Summary

First World War Memorial with later additions for the Second World War.

Description

Cockfosters War Memorial is located at the junction of Chalk Road and Cockfosters Road. It comprises a stone wheel-head cross on a tapering shaft, which stands upon a tapering plinth, square on plan. The plinth stands on a three-stepped base.

The principal dedicatory inscription on the front face of the plinth reads IN HONOURED MEMORY / OF THE MEN OF THIS VILLAGE / WHO FELL IN THE GREAT WAR / 1914 - 1918. / (NAMES)

The front face of the top step bears a metal plaque which reads ALSO TO PERPETUATE THE MEMORY OF THOSE WHO FELL / IN THE YEARS 1939 - 45.

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, 21 March 2017.

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 in Cockfosters 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 in March 1921 in a ceremony attended by William Perrin, the Bishop Suffragan of Willesden. An additional plaque to honour the Fallen of the Second World War was added at some point after 1945.

Reasons for Listing

Cockfosters 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;
* Design: as a simple yet dignified wheel-head cross.

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Cockfosters War Memorial at Wikipedia
• Wikidata Q27628303

External links are from the relevant listing authority and, where applicable, Wikidata. Wikidata IDs may be related buildings as well as this specific building. If you want to add or update a link, you will need to do so by editing the Wikidata entry.

Recommended Books

• 
  Wiltshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Surrey (The Buildings of England) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  This Old House: Restoring, Rehabilitating, and Renovating an Older House
• 
  Old House Handbook 2 Books Bundle Collection (Old House Handbook: A Practical Guide to Care and Repair,Old House Eco Handbook: A Practical Guide to Retrofitting for Energy-Efficiency & Sustainability)
• 
  Listed Buildings, Conservation Areas and Monuments
• 
  Kent: West and the Weald: The Buildings of England (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)