Historic War Memorial Reinstalled in King's Road Park
In new public space created within huge Fulham development
The restored war memorial in King's Road Park
June 9, 2025
A war memorial commemorating local men who died in both World Wars has been reinstalled in a dedicated square within King’s Road Park, the huge new development being constructed in the south of Fulham.
The development is being created on the 16 acre former Fulham Gasworks, which was operated during the last century by the Gas Light and Coke Company. It was one of London’s largest employers, running 13 gasworks across the city before it was dissolved in 1949.
Before developer St William began construction, the gasworks contained two separate memorials to employees who died in the wars. The WW1 memorial displayed a bronze plaque saying “These men died for their country”, listing 549 names, while the WW2 memorial said “ To the memory of those members of the company who gave their lives in the war of 1939-45, requiescat in pace", listing 402 names.
Both plaques have now been restored and mounted together on a single stone plinth within the new square, created on the south west site of development. This single memorial is different from the original plan to install the plaques on separate opposing plinths. However, as promised in the original plans, it is situated in a formal setting with a lawn, benches and planting, creating space for possible future Armistice Day ceremonies.
The memorial and square are among the ongoing developments at Kings Road Park, which will eventually contain around 1,800 new homes, plus six acres of public open space, including a range of walks and paths and a community park. A section of the park, including a children’s play area has already been opened to the east of the new square.
The centrepiece of the landscaped park will be the gasworks’ Grade II listed Gasholder No.2, believed to be the world’s oldest, designed by John Kirkham and built around 1830.
A children's playground in the centre of the park
The gasholder, which was one of six on the 16-acre site but is now the only survivor, is currently in a dilapidated state. However, St William, part of the giant Berkeley Group has recently applied to Hammersmith & Fulham Council to dismantle the structure and restore and refurbish it offsite before reinstalling it within the future park.
This application, currently open for comments, can be seen on H & F Council’s website using the reference 2025/00651/FUL. It follows a previous application for works to the gasholder, reference 2023/03110/FUL, which describes the new use of the gasholder as an integrated feature of wider landscaped park, including introduction of a water feature and new seating.
A Heritage Statement supporting the proposals says they include painting the gasholder’s 12 refurbished tripod standards the original deep red ochre, with the refurbished crown truss structure raised above a public open space to allow people to walk through.
According to the plans, there will be new circular bench seating at the centre of the infilled tank and a mirror pool spanning the full circumference of the tank with walkways laid across it leading to this central area. This water feature will be designed to drain away through drainage channels, making the open space within the gasholder suitable for small public events.
Construction continues in the park
There will also be new benches at the edge of the gasholder, which will sit amongst lawns, flower beds and mature trees with a waterway to its east.
You can find out more about the development and the its public walkways and open spaces here.
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