1. Merthyr Tydfil War Memorial. Set on terraced hillside above main road junction at Pontmorlais Circus. ca 1930. Bronze figures by L S Merrifield, 1931; cast by A B Burton, founder of Thames Ditton.
Tall Portland stone niche with moulded arched capping, tapering sides and stepped plinth with flanking pedestals. Central bronze, mythological figure of one of the Three Fates bearing (or measuring) the Web of Life. War trophy to swagged pedestal. To the sides are standing figures of a miner and a female carrying a child.
An arrangement of curved flight of steps leads down to ca. 1930 bronze guardrail with classical torch motif. Ironwork urns on front wall. (Cadw Listing database)

RCAHMW, 4 February 2014

2. According to a pamphlet printed for the dedication of the memorial it depicts:

`an apsidal screen with flanking pedestals of Portland stone carrying in the centre a life-size bronze figure of St. Tydfil standing on a base which bears a helmet and crossed swords and ornamented with rams? heads and garlands representing an altar of sacrifice. The bronze life-size statues of a miner and woman with a baby on either side holding the garlands share the sacrifice while paying tribute to those who died and to those who were maimed bodily and mentally in the war.?

It was designed by L. S. Merrifield of Chelsea and constructed at a cost of £2,667, although its erection was delayed owing to difficult in locating a suitable site. Enquiries by the executive committee overseeing the war memorial revealed 1,140 names and as it was impossible to include so many names on the memorial it was decided to record them in another location. The memorial was unveiled on 11 November 1931 by the Viscount Allenby and dedicated by the Bishop of Llandaff.

(Source: Printed Pamphlet printed for the unveiling and dedication of `Merthyr Tydfil Borough War Memorial? (Merthyr Tydfil: H. W. Southey & Sons, Ltd., 1931), we are grateful to a member of the public for bringing this source to our attention)
A.N. Coward, RCAHMW, 08.01.2019