Limehouse War Memorial
St James' Gardens, Butcher Row, Limehouse, London
Listed on the National Heritage List for England. Search over 400,000 listed places
Overview
- Heritage Category:
- Listed Building
- Grade:
- II
- List Entry Number:
- 1449788
- Date first listed:
- 18-Oct-2017
- List Entry Name:
- Limehouse War Memorial
- Statutory Address:
- St James' Gardens, Butcher Row, Limehouse, London
Location
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Discover moreOfficial list entry
- Heritage Category:
- Listed Building
- Grade:
- II
- List Entry Number:
- 1449788
- Date first listed:
- 18-Oct-2017
- List Entry Name:
- Limehouse War Memorial
- Statutory Address 1:
- St James' Gardens, Butcher Row, Limehouse, London
The scope of legal protection for listed buildings
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.
The scope of legal protection for listed buildings
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.
Location
- Statutory Address:
- St James' Gardens, Butcher Row, Limehouse, London
The building or site itself may lie within the boundary of more than one authority.
- County:
- Greater London Authority
- District:
- Tower Hamlets (London Borough)
- Parish:
- Non Civil Parish
- National Grid Reference:
- TQ3600080934
Summary
First World War memorial.
Reasons for Designation
Limehouse war memorial, which is situated in St James’ Gardens, 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 sacrifice it made during the First World War.
Architectural interest:
* An elegant Latin cross with finely carved depictions of poppy-heads and briars.
Group value:
* With the Grade II*-listed Royal Foundation of St Katherine and the Grade II-listed Shadwell Portal to the Rotherhithe Tunnel.
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 England. 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 at Limehouse as a permanent testament to the sacrifice made by the members of the local community who lost their lives in the First World War. It was unveiled on 15 April 1923 by General Sir Ian Hamilton GCB GCMG DSO.
Details
First World War memorial.
DESCRIPTION: Limehouse War Memorial is located within St James’ Gardens, in close proximity to the Grade II*-listed Royal Foundation of St Katherine and the Grade II-listed Shadwell Portal to the Rotherhithe Tunnel.
It is of Portland stone and takes the form of a tall, Latin cross with splayed foot, rising from a rectangular plinth. The north face of the cross-head and shaft is carved with a design of poppy-heads and briars, with the dates 1914/ 1918 incised to the base of the shaft. The plinth has a chamfered, square block foot and surmounts a two-stepped base.
The inscriptions and names are incised on the faces of the plinth; the stone panels to the north, east and west faces project forward. Inscribed to the top of the north face are the words TO THE GLORY OF GOD/ AND TO THE MEMORY OF/ THE MEN OF ENGLAND/ WHO FELL IN THE GREAT WAR. To the top of the south face are the words GREATER LOVE HAS NO MAN/ THAN THAT HE/ SHOULD LAY DOWN HIS LIFE/ FOR HIS FRIENDS. The names are listed below the inscriptions and to the east and west faces.
The memorial sits on a paved area with planting to either side. The area is mostly enclosed from the wider gardens by low metal railings with the exception of a gap to the north side which allows access to the memorial.
Sources
Websites
War Memorials Register, accessed 09 August 2017 from http://www.iwm.org.uk/memorials/item/memorial/18210
War Memorials Online, accessed 09 August 2017 from https://www.warmemorialsonline.org.uk/memorial/142475
London Remembers, accessed 09 August 2017 from https://www.londonremembers.com/memorials/limehouse-ww1-cross
Legal
This building is listed under the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990 as amended for its special architectural or historic interest.
Map
This map is for quick reference purposes only and may not be to scale. This copy shows the entry on 06-Jul-2026 at 04:14:51.
Download a full scale map (PDF)End of official list entry
All text content is available under the Open Government Licence v3.0 , except where otherwise stated. Any supplied maps are © Crown Copyright [and database rights] 2026 OS AC0000815036 and may not be reproduced without permission.