point for their remembrance.
“In the last Remembrance Parade there were children coming up with their parents and laying wreaths. To take it away from that location would almost be an insult. It is not just the history.”
Leader of the council Bob Atwood said he was “delighted” that the memorial had been awarded listed status.
Plans to redevelop the civic site are on hold following widespread public outcry after they emerged last year and cost the previous leader of the council his post. The intentions of the current administration remain largely unknown.
A full council meeting was set to be held on Wednesday night to discuss the findings of the public consultation on the future of the civic complex.
“From a Tunbridge Wells point of view it is a critcial moment,” Mr Sillince said ahead of the meeting. “How much is going to be revealed, I don’t know, but people want to see where the new administration stands on a lot of this and that is the important thing about tonight.”
The First World War memorial by Stanley Nicholson Babb (1874-1957) was unveiled in February 1923 by Colonel Viscount Hardinge. The plaques were added to remember the Second World War.
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