This is Hungerford’s main War Memorial. It was built on the island in Bridge Street which had, since 1232, been the site of the ancient Priory of St John the Baptist. The Priory was dissolved by Henry VIII.
The main road access to the town of Hungerford used to be through the ford to the south of this island, but in 1740 a new road was built from what is now the John o’Gaunt Inn to the Bear, greatly improving the access.
In the early 20th century this was the site of International Stores, but the shop closed during the First World War, and after the war the opportunity was taken to widen Bridge Street by demolishing the premises, and to build the War Memorial here. The column is built of Doulting limestone (from Somerset), but when the column was cleaned in 2018 it was realised that the cross itself is made of Portland stone.
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