Tennyson - Road of Remembrance - Folkestone, Kent, UK - Etched in Stone on Waymarking.com

The plaque, on the south face of the memorial, tells us:

"Not once or twice in our rough island story
the path of duty was the way to glory."
Tennyson

Road
1914     of     1918
Remembrance
During the Great War, tens of thousands of
British soldiers passed along this road on their way
to and from the battlefields of Europe.

"At the going down of the sun,
and in the morning we will remember them."

"Rosemary for Remembrance"

The Bartleby website lists the full poem, "Ode on the Death of the Duke of Wellington", by Alfred Tennyson. The relevant verse is:

VIII
Lo, the leader in these glorious wars 
Now to glorious burial slowly borne, 
Follow’d by the brave of other lands, 
He, on whom from both her open hands        
Lavish Honor shower’d all her stars, 
And affluent Fortune emptied all her horn. 
Yea, let all good things await 
Him who cares not to be great, 
But as he saves or serves the state.        
Not once or twice in our rough island-story, 
The path of duty was the way to glory: 
He that walks it, only thirsting 
For the right, and learns to deaden 
Love of self, before his journey closes,        
He shall find the stubborn thistle bursting 
Into glossy purples, which outredden 
All voluptuous garden-roses. 
Not once or twice in our fair island-story, 
The path of duty was the way to glory:        
He, that ever following her commands, 
On with toil of heart and knees and hands, 
Thro’ the long gorge to the far light has won 
His path upward, and prevail’d, 
Shall find the toppling crags of Duty scal’d        
Are close upon the shining table-lands 
To which our God Himself is moon and sun. 
Such was he: his work is done. 
But while the races of mankind endure, 
Let his great example stand        
Colossal, seen of every land, 
And keep the soldier firm, the statesman pure: 
Till in all lands and thro’ all human story 
The path of duty be the way to glory: 
And let the land whose hearths he sav’d from shame        
For many and many an age proclaim 
At civic revel and pomp and game, 
And when the long-illumin’d cities flame, 
Their ever-loyal iron leader’s fame, 
With honor, honor, honor, honor to him,        
Eternal honor to his name.

The War Memorial Archive website has a listing for this memorial with reference number 1587.

The memorial is Grade II listed with the entry at the English Heritage website telling us:

The memorial cairn, Road of Remembrance, Folkestone, is listed at Grade II for the following principal reasons: * Historic interest: built from stones which made up the road's surface, it is a tangible reminder of the role of Folkestone during the First World War, commemorating the route down which thousands of men from across the Empire marched on their way to Folkestone Harbour, and on to the battlefields of Europe. It is a permanent testament to the sacrifice made by so many during this international conflict, it is of strong historic and cultural significance both at a local and a national level; * Group value: the memorial has strong group value with the neighbouring war memorial which is listed at Grade II*.

History

The Folkestone memorial cairn is believed to have been constructed in the early 1920s, at the time that the road previously known as 'The Slope Road' was renamed the 'Road of Remembrance'. The cairn stands at the top of the road and bears a plaque which explains the road's significance.

It is understood that the idea for the cairn, and quite possibly the renaming of the road, came about when the stone setts which made up its surface, were being taken up for the road to be taramaced. A local stone mason, Alfred de Vere, suggested that some of the setts be used to erect a memorial to the many men who passed over them during the war on their way to the harbour. The cairn is thought to have been designed by Mr L C Richards, a member of the Borough Council's surveying staff, and is known to have been built by Alfred De Vere. It was originally surrounded by a low stone retaining wall, but the reconfiguration of the road layout, and alteration in land levels, mean that the wall does not remain and the cairn now stands on a triangular traffic island. A second plaque was added to the cairn in 1990 by Soroptimists International, Folkestone, in recognition of the planting of a rosemary bed (presumed to have been around the base of the cairn) to commemorate their 25th anniversary.

Folkestone harbour was a major embarkation point for troops travelling to the battlefields of Europe during the First World War. Many arrived into the harbour by rail, but many others, including troops who originated from all over the Empire, arrived on foot, having marched from the nearby Shorncliffe Camp where they received training. Those from Shorncliffe marched along The Leas and down the steep incline of The Slope Road which led to the harbour.

After the war a substantial war memorial was erected on The Leas (Grade II*). This monument commemorates the men of Folkestone who fell during the war, as well as all the men who passed the site of the memorial on their way to fight. At around the same time, The Slope Road was renamed the Road of Remembrance, and rosemary (for remembrance) was planted down one side. The cairn was built at the top end of the road and bears the explanatory plaque.

The exact numbers of men who passed through Folkestone is unknown but it is believed to be several millions. Between 1915 and 1919, visitor's books were kept by the harbour canteen; four volumes, now held at the East Kent Archives Centre, contain the names of many who departed from Folkestone on their way to war.

Details

The monument stands at the top (west) end of the Road of Remembrance, approximately 30m from the main Folkestone war memorial. It is approximately 1.5m tall with a square cross-section. It takes the form of a cairn, tapering upwards, and is built in stone road setts. It has a shallow pyramidal stone cap.

Address: Road of Remembrance Folkestone Kent United Kingdom Website: [Web Link]

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Date Logged Log User Rating   04/26/2017 Alancache visited it