Finchley Garden Village War Memorial

Summary

First World War memorial, unveiled in 1924, with later additions for the Second World War. The memorial takes the form of a pedestal lamp and stands on the village green at the centre of Finchley Garden Village.

Reasons for Designation

Finchley Garden Village 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 this local community, and the sacrifice it has made in the conflicts of the C20;
* the dedication to the architect of the recently completed garden village, Frank Stratton, is an indication of the value placed by the inhabitants on their new place of residence, and the cohesion of the planned village.

Architectural interest:

* the design of the memorial is modest but elegant, with its restrained stone plinth, well-executed lettering, and Arts and Crafts iron lantern complementing the style of the surrounding houses;
* the form of the memorial, being a functional pedestal lamp, is a relatively unusual one.

Group value:

* with the planned development of Finchley Garden Village, built in 1909-1914, at the centre of which it stands.

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 both of the huge impact the loss of three quarters of a million British lives had on communities, 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 war memorial at Finchley commemorates four local servicemen lost during the First World War. The memorial was unveiled on 6 December 1924 by the children of one of the fallen, 2nd Lieutenant WA Burrows, and dedicated by Rev E Doddrell. The names of five servicemen lost in the Second World War were added later.

The memorial stands on the village green at the centre of Finchley Garden Village, a garden suburb of 1909-14, built by the Finchley Co-Partnership Society, formed in 1908. The development consists of small pairs of houses, mostly roughcast and gabled, designed by Frank E. Stratton of the local firm Bennett and Stratton. A dedication was included on the memorial for Stratton, who died in 1922.

Details

First World War memorial, unveiled in 1924, with later additions for the Second World War. The memorial takes the form of a pedestal lamp and stands on the village green at the centre of Finchley Garden Village.

MATERIALS: Portland stone with a wrought-iron lamp.

DESCRIPTION: the memorial is composed of a Portland stone pedestal, with inset engaged columns to the corners; the pedestal has a convex-moulded cornice and stands on an ogee-moulded base. The pedestal is surmounted by a wrought-iron lamp standing on scroll feet, in Arts and Crafts style, with a tall base of iron uprights on scroll feet rising to a lantern protected by leaded cathedral glass. The lantern is topped by a spiky tented cap with tiny gablets and a ball finial.

The front (north) face of the pedestal is incised with the dedication in serif lettering, ‘IN/ HONOUR OF THE/ RESIDENTS OF THIS VILLAGE/ WHO SACRIFICED THEIR LIVES/ IN THE WAR/ 1914 – 1918’ followed by the names, ranks and regiments of those commemorated, and the quotation, ‘“THEIR NAME LIVETH FOR/ EVER MORE”’. On the south side of the pedestal is a dedication unrelated to the war which reads IN/ MEMORY OF/ FRANK E STRATTON/ THE ARCHITECT/ OF THIS VILLAGE/ DIED 6TH JUNE 1922. The eastern face carries the following words: ‘THIS/ INSCRIPTION IS ADDED/ IN MEMORY OF/ THOSE WHO GAVE/ THEIR LIVES/ 1939 – 1945’, followed by names, ranks, and regiments (or RAF).

Sources

Websites
War Memorials Online, accessed 20 February 2019 from https://www.warmemorialsonline.org.uk/memorial/138139/

Other
‘Finchley Village Memorial’, Hendon and Finchley Times, (12 December 1924), p9

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