Whilst taking a scenic walk through the Lymington marshes today, I passed the curious memorial pictured above. The monument is dedicated to Sir Admiral Harry Neale, a once-famous naval officer who served as Lymington’s member of parliament for a whopping 25 years, and celebrates his role in bringing gas lighting to the town by means of paying for the lamp standards. Despite having never heard of him before, it turns out that the admiral was very much a local celebrity in his day and, if you’re interested in learning a little more, you can find a great summary of his achievements on the Friends of Sir Harry website.
It’s always incredibly easy to walk straight past monuments such as these (it’s certainly something that I’ve been guilty of in the past), but if you take just a few moments to stop and look you might just uncover a fascinating piece of local history.
Please Remain Seated 