War Memorial
At the heart of Chiddingstone Causeway stands a memorial raised in gratitude to the men of the parish who gave their lives in the Great War. It takes the form of an obelisk, cut from Portland stone and rising nine feet above its base, where it rests upon a die. The design came from Professor Abercrombie of Liverpool University, while the stonework was executed by Spickett and Co., a firm of masons based in Tonbridge.
The memorial was formally dedicated on Sunday 30th July 1922. The ceremony was led by Bishop John Harmer, who served the Diocese, and the unveiling was performed by Gen. Sir George Fowke, honoured with both the KCB and the KCMG. Carved into the stone is an inscription paying tribute to the brave men of the parish, and the dates of the conflict are recorded there as 1914-1919.
Eighteen names appear upon the memorial, and together they show how widely the parish's sons were scattered across the forces of the Empire. Several served close to home with the Royal West Kent Regiment: H. Grubb, A. Janman, P.H. Parker, A. Sears and A. Warner. Others joined county or London units, among them W. Frost of the London Regiment and V.G. Ready of the Royal West Surrey Regiment. The Royal Fusiliers claimed H. Eade and M. Hewlett, while J. Everest and J. Richards served with the Middlesex Regiment and S. Pocock with the King's Royal Rifle Corps.
Service overseas is well represented too. W. Crossland and W.H. Crouch enlisted in the Canadian Imperial Force, V.H. Pitfield in the Australian Imperial Force, and S. Everest in the Royal Navy. G.W.P. Ashmore served with the Royal Engineers, and M. Young with the Royal Garrison Artillery.
The memorial is recorded by the Imperial War Museum under reference 16099, and it stands in connection with the nearby Leigh War Memorial.