Knowle War Memorial
Knowle Hospital was open in 1852 as the Hampshire County Lunatic Asylum. The asylum was renamed Knowle Mental Hospital in c.1923 and following the 1948 introduction of the National Health Service Act, became Knowle Hospital.
At the beginning of the 20th century, Knowle Hospital was home to over 1000 patients and staff and was a self contained ‘village’ with gardeners, carpenters, upholsterers, blacksmiths as well as those who undertook various duties caring for the hospital patients.
As with many villages, members of the staff and estate residents answered the call of the country. By the end of August 1916, over seventy staff had joined the military and naval service: some did not return.
A memorial to honour the employees and residents on the Knowle estate who lost their lives in the war was unveiled on 17th January 1920 by Major-General Sir J.H. Davidson, K.C.M.G., C.B., D.S.O., and M.P. for Fareham.
The monument is of a polished Balmoral red granite obelisk standing on a York stone base, with a moulded York stone cap and was mostly subscribed for by the staff of the hospital.
The following are the names of those who fell during the First World War:
| J.Andrews | Gunner R.G.A. | W.A.Molineux | Pte. K.R.R.C. | |
| H. Bedford | Gunner R.M.A. | J.New | Sergt. Hants. Regt. | |
| W.F.Crumplin | Pte. Hants. Regt. | E.E.Pharoah | Gunner R.G.A. | |
| E.W.C.Day | Pte. R.M.L.I. | C.W.Waring | Pte. Ox & Bucks L.I. | |
| J.Dobson | Sergt. Hants Regt. | A.C.Webb | Pte. Sussex Regt. | |
| G.C.Edney | Lc-Corp, Sherwood Foresters | G.R.Winsor | Pt. Dorset Regt. | |
| N.H.Edney | Pte. Inniskilling Fusiliers | T.W.Britton | Pte. Dragoon Guards |
Two further names were added after the Second World War.
| R.W. Clarke | Cpl. R.E. | H.W.C. Page | Ldg. Sto. R.N. |
Following the closure of the hospital in 1995, the memorial was moved to the churchyard of St Nicholas in nearby Wickham.
This move was a temporary arrangement to protect the memorial during the development of Knowle Village.
On 7th March 2007 the memorial was moved back to Knowle where it now sits in the garden next to the Chapel.