Gasworks War Memorials to Be Restored and Moved
Given new home in their own memorial garden within King's Road Park
A visualisation of the planned memorial garden
June 26, 2023
Two historic war memorials within Fulham Gasworks, now being redeveloped as King’s Road Park, are to be restored and installed in their own dedicated memorial garden within the development.
The memorials commemorate employees of the Gas Light and Coke Company who died in World War I and II. The company was then one of London’s largest employers, running 13 gasworks across the city before it was dissolved in 1949.
The WW1 memorial displays a bronze plaque saying, “These men died for their country”, listing 549 names, while the WW2 memorial says “ To the memory of those members of the company who gave their lives in the war of 1939-45, requiescant in pace", listing 402 names.
Developer St William, part of the Berkeley Group, is planning to restore the Grade II listed WW1 memorial, while the unlisted WW2 memorial, a brick pillar and base, will be demolished and the bronze plaque reinstalled on a new stone plinth.
The developer has submitted an application to H&F Council for this work, which can be seen on the council website using reference 2023/01147/LBC.
A different CGI view of the planned memorial garden
Supporting the application, property consultancy Montagu Evans LLP says: “ The proposal is for the restoration and relocation of the memorials within a more appropriate setting, in Sands End Square, as part of Phase 2c of the overall masterplan strategy for the King’s Road Park redevelopment.
“ The proposals comprise the placement of the two memorials within the new Sands End Square, placed on the axis of the existing Grade II listed office building at the former Imperial Gasworks.”
Sans End Square will be south of the new public park being created at the centre of the 16 acre development.
The two memorials as they are now
Gillespies, the landscape architects and environmental planners designing the green spaces within King’s Road Park, say that the memorial garden is designed as a formal setting for both war memorials, featuring a simple lawn framed with pleached trees, seating and formal planting all of which frames axial views of the listed 1927 building.
A map showing the planned location of the memorials in King's Road park
They add: “ The memorials are positioned to the western end of this space in a prominent yet dignified position close to their current location which is slightly north of this position.
“ The non-listed second world war memorial is positioned in front with a new Portland Stone plinth of simple and contemporary lines as a new housing to the ornate framed plaque. This plinth is designed to be lower in height so as not to obscure the taller listed first world war plinth which sits behind it.
“ The combination of these memorials sits on the axis of the space and create a harmonious and balanced composition.
“ In positioning these structures within the space, consideration has been given to the orientation and providing generous circulation space, both in normal times and also during Armistice Day ceremonies.”
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