King Square once formed a significant part of the old castle site. The fine houses on the south and east sides of the square date back to the 1820s and the new council offices on the north side have been sympathetically designed to blend with the earlier buildings. Also on the north side is the Masonic Lodge, built in 1912. It features narrow slits through which the lodge members can espy any strangers waiting
to enter.
The centrepiece of the square is the war memorial erected in 1924 and unveiled by Lord Cavan. It features a statue of a mother and child representing civilisation. Beneath the mother’s feet are characters representing strife, bloodshed, corruption and despair. In one hand she holds a globe of the world and in the other the Book of Law.
Text Copyright © 2008 Roger Evans