A war memorial is to be listed to preserve it for future generations.

Letchworth GC War Memorial was officially given the grade II listing on August 9 this year. The memorial is set in a small garden in Station Place.

It was unveiled on December 11, 1921 by Viscount Hampden and was designed by Onslow E Whiting. It was erected and as a reminder of the 145 men who died in World War I.

It isn’t known how many war memorials there are, with only 1300 examples currently on the National Heritage List for England, however, it is believed that less than 10 per cent of free-standing war memorials are presently listed.

Culture Secretary Maria Miller has announced that English Heritage intends to list up to 500 war memorials a year over the next five years. She is calling on the public to nominate their local memorials to be considered.

Maria Miller said: “This centenary comes at a point where living memory becomes written history, so it is absolutely essential that our work to mark it speaks clearly to young people in particular. War Memorials are a precious part of our heritage that keeps alive the ultimate sacrifice that so many made. It is absolutely right that we cherish and protect them, and I welcome English Heritage’s initiative in launching this project.”