To mark the centenary of the founding of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission, we look at 15 war memorials designed by Herbert Baker.Read more
Posts tagged: #War memorials
5 Memorials that Chart Life and Loss in the First World War
There are few towns or villages in Britain that do not have a public memorial to commemorate those who died in the First World War; a sobering testament to the scale of the loss involved in the conflict. In Britain, around six million men were mobilised, and of those just over 700,000, or 11.5%, were killed. Over half a million men who served in the British army have no known graves. There are more than 100,000 war memorials in the UK. TheyRead more
A Brief Introduction to Architect Sir Edwin Lutyens
Sir Edwin Lutyens (1869-1944) was a key figure in determining how the dead and missing of the First World War should be commemorated. His designs are admired for the universality of their message of honour and remembrance. The pure architecturalRead more
6 Remarkable First World War Memorials
1. The Response, Newcastle Designed by Sir William Goscombe John, unveiled 1923. Grade I listed “The Response” memorial in Newcastle sits in the public gardens of the church of St Thomas. An extraordinary scene is depicted in the form of a bronze group of dozens of highly detailed figures, those in front marching in step with two drummer boys and those falling behind to bid farewell to wives, children and friends. This remembers the massing of the 5th Northumberland FusiliersRead more
Britain’s Home Front: 9 Remarkable Aerial Images That Reveal the Impact of the First World War
1. National Projectile Factory in Hackney, London During the First World War demand for munitions soared and sections of the British landscape were dedicated to vast factories. An area of 35.5 acres in Hackney Marshes was taken to build the National Projectile Factory. Click on the image to see the extensive railway used to transport materials around the site. Little remains of the factory today, but it is immortalised in a painting by Anna Airy at the Imperial War Museum.Read more
Moving to Commemoration
Paul Stamper is Senior Designation Advisor for English Heritage and is responsible for overseeing the production of our designation selection criteria guidelines. Paul is also the intellectual lead on First World War commemorative initiatives. As we move ever-closer to the centenary of the outbreak of the First World War, English Heritage is formulating plans for how it will play a part in national remembrance. Our particular focus, given our responsibilities, is the war’s impact on England, which was enormous. Perhaps surprisingly,Read more