Southfields War Memorial

St Barnabas Church, 146 Lavenham Road, Southfields, London, SW18 5EP

Listed on the National Heritage List for England. Search over 400,000 listed places

Overview

War Memorial, unveiled 1919, in the form of a stone cross set on a plinth. Read the official list entry to find out more.

Heritage Category:: Listed Building
Grade:: II
List Entry Number:: 1444117
Date first listed:: 29-Jun-2017
List Entry Name:: Southfields War Memorial
Statutory Address:: St Barnabas Church, 146 Lavenham Road, Southfields, London, SW18 5EP

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Official list entry

Heritage Category:: Listed Building
Grade:: II
List Entry Number:: 1444117
Date first listed:: 29-Jun-2017
List Entry Name:: Southfields War Memorial
Statutory Address 1:: St Barnabas Church, 146 Lavenham Road, Southfields, London, SW18 5EP

This List entry helps identify the building designated at this address for its special architectural or historic interest.

Unless the List entry states otherwise, it includes both the structure itself and any object or structure fixed to it (whether inside or outside) as well as any object or structure within the curtilage of the building.

For these purposes, to be included within the curtilage of the building, the object or structure must have formed part of the land since before 1st July 1948.

Understanding list entries

Corrections and minor amendments

This List entry helps identify the building designated at this address for its special architectural or historic interest.

For these purposes, to be included within the curtilage of the building, the object or structure must have formed part of the land since before 1st July 1948.

Understanding list entries

Corrections and minor amendments

Location

Statutory Address:: St Barnabas Church, 146 Lavenham Road, Southfields, London, SW18 5EP

The building or site itself may lie within the boundary of more than one authority.

County:: Greater London Authority
District:: Wandsworth (London Borough)
Parish:: Non Civil Parish
National Grid Reference:: TQ2535273067

Summary

War Memorial, unveiled 1919, in the form of a stone cross set on a plinth.

Reasons for Designation

Southfields War Memorial is listed at Grade II for the following principal reasons: * Historic interest: as an eloquent witness to the tragic impact of world events on the local community, and the sacrifices they made in the First World War; * Design: as a dignified and imposing stone cross war memorial.

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, which meant that the memorials provided the main focus of the grief felt at this great loss.

One such memorial was raised in Southfields as a permanent testament to the sacrifices made by the members of the local community. It was designed by Whitehead and Sons of Kennington, and was carved from a block of Cornwall granite at a cost of £240. The memorial was unveiled in a ceremony held on 4 October 1919; in attendance were Lieutenant-Colonel R Hue-Williams, the Bishop of Kingston upon Thames, soldiers from the Coldstream Guards and a large crowd of local residents. The vicar of the church, Reverend J Warren, commented thus: ‘So there it stands – this beautiful representation of the supreme sacrifice, with its silent but eloquent appeal to all who pass by.’

Details

Tall granite cross, with a sculpted Christ with INRI scroll. At the bottom of the shaft is the inscription: "THIS / HAVE I DONE / FOR THEE". This rests on a rectangular stone block, bearing the inscription: TO THE GLORY OF GOD / AND IN GRATEFUL REMEMBRANCE / OF THE OFFICERS / NON-COMMISSIONED OFFICERS AND MEN / OF THIS CHURCH AND DISTRICT / WHO FELL IN THE GREAT WAR / 1914 - 1919. This in turn rests on a much larger cuboid block, each side of which bears the names of the Fallen arranged by year, with another rectangular block bearing further names on the front, right and left faces. The whole rests on a stone platform standing in a small rockery bordered by grey stones.

This List entry has been amended to add the source for War Memorials Online. This source was not used in the compilation of this List entry but is added here as a guide for further reading, 20 July 2017.

Sources

Websites
War Memorials Online, accessed 20 July 2017 from https://www.warmemorialsonline.org.uk/memorial/196518
War Memorials Register, accessed 27 Janaury 2017 from http://www.iwm.org.uk/memorials/item/memorial/12490

Legal

This building is listed under the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990 as amended for its special architectural or historic interest.