11 Memorials to Explore in United Kingdom

The Alan Turing Memorial is a sculpture dedicated to Alan Turing, an English mathematician, computer scientist, logician and theoretical biologist who contributed to the field of modern computing. Eternally sitting on a public park bench in Manchester’s Sackville Park the bronze statue of the innovative computer pioneer seems to just be waiting for some companions to come sit next to him.

The Ashton Memorial is a folly in Williamson Park, Lancaster, Lancashire, England. This Grade 1 listed Ashton Memorial was commissioned by Lancaster industrialist Lord Ashton as a tribute to his late wife Jessy. It was designed by John Belcher and completed in 1909. Today, the memorial serves as an exhibition space on the upper floor and a venue for concerts and weddings.

The National Memorial to the Few Dedicated to the heroic and selfless deeds of the men who won the Battle of Britain. The Memorial itself inspires quiet reflection on the bravery and sacrifice shown by the aircrew – fewer than 3,000 men – who flew, fought and sometimes died in probably the most crucial battle fought by this country in the whole of the 20th century. Also on the site are replicas of a Hawker Hurricane and Supermarine Spitfire and the Christopher Foxley-Norris Memorial Wall, on wh

The Burns Monument and Memorial Gardens stand on a sloping site on the north bank of the River Doon overlooking the Brig o' Doon. The Monument and Gardens come under the umbrella of the Robert Burns Birthplace Museum. Operated by the National Trust for Scotland, this magnificent museum is well worth a visit in its own right, and it also brings together all the places associated with Robert Burns in Alloway. These include Brig o' Doon, Auld Kirk Alloway, and Burns Cottage.

Edinburgh Castle is a historic fortress dominating the skyline of Edinburgh. It is located on top of Castle Rock, a volcanic lava rock formed 350 million years ago. Edinburgh Castle is Scotland's most and the United Kingdom's second most-visited paid attraction. The castle has undergone 26 sieges in its 1,100 year history. It is beleived to be the most besieged place in Great Britain and one of the most attacked in the world.

The Kitchener Memorial sits upon the RSPB's Marwick Head reserve, and offers stunning views across the Atlantic Ocean, towards the Brough of Birsay to the north, and to Hoy to the south. On clear days the stone stack The Old Man of Hoy is clearly visible.

The Martyrs’ Memorial, designed by Sir George Gilbert Scott and built of magnesium limestone, has stood as a focal point at the south end of St Giles since its completion in 1843, when it replaced “a picturesque but tottering old house”. It was modelled on the Waltham Cross. The monument was built 300 years after the events of the English Reformation and commemorates the Bishop of Worcester Hugh Latimer and Bishop of London Nicholas Ridley, who were burned nearby on 16 October, 1555.

Pilgrim Fathers Memorial was built in 1957, is just outside Boston at Fishtoft. It marks the area of Scotia Creek where, in 1607, a group of puritans, who were later to be known as the Pilgrim Fathers, attempting to flee to Holland were arrested and handed over to the authorities. It commemorates the attempt at finding religious freedom in September, 1607 by the Scrooby Congregation, a group of English Separatist Protestants who left for Holland. They were precursors of the Pilgrims who later c

The Shetland Bus memorial in Scalloway celebrates the bravery of the men who ran the Shetland based boat operation to and from occupied Norway. This is a moving tribute on the waterfront, built with stones from both countries. The Norwegian stones are from the home areas of 44 Norwegians who died running the gauntlet between Norway and Scalloway.

This imposing memorial to Alfred, Lord Tennyson, the Victorian Poet Laureate, stands on the highest point of Tennyson Dow, a long chalk ridge with sheer cliffs on its south side. After the poet's death in 1892, a fund was set up to pay for the memorial. It stands on the site of the old Nodes signal beacon that used to give warning of invasion threats. The inscription on the memorial pillar reads: 'In memory of Alfred Lord Tennyson this Cross is raised as a beacon to sailors by the people of Fres

The Wagoners' Memorial is situated on the western side of Sledmere village, a little to the north of the gateway to the Church of St Mary. The unusual squat columnar memorial was designed by Sir Mark Sykes, 6th Baronet, and built in 1919–20. It became a Grade II listed building in 1966, upgraded to Grade I in February 2016. The memorial pays tribute to the fact that many other people died in addition to the soldiers including drivers, doctors and stretcher-bearers.