麻豆社

The man who wrote arguably the most famous of all World War One poems was born in Lancaster.

A verse of Laurence Binyon's "For the Fallen" is read out at Remembrance services every year.

He was born on High Street in 1869. His father was the vicar at Burton-in-Lonsdale, just over the border in Yorkshire. At the time of Laurence's birth, the church and the vicarage were still to be built, so they had come to live in Lancaster.

He was 45-years-old at the outbreak of war, and was too old to join up, but he did volunteer to become a nursing orderly with the Red Cross in France.

Binyon wrote "For the Fallen" within weeks of the war starting. It was his response to the first major fighting - including the British action at Mons.

The poem was published in The Times in September 1914. There are seven verses in all, but it is the fourth, beginning "They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old" which is by far the best known.

Binyon always remained fond of Lancaster and he presented a manuscript copy of "For the Fallen" to the people of the city. He died in 1943.

Location: High Street, Lancaster LA1 1LA
Image: Laurence Binyon, Getty Images

Show less