Memorial Stone Sir Hugh Dowding

Stone and plaque for Air Chief Marshal Sir Hugh Caswell Tremenheere Dowding.

The memorial was erected from a granite rock that the late Joyce Hilling, former mayor of Tunbridge Wells, had brought from his native Scotland and placed at the (lower) entrance to Calverley Gardens. Lord & Lady Muriel''s former home was at the top of the private park at N° 1 Calverley Park, where there is a memorial plaque. Previously, Lord Dowding came (from Wimbledon) to live in Muriel''s home, 5 Darnley Drive, Southborough, built by her father-in-law, Harry Scott Whiting, of Hethersett (now Park House) The Crossways, Neville Court, Tunbridge Wells, that he had built before the war.

The reason for Hugh & Muriel Dowding to move to the centre of Tunbridge Wells was following a fall on the marble stairs of his club, the United Services Club (then in Pall Mall) he broke a hip. Following hospitalisation he became more painfully restricted with arthritis, and as it was not feasible to install a lift in Oakgates, the family, along with Muriel''s mother and sister moved to N°1 Calverley Park, which included Keston Lodge and the private road.

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