Description
Surbiton War Memorial Gardens were laid out after WWI and the War Memorial was unveiled in July 1921. The Memorial Gardens surround the central memorial cross, with areas of lawn and paths and a few seats, backed by a hedge and also hedged to the road. The garden was extended in 1952 when a general inscription commemorating those who died in WWII was added to the War Memorial; further memorials were added to the garden in later years.
Practical Information
| Site location | Ewell Road, Surbiton |
|---|---|
| Postcode | KT6 6AG |
| What3Words | ///dating.jokes.vocab |
| Type of Site | Public Gardens |
| Borough | Kingston |
| Open to Public | Yes |
| Opening Times | unrestricted |
| Facilities | none |
| Public Transport | Rail: Surbiton then bus. Bus: 281, 406, 71, 465, K1 |
| Research Updated | 2 March 2023 |
| Last Updated | 18 October 2026 |
Full description
Surbiton War Memorial, set in the Memorial Gardens, was unveiled in July 1921 commemorating 382 servicemen from the Urban District of Surbiton who died in the war. The stone memorial consists of a tall wheel-head cross with moulded foot on a tapering octagonal shaft standing on an octagonal plinth on a three-stepped base. The memorial cross is surrounded by an octagonal paved area at the front of which are two low bollards that originally carried stone urns. The garden that surrounds the memorial has areas of lawn and paths and a few seats, backed by a hedge; it was originally demarcated from the pavement by low railings, later replaced by hedging, which remains today. The garden was extended in November 1952 as recorded on a bronze plaque on the War Memorial, when an inscription to commemorate those who died in WWII was added. Further memorials have been added to the garden since then: a cairn of stone from St Mark's Church Surbiton (q.v.) was built against the rear boundary of the garden and commemorates the air raid on 2 October 1940 that severely damaged the church, which was later rebuilt in 1960. In 2003 two short brick walls were erected either side of the cairn with large stainless steel plaques naming those who had died in WWII. On 16 May 2015 a memorial in the form of a tablet on a plinth was erected to Douglas Belcher, who had received a Victoria Cross in WWII. Surbiton War Memorial was listed grade II in February 2016.
Surbiton War Memorial Gardens are situated to the south of the Grade II listed Sessions House, which was built in 1898 as Council Offices for Surbiton Urban District Council and became the Borough Offices in 1936, and later, in 1966/7, were used as the Crown Court. Between the War Memorial Gardens and the Crown Court is Surbiton Library, which opened in April 1932, and further south is Surbiton Hill Methodist Church. Both the Court House and Library have landscaped garden areas fronting the road with flower beds, shrubs and trees. Directly behind the Memorial Gardens is Surbiton Library Hall, built in 1964 to provide additional meeting space.
Surbiton War Memorial Gardens are situated to the south of the Grade II listed Sessions House, which was built in 1898 as Council Offices for Surbiton Urban District Council and became the Borough Offices in 1936, and later, in 1966/7, were used as the Crown Court. Between the War Memorial Gardens and the Crown Court is Surbiton Library, which opened in April 1932, and further south is Surbiton Hill Methodist Church. Both the Court House and Library have landscaped garden areas fronting the road with flower beds, shrubs and trees. Directly behind the Memorial Gardens is Surbiton Library Hall, built in 1964 to provide additional meeting space.
Further Information
| Grid Reference | TQ185673 |
|---|---|
| Site Ownership | RB Kingston |
| Site Management | Grounds maintenance contractor: Quadron Services Ltd |
| Dates | 1920/1 |
| Listed Structures | LBII: Surbiton War Memorial |
| On National Heritage List for England (NHLE), Parks & Gardens | No |
| Registered common or village green on Commons Registration Act 1965 | No |
| Protected under London Squares Preservation Act 1931 | No |
| Local Authority | Kingston |
| In Conservation Area | Yes |
| Conservation Area Name | Oakhill |
| Tree Preservation Order | No |
| Nature Conservation Area | No |
| Green Belt | No |
| Metropolitan Open Land | No |
| Special Policy Area | No |
Gallery
Please note the Inventory and its content are provided for your general information only and are subject to change. It is your responsibility to check the accuracy.
Nearby parks and gardens
Hillcroft College originated as a private house built in 1877 for Wilberforce Bryant. In 1884 he set aside part of his estate for a meeting room and theatre, calling it The Gables. It had substantial grounds, part of which lie to the south-west and form the public park, The Woods. The College, founded in 1919 to provide education for working women, purchased the freehold and 6 acres of land in 1925 and moved here in 1926. The theatre was later sold when the college needed more space and the former winter garden was built over for a new hall.
St Mark's Church was built in 1845 and remodelled in 1855 by P C Hardwick but it was almost completely destroyed in WWII, except for the tower and spire of 1860, and was rebuilt in 1960. Most of the gravestones were damaged or broken and were removed from the churchyard, which is on a hilly site with terraced lawns, a few rose beds and tombs within the grass and to the west are mature yews. A path leads from the church via short flights of steps down to the entrance gate on Church Hill Road with an avenue of yews. Wooden paling fence forms the boundary to the main road, St Mark's Hill.
The Woods was a large Victorian house with a lake and mixed woodland in the grounds. The house was demolished in 1933 and in 1947 the site was purchased for a public park, which opened in 1951/2. Soon after the land was purchased it was suggested that it be turned into a bird sanctuary and called Jefferies Wood after the naturalist Richard Jefferies, who had lived in Surbiton. In 1980 part of the site became the Richard Jefferies Bird Sanctuary.