The War Memorial that Moved

In the 1950s my great-uncle Reginald Gordon took photographs of a memorial. The negatives were recently developed and I realised they were taken at Birling Gap near East Dean (East Sussex) and show the Robertson War Memorial.

The memorial was erected by the National Trust to commemorate the gift of £50,000 by William Alexander Robertson, a London barrister who lived at Nutfield Priory , Redhill, Surrey. The money was given to preserve land or buildings withing easy access of London but there was a stipulation that an eight foot memorial be raised at each location to the donors brothers, Norman Cairns Robertson and Laurance Grant Robertson.

The National Trust used the money to buy eight parcels of land and Sutton House in Homerton London. This is a Tudor merchants house and one of the oldest residential buildings in London.

The Trust also purchased land near Whipsnade Zoo on Dunstable Downs, Bedfordshire, Hindhead, Surrey and also 160 acres at Micheldene in Sussex, which stretches along the Seven Sisters to Birling Gap. An obelisk commemorating the men was erected at these locations. The obelisks all commemorate the donor’s brothers Norman and Laurance Robertson.

Norman Cairns Robertson was educated at Westminster School and later became a solicitor. He joined the Inns of Court Officer Training Corps in London at the outbreak of the Great War receiving a commission as a captain in the Hampshire Regiment in February 1915. He saw continuous action on the front from August 1916 until 23^rd April 1917 when he was captured as a prisoner-of-war near Monchy to the south east of Arras in northern France. Robertson was taken to Hanover and died in a German Military Hospital there on 20^th June 1917. He is buried at Hanover.

Laurance Grant Robertson qualified as Chartered Accountant and worked for the Government . He was commissioned Second Lieutenant in the Army Ordnance Department but wanted to be involved in front-line action so transferred to the King’s Own Scottish Borderers in February 1915. He was killed in action during the Battle of the Somme on 30^th July 1916. He has no known grave but is remembered on the Thiepval Memorial in northern France.

When my great uncle took the photos, the Robertson memorial was close to the cliffs on Went Hill to the west of Birling Gap however the cliffs here have eroded over the years so the Robertson Monument was moved further west, between two of the iconic Seven Sisters at Michel Dean. This removal probably happened in the late 1960s or early 1970s as this photo was taken in 1965. The path where monument and the jolly walkers are has now fallen into the sea.

If you wish to visit this memorial today you need to walk up the track behind the Birling Gap toilet block and head west. There is a no entry sign but this is for vehicles – it is also a path and a part of the South Downs Way. To either side there are bungalows but when this access road runs out continue through the gate and after a short walk through some shrubbery you will emerge onto open downland with stunning views along the Seven Sisters to Seaford Head and beyond. Once you pass the brow of Went Hill you will see the memorial before you on the upward slope of Baily’s Hill. It is about a 20 minute walk.