Five of London’s most famous war memorials now enjoy greater protection from demolition or local development after English Heritage announced an upgrade in their listed status.
- The Edith Cavell Memorial, St Martin’s Place, Westminster – upgraded from Grade II to Grade I
- Royal Artillery Memorial, Hyde Park Corner, Westminster – upgraded from Grade II* to Grade I
- Machine Gun Corps Memorial, Hyde Park Corner, Westminster – upgraded from Grade II to Grade II*
- Statue of the Field Marshall Earl Haig, Whitehall, Westminster – upgraded from Grade II to Grade II*
- Belgian Monument to the British Nation, Victoria Embankment, Westminster – upgraded from Grade II to Grade II*
- The Cenotaph, Whitehall, Westminster – list entry enhanced (already one of the few Grade I listed memorials)
The upgrades have been announced on the same day a new exhibition honouring first world war memorials opened at the Wellington Arch.
Roger Bowdler, English Heritage Designation Director, said: “No area of our heritage is more poignant than that of war memorials.
“The absence of the Commonwealth’s 1.1 million dead created a powerful need for monuments, and led to the greatest surge of public remembrance in our history.
“We hope this exhibition deepens present-day understanding of that grief and inspires people to take care of their local memorial as a result.”
We Will Remember Them: London’s Great War Memorials runs until 30 November 2014. Entrance is £4.20 (adult), £3.80 (concession), £2.50 (child).
For further visitor information, see www.english-heritage.org.uk/quadriga or call 020 7930 2726. The nearest underground station is Hyde Park Corner.
