Camberwell Old Cemetery War Memorial
Camberwell Old Cemetery, London, SE22 0RU
Listed on the National Heritage List for England. Search over 400,000 listed places
Overview
- Heritage Category:
- Listed Building
- Grade:
- II
- List Entry Number:
- 1449949
- Date first listed:
- 07-Nov-2017
- List Entry Name:
- Camberwell Old Cemetery War Memorial
- Statutory Address:
- Camberwell Old Cemetery, London, SE22 0RU
Location
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Discover moreOfficial list entry
- Heritage Category:
- Listed Building
- Grade:
- II
- List Entry Number:
- 1449949
- Date first listed:
- 07-Nov-2017
- List Entry Name:
- Camberwell Old Cemetery War Memorial
- Statutory Address 1:
- Camberwell Old Cemetery, London, SE22 0RU
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:
- Camberwell Old Cemetery, London, SE22 0RU
The building or site itself may lie within the boundary of more than one authority.
- County:
- Greater London Authority
- District:
- Southwark (London Borough)
- Parish:
- Non Civil Parish
- National Grid Reference:
- TQ3495874247
Summary
First World War memorial, erected 1920.
Reasons for Designation
Camberwell Old Cemetery 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 it made in the First World War;
* Architectural interest: as a dignified and imposing war memorial;
* Group value: with the directly adjacent Memorial to those killed by Zeppelin (Grade II).
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 at Camberwell Old Cemetery as a permanent testament to the sacrifices made by the members of the communities in the Borough of Camberwell. It was unveiled on 11 September 1920. Camberwell Borough was later subsumed into the new London Borough of Southwark in 1965.
Details
Tall limestone pillar, topped by a flaming urn finial. The top of the front face of the pillar bears the words "OUR / GLORIOUS / DEAD" surrounded by a carved laurel wreath with hanging ribbons; to the bottom left of the ribbon is the coat of arms of the Navy, with that of the Army to the right. Below this is a raised rectangular section, with a small wheeled cross to each corner. At the middle top are the arms of the RAF; below this is the inscription: THIS CENOTAPH WAS / ERECTED BY SUBSCRIBERS / TO THE WAR MEMORIAL / OF THE BOROVGH OF/ CAMBERWELL AS A / TRIBVTE TO ITS SONS / WHOSE BODIES ARE REST- / ING IN THE CEMETERY AND / THROUGHOVT THE WORLD / AT THE CALL OF/ KING AND COVNTRY / THEY LEFT EVERYTHING / THAT WAS DEAR TO THEM / ENDVRED HARDNESS / FACED DANGER AND / FINALLY PASSED OUT OF / SIGHT OF MEN BY THE / PATH OF DVTY AND / SELF SACRIFICE / THEY DIED THAT / WE MIGHT LIVE IN FREEDOM / AND AT THE LAST MVSTER / THEY SHALL STAND BE- / FORE THE THRONE AN / EXCEEDINGLY GREAT ARMY / 1914 - 1918 / THEY PASSED BVT THEY / COULD NOT PASS AWAY. Below this are the arms of the Borough of Camberwell. The left face of the pillar bears a carving of a flaming torch, and the back a tall wheeled cross. The pillar rests on a plinth, bearing the inscription: EVAN COOK, JP MAYOR 1918-19 / C WILLIAM TAGG TOWN CLERK; this rests on a three-step platform.
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, 30 January 2018.
Sources
Websites
IWM - Camberwell - WW1, accessed 16 August 2017 from http://www.iwm.org.uk/memorials/item/memorial/12582
War Memorials Online, accessed 30 January 2018 from https://www.warmemorialsonline.org.uk/memorial/111160
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 09-Jun-2026 at 21:37:22.
Download a full scale map (PDF)End of official list entry
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