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The East Sussex hilltop town of Rye first became part of the nation’s maritime defences when it joined the Medieval Cinque Ports Confederation. In 1916, six of its trawler men were killed by a mine laid by a German U-boat. And yet, Rye’s strongest connection to World War One is the architect Sir Reginald Blomfield. He was responsible for three significant designs that commemorated WW1: The local hospital, the Cross of Sacrifice and biggest of all, The Menin Gate in Ypres.

A bronze sword which hung in the hall of Sir Reginald Blomfield’s home in Rye became the inspiration for the town’s wartime memorial - the Cross of Sacrifice. The design was quickly adopted by the Imperial War Graves Commission and widely used in Britain and abroad. He also designed the town’s hospital - which was built in memory of the fallen – without charging for his services.

It’s thought that these commissions, as well as his experience of grand building projects like London’s Regent Street, led to him being asked to design the imposing war memorial to the unidentified dead at Ypres – The Menin Gate.

Location: Rye, East Sussex TN31 7HF
Image shows Rye War Memorial
Presented by Steven George