Colin Crosby Heritage Tours

War Memorial (Market Harborough)

The War Memorial in the historic Leicestershire market town of Market Harborough is situated in the triangular pedestrianised area at the bottom of the High Street.

This area was originally used as the town’s sheep market, while cattle were sold in the High Street itself.

The memorial is actually in memory of men from the town who were killed in the First World War. In most towns, those killed during the Second World War were added, but here this is not the case.

Beside the square, there are ornamental gates leading into a garden, which is itself a World War Two memorial. The gates have World War Two names on them.

These gates were brought from Gopsall, a big house near Hinckley which was demolished in the mid 20th century. The house was at one time the home of Edward Jennens, who contributed the words to “The Hallelujah Chorus” from Handel’s “Messiah”. Handel himself stayed at the house, and wrote some of this famous work there.

The War Memorial is the starting point for some of Blue Badge Guide Colin Crosby’s Guided Walks.