War Memorial, Church of St Alphege

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Overview

War memorial, c1920. Read the official list entry to find out more.

Heritage Category:: Listed Building
Grade:: II
List Entry Number:: 1450851
Date first listed:: 07-Nov-2017
List Entry Name:: War Memorial, Church of St Alphege

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Official list entry

Heritage Category:: Listed Building
Grade:: II
List Entry Number:: 1450851
Date first listed:: 07-Nov-2017
List Entry Name:: War Memorial, Church of St Alphege
Location Description:: War Memorial to the east of the Church of St Alphege, Hertford Road, Lower Edmonton, Enfield N9 8AG

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

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

County:: Greater London Authority
District:: Enfield (London Borough)
Parish:: Non Civil Parish
National Grid Reference:: TQ3513595141

Summary

War memorial, c1920.

Reasons for Designation

The war memorial at the Church of St Alphege is listed at Grade II, for the following principal reasons: Historic interest:

* As a symbol of the great impact made by the First and Second World Wars on the local community, and as a focal point for remembrance.

Architectural interest:

* A simple, dignified cruciform design, reflecting the Christian values of the congregation by whom it was erected.

Group value:

* With the Church of St Alphege, listed at 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 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. The memorial at the Church of St Alphege is one such example, which was raised as a permanent testament to the sacrifice made by those who lost their lives in the conflict.

The memorial is believed to have originally been erected at the predecessor to the present Church of St Alphege, which was a temporary ‘tin tabernacle’, 450m to the south-west. The new church was built in 1959, and the memorial moved to the new location – though 20m south-west of where it stands presently; a hall and storage unit were added to the church in the early 1990s, and it is presumed that the memorial was repositioned at that time.

No records related to the commissioning, erection or unveiling of the memorial have been found, however, evidence suggests it was raised by the congregation of the church. As with many First World War memorials, an additional inscription was made following the Second World War.

Details

War memorial, c1920.

MATERIALS: constructed from roughly hewn granite.

DESCRIPTION: the memorial is a Latin cross on plinth with a rounded top. The outward face of the plinth is polished and inscribed, with applied lettering, ‘IN / GRATEFUL MEMORY / OF / THE MEN OF THE DISTRICT / WHO GAVE / THEIR LIVES IN THE GREAT WAR / 1914 – 1918 / AND THE WORLD WAR / 1939 – 1945’.

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, 6 December 2017.

Sources

Websites
Johnson, Graham, ‘Lower Edmonton: Hertford Road’ , accessed 20/09/2017 from http://lower-edmonton.co.uk/local/hertfordrd.html
War Memorials Online, accessed 6 December 2017 from https://www.warmemorialsonline.org.uk/memorial/255075

Legal

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