by Janis / 0 comments - Orginally published:19th January 2017

“No grave but the sea”

This wonderful memorial in the heart of London commemorates both men and women of the Merchant Navy and fishing fleets who died during both world wars and have no grave but the sea.

Visitors often overlook this memorial, as it is located just opposite the imposing Tower of London.

Hopefully, you can take time out of your busy schedule and give this memorial the time that it deserves.

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Where is Tower Hill in London?

How to get to Tower Hill?

Tower Hill Station is on the Circle Line and the District line

Don’t forget if you have a contactless bank card, or a card assigned to your phone you tap and pay with that. (For more check out the TFL site(Transport for London))

A touch of London's history

The Great War
The vaulted passageway on the south side of Trinity Square Gardens, commemorating almost 12,000 Mercantile Marines lives lost during World War I.
The corner of the World War I Memorial at Trinity Memorial Gardens on Tower Hill. The vaulted passageway has brass plaques attached to the stonework with the names of those lost at sea.
Close-up of the Great War Memorial
Standing inside the Tower Hill memorial arch looking out to the Church of all Hallows by the tower. The columns are filled with plaques of the names of the fallen from World War One.
Inside the Memorial
Every name is engraved upon the 12 bronze plaques, which you are free to respectfully stroll through and reflect. Queen Mary unveiled the First World War memorial on 12th December 1928. A total of 3,305 merchant ships were lost, along with 17,000 lives.

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Peaceful London

Honor
Just beyond the World War I commemoration are two striking statues, one of an officer and the other of a seaman. These two beautiful figures guide you down into the sunken garden of the World War II memorial.
A black & white image of one of the stone Naval Officers at the Tower Hill Memorial in Trinity Memorial Gardens on Tower Hill
An Officer
A black & white image of one of the stone Seaman at the Tower Hill Memorial in Trinity Memorial Gardens on Tower Hill
A Seaman

We have a little book on our shelves that we sometimes delve into when we're about to hit an area of London.

Packed full of historical facts, and broken down into the different regions of London, it's a great resource to help you see what's hidden in plain sight.

Available in Kindle & Hardback editions, it's an excellent addition to anyone's collection who loves London.

Remembering London

World War II

Stepping down into the semi-circular sunken garden, you’ll be astounded at the sea of names that engulf you. There are almost 24,000 British seamen named, along with 50 Australian seamen.

During the Second World War, a total of 4,786 merchant ships were lost, along with 32,000 lives. More than one quarter of this total were lost in home waters.

A base relief of Neptune between the list of the fallen at the Tower Hill Memorial in Trinity Memorial Gardens on Tower Hill
Neptune at the Tower Hill Memorial
A base relief of a Mermaid between the list of the fallen at the Tower Hill Memorial in Trinity Memorial Gardens on Tower Hill
A mermaid at the Tower Hill Memorial
Queen Elizabeth II unveiled this WWII memorial on 5th November 1955.
The Stone of Remembrance at the Tower Hill Memorial in Trinity Memorial Gardens on Tower Hill, London
No grave but the sea
In total 35,839 identified casualties are remembered here, which have “no grave but the sea”.

London's little treasures

Trinity Square Gardens
Visitors' panels are displayed around the garden to give you further insight into the lives of these brave men and women.
A view across Trinity Memorial Gardens in London, with the tower of All Hallows by the Tower church and The Shard in the distance.
The view across Tower Hill Memorial and Trinity Gardens
As these memorials are set within a garden, you’ll often find escaped City workers whiling away their lunch break on the grass.

Tube Station Walks

We love to explore London on foot; a great way to break it into bite-sized pieces is to pick an underground station.

Why not browse our posts on tube station walks to find out what we uncovered in different districts?

Discovering London

10 Trinity Square

10 Trinity Square, which was once the headquarters of the Port of London Authority, stands proudly overlooking these memorials towards the River Thames.
(Some of you may recognize it from the James Bond film ‘Skyfall’)

The sundial at the tower hill underground station, in front of number ten trinity square, london
The Sundial at Tower Hill Gardens
Trinity House at dusk, a neo-classical building close to Tower Hill in London
Outside 10 Trinity Square at dusk

Where to stay in London

The Tower hill district sits on the edge of the City of London, London's historic financial district.

There are plenty of choices, why not check out Booking.com for something that suits your requirements?

Booking.com

Historic London

A 14th Century Scaffold Site

Within Trinity Square Gardens also lies a memorial to the Scaffold site once used for public executions, dating from 1381 to 1747. Many of whom were dignitaries and clergymen.

One of the plaques which lies in the memorial garden reads;

"To commemorate the tragic history and in many cases the martyrdom of those who for the sake of their faith, country or ideals staked their lives and lost" "On this site more than 125 were put to death, the names of some of whom are recorded here"
A small cobbled square in Trinity Park with a brass plaque noting this was the spot of an ancient Scaffold used for executions.
Site of the gallows in Trinity park

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