Danbury War Memorial
Elm Green, Elm Green Lane, Danbury, Essex, CM3 4EJ
Listed on the National Heritage List for England. Search over 400,000 listed places
Overview
- Heritage Category:
- Listed Building
- Grade:
- II
- List Entry Number:
- 1459806
- Date first listed:
- 31-Jan-2019
- List Entry Name:
- Danbury War Memorial
- Statutory Address:
- Elm Green, Elm Green Lane, Danbury, Essex, CM3 4EJ
Location
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Discover moreOfficial list entry
- Heritage Category:
- Listed Building
- Grade:
- II
- List Entry Number:
- 1459806
- Date first listed:
- 31-Jan-2019
- List Entry Name:
- Danbury War Memorial
- Statutory Address 1:
- Elm Green, Elm Green Lane, Danbury, Essex, CM3 4EJ
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:
- Elm Green, Elm Green Lane, Danbury, Essex, CM3 4EJ
The building or site itself may lie within the boundary of more than one authority.
- County:
- Essex
- District:
- Chelmsford (District Authority)
- Parish:
- Danbury
- National Grid Reference:
- TL7756205374
Summary
First World War memorial, 1920, with later additions for the Second World War.
Reasons for Designation
Danbury War Memorial, which stands on Elm Green, 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:
* as an elegant and striking Portland stone cross.
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 Danbury as a permanent testament to the sacrifice made by 24 members of the local community who lost their lives in the First World War.
Danbury War Memorial was unveiled on 31 July 1920 by Field Marshal Sir WR Robertson. It was built to the Cross of Sacrifice design which was devised in 1919 by Sir Reginald Blomfield (1856-1942) for war cemeteries abroad, although it was also widely adopted in Britain.
Details
First World War memorial, 1920, with later additions for the Second World War.
MATERIALS: Portland stone, bronze.
DESCRIPTION: the memorial is located on Elm Green at the junction of Elm Green Lane and Bell Hill. The memorial consists of a c 7.3m high Portland stone Latin cross rising from an octagonal plinth on a four-stepped base. A bronze Sword of Sacrifice is fixed to the south face of the cross.
The south face of the plinth bears the incised inscription IN/ THANFULNESS/ TO GOD/ AND IN MEMORY/ OF THE MEN OF/ DANBURY/ WHO FELL IN/ THE GREAT WAR/ MDCCCCXIV/ MDCCCCXVII. The names of the 24 First World War fallen are recorded on the north, east and west faces of the plinth. The south-west face of the plinth reads (7 NAMES)/ 1939 while the south-east face reads (7 NAMES)/ 1945.
Sources
Websites
War Memorial Register, accessed 11 October 2017 from http://www.iwm.org.uk/memorials/item/memorial/22235
War Memorials Online, accessed 11 October 2017 from http://www.warmemorialsonline.org.uk/node/101859
Other
“Danbury’s Memorial”, Chelmsford Chronicle, (6 August 1920), p5
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 14-Dec-2025 at 01:57:00.
Download a full scale map (PDF)© Crown copyright [and database rights] 2025. OS AC0000815036. All rights reserved. Ordnance Survey Licence number 100024900.© British Crown and SeaZone Solutions Limited 2025. All rights reserved. Licence number 102006.006.
End of official list entry