Egerton Lodge War Memorial Garden

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Egerton Lodge is a Grade II listed building, now a nursing home. The terrace and gardens around it belong to the Borough Council, and have been developed as memorial gardens. The significant memorial feature of the gardens is the terrace, which features commemorative plaques. The terrace was restored in 2008. There are also two island beds in the shape of the Victoria Cross.

  • Brief History

    The ornamental gardens have been developed as a memorial site since they were acquired by the town estate in 1929.

    The War Memorial was unveiled on Sunday 1st August 1948 by Melton’s VC Hero Richard ‘Dick’ Burton.

  • Walled Kitchen Garden

    The Memorial Garden is extant but the walled kitchen garden is demolished.

    The WKG is thought to have dated from 1829-39 – when the estate underwent a major redevelopment.

    1840-1900 was the heyday of Egerton Lodge as a hunting lodge, with an estate measuring a total of some 32 acres. As well as the formal gardens and the front park, there were pleasure grounds to the west and north of the Lodge. The kitchen gardens with associated buildings, the stables and garages were in the north east corner of the gardens. Wrapped round these, to the north was the back park, measuring approximately 8 acres.

    OS MAP: 1884 – shows Walled Kitchen Garden in NE corner of Pleasure Grounds. The glasshouses and frames are cross hatched in blue.
    Sale Particulars with description and illustration of Kitchen Garden - 1928
    Loughborough Monitor and News 24 January 1928 showing (partial) demolition of Egerton Lodge
    Egerton Lodge with Park House to the right and formal gardens in the foreground
    Modern Image of Egerton Lodge with War Memorial Garden in the Foreground

    See our full research report on the Walled Kitchen Garden here:
    Egerton Lodge, Melton Mowbray

    <Back to the Walled Kitchen Gardens Register

  • Detailed Description

    The Egerton Lodge War Memorial consists of a garden terrace with double end staircase abutting a wall and leading to upper terrace with the staircase featuring a coped parapet. There are 3 inscription tablets mounted on front face of parapet, six portrait orientated name tablets on wall to right of stairs and six more tablets mounted on wall to left. Wall ends with tall ashlar piers with ball finials. A Stone of Remembrance stands in the Royal British Legion Field of Remembrance.

    There are two large flower beds, one bed either side of the central path leading up to Egerton Lodge and the War Memorial, both set out in the shape of a Victoria Cross.
    The flower beds were designed to honour two more recipients of the Victoria Cross who have connections to Melton Mowbray. Captain Paul Kenna and Lieutenant the Hon. Raymond Harvey Lodge Joseph De Montmorency who were both members of the 21st Lancers and visited Melton as part of the hunting society.

  • Photos
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