Summary
First World War memorial, 1921, with additions for later conflicts.
Reasons for Designation
Langley Park War Memorial, which stands at the corner of Front Street and Quebec Street, is listed at Grade II for the following principal reasons:
* Historic interest: as an eloquent witness to the tragic impact of world events on this local community, and the sacrifices it has made in the conflicts of the C20;
* Architectural interest: a monumental war memorial drawing on elements from the Classical style.
History
The aftermath of the First World War saw the biggest single wave of public commemoration ever with tens of thousands of memorials erected across the country. This was the result of both the huge impact on communities of the loss of three quarters of a million British lives, and also the official policy of not repatriating the dead: therefore the memorials provided the main focus of the grief felt at this great loss. One such memorial was raised at Langley Park as a permanent testament to the sacrifices made by the members of the local community who lost their lives in the First World War.
Details
The memorial stands at the corner of Front Street and Quebec Street, in a square enclosure defined by railings carried on a low kerb. The granite structure comprises a large two-stage base, square on plan, on which stands a pedestal with scrolled angle buttresses. The pedestal supports the central section: that, square on plan, has corner columns that carry an entablature and pediment with corner pinnacles. From the pediment rises a domed octagonal drum, surmounted by a wheel-head cross.
End of official list entry
