Tilbury Clock Tower War Memorial
Civic Square, Tilbury, Essex, RM18 8ZZ
Listed on the National Heritage List for England. Search over 400,000 listed places
Overview
- Heritage Category:
- Listed Building
- Grade:
- II
- List Entry Number:
- 1471691
- Date first listed:
- 23-Oct-2020
- List Entry Name:
- Tilbury Clock Tower War Memorial
- Statutory Address:
- Civic Square, Tilbury, Essex, RM18 8ZZ
Location
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Discover moreOfficial list entry
- Heritage Category:
- Listed Building
- Grade:
- II
- List Entry Number:
- 1471691
- Date first listed:
- 23-Oct-2020
- List Entry Name:
- Tilbury Clock Tower War Memorial
- Statutory Address 1:
- Civic Square, Tilbury, Essex, RM18 8ZZ
The scope of legal protection for listed buildings
This List entry helps identify the building designated at this address for its special architectural or historic interest.
Unless the List entry states otherwise, it includes both the structure itself and any object or structure fixed to it (whether inside or outside) as well as any object or structure within the curtilage of the building.
For these purposes, to be included within the curtilage of the building, the object or structure must have formed part of the land since before 1st July 1948.
The scope of legal protection for listed buildings
This List entry helps identify the building designated at this address for its special architectural or historic interest.
Unless the List entry states otherwise, it includes both the structure itself and any object or structure fixed to it (whether inside or outside) as well as any object or structure within the curtilage of the building.
For these purposes, to be included within the curtilage of the building, the object or structure must have formed part of the land since before 1st July 1948.
Location
- Statutory Address:
- Civic Square, Tilbury, Essex, RM18 8ZZ
The building or site itself may lie within the boundary of more than one authority.
- District:
- Thurrock (Unitary Authority)
- Parish:
- Non Civil Parish
- National Grid Reference:
- TQ6436476278
Summary
A First World War clock tower memorial, with added names from Second World War, the Malaysian Emergency and the Falklands Conflict.
Reasons for Designation
Tilbury Clock Tower War Memorial is listed at Grade II for the following principal reasons:
Historic interest
* as an eloquent witness to the tragic impact of world events on the local community, and the sacrifice it made in the conflicts of the C20.
Architectural interest
* as a high quality design, monumental in scale, and a central feature of the masterplan for the area in the 1930s.
History
The aftermath of the First World War that was the great age of memorial building, both as a result of the huge impact the loss of three quarters of a million British lives had on communities and the official policy of not repatriating the dead, which meant that the memorials provided the main focus of the grief felt at this great loss.
This war memorial was unveiled on 10 November 1934. It was built around the same time as the new civic buildings: the council offices and public library. The clock tower was clearly part of the masterplan, and designed as a contextual response to the prevailing townscape character. It commemorates 156 local servicemen who died during the First World War. Names have later been added to commemorate the fallen of the Second World War, one from Malaya 1950 and one from the Falklands Conflict (1982). The First and Second World War names are grouped by the Royal Navy and Mercantile, Military and Royal Air Force.
The four flagstaffs at the corners and low iron railings were added in the late C20. The memorial underwent some repairs in 2014.
Details
A First World War clock tower memorial, with added names from Second World War, the Malaysian Emergency and the Falklands Conflict.
MATERIALS: painted limestone with bronze plaques.
DESCRIPTION: a tall square tower with Roman Ionic corner pilasters supporting a deep entablature, set on a low pedestal and crowned by a block with a round clock face on each side and a ball finial.
Inscribed into the front face of the pedestal is MAY JUSTICE MERCY & PEACE/ PREVAIL AMONG THE NATIONS. There are two further bronze plaques on the pedestal, the first of which reads FOR YOUR TOMORROW WE/ GAVE OUR TODAY. AT/ THE GOING DOWN OF THE/ SUN AND IN THE MORNING/ WE WILL REMEMBER THEM. The second reads IN HONOURED MEMORY TO/ LOCAL SERVICEMEN AND WOMEN/ WHO GAVE THEIR LIVES FOR/ FREEDOM AND PEACE IN/ THE GREAT WAR 1914-18./ SECOND WORLD WAR 1939-45./ MALAYA 1950 AND FALKLAND 1982.
The memorial is set within a paved area in front of the municipal buildings in Civic Square.
Sources
Websites
Tilbury and Chadwell Memories, accessed accessed 24/07/2020 from https://www.tilburyandchadwellmemories.org.uk/content/places/the_tilbury_war_memorial
War Memorials Online- Tilbury, accessed 24 July 2020 from http://www.warmemorialsonline.org.uk/node/191843
IWM, accessed 24 July 2020 from https://www.iwm.org.uk/memorials/item/memorial/22635
Legal
This building is listed under the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990 as amended for its special architectural or historic interest.
Map
This map is for quick reference purposes only and may not be to scale. This copy shows the entry on 26-Jun-2026 at 12:06:26.
Download a full scale map (PDF)End of official list entry
All text content is available under the Open Government Licence v3.0 , except where otherwise stated. Any supplied maps are © Crown Copyright [and database rights] 2026 OS AC0000815036 and may not be reproduced without permission.