Description
This small public garden, comprising bedding plants and areas of clipped grass bordered by low fencing, provides a landscaped setting for the Chingford War Memorial. The granite memorial in the form of a Celtic cross on a tapered shaft stands in a paved area within the garden, set on an octagonal paved base. It was designed by W A Lewis and commissioned by public subscription in order to commemorate the 242 local men who fell in WWI. Chingford War Memorial was unveiled on 24 September 1921 by Lord Lambourne and the Bishop of Chelmsford. The memorial was later inscribed to commemorate those who lost their lives in 1939-1945 as well as in later conflicts, both military and civilian personnel. The lettering on the memorial and the landscaping were restored in 2019.
Practical Information
| Site location | The Ridgeway; Kings Head Hill, Chingford |
|---|---|
| Postcode | E4 6QL |
| What3Words | ///think.reward.lives |
| Type of Site | Public Gardens |
| Borough | Waltham Forest |
| Open to Public | Yes |
| Opening Times | unrestricted |
| Public Transport | London Overground: Chingford. Bus: 97; 179, 397, 444 |
| Research Updated | 22 June 2021 |
| Last Updated | 18 October 2026 |
Full description
Chingford War Memorial is on the edge of the old village green. Until the C19th there was a scattered farming community in the area around Chingford, which lay within the ancient Forest of Essex. By the late C18th there were hamlets at Chingford Green, Low Street and Chingford Hatch, each a mile or so from the parish church of All Saints (q.v.) on Chingford Mount. Chingford Green (q.v.) became the most important of these and was where the new church of St Peter and St Paul (q.v.) was established in 1844 although the area remained rural until the C20th. The Great Eastern Railway arrived in the late C19th and housing proliferated; by the 1920s suburban housing replaced Chingford's fields. Chingford had been part of Essex until 1965 when it was incorporated into the new borough of Waltham Forest.
Leaded lettering inscribed on each face of the granite plinth of the War Memorial bears an inscription. On the front panel this reads 'IN GRATEFUL REMEMBRANCE OF THE MEN OF CHINGFORD WHO DIED IN THE SERVICE OF THEIR COUNTRY IN THE GREAT WAR 1914-1918', followed by the words 'WE ARE THE DEAD .. . / TO YOU FROM FAILING HANDS / WE THROW THE TORCH / BE YOURS TO HOLD IT HIGH'. To the frame of this panel were added the words 'AND OF THOSE WHO LOST THEIR LIVES 1939-1945'. A further inscription on the plinth step is inscribed 'IN MEMORY OF THE FALLEN OF CHINGFORD 1945 TO THE PRESENT DAY, LEST WE FORGET'.
Leaded lettering inscribed on each face of the granite plinth of the War Memorial bears an inscription. On the front panel this reads 'IN GRATEFUL REMEMBRANCE OF THE MEN OF CHINGFORD WHO DIED IN THE SERVICE OF THEIR COUNTRY IN THE GREAT WAR 1914-1918', followed by the words 'WE ARE THE DEAD .. . / TO YOU FROM FAILING HANDS / WE THROW THE TORCH / BE YOURS TO HOLD IT HIGH'. To the frame of this panel were added the words 'AND OF THOSE WHO LOST THEIR LIVES 1939-1945'. A further inscription on the plinth step is inscribed 'IN MEMORY OF THE FALLEN OF CHINGFORD 1945 TO THE PRESENT DAY, LEST WE FORGET'.
Further Information
| Grid Reference | TQ383943 |
|---|---|
| Site Ownership | LB Waltham Forest |
| Site Management | Urbaser Ltd as part of the Street Care and Associated Services contract with LB Waltham Forest |
| Dates | 1921 |
| Listed Structures | LBII: Chingford War Memorial |
| On National Heritage List for England (NHLE), Parks & Gardens | No |
| Registered common or village green on Commons Registration Act 1965 | No |
| Protected under London Squares Preservation Act 1931 | No |
| Local Authority | Waltham Forest |
| In Conservation Area | Yes |
| Conservation Area Name | Chingford Green |
| Tree Preservation Order | No |
| Nature Conservation Area | No |
| Green Belt | No |
| Metropolitan Open Land | No |
| Special Policy Area | Yes - Archaeologial Priority Area Tier 2 |
Gallery
Please note the Inventory and its content are provided for your general information only and are subject to change. It is your responsibility to check the accuracy.
Nearby parks and gardens
The Church of St Peter and St Paul was built on Chingford Green in 1844 to replace the old Chingford Parish Church of All Saints situated a little distant on Chingford Mount, which had by then fallen into a state of decay. The church and its surrounding graveyard are on former forest land, but it is now in the centre of Chingford and surrounded by roads. The churchyard is well planted with trees including holm oak and lime, and the area around Chingford Green retains some sense of its former village atmosphere.
Chingford Green, unlike other former rural hamlets in the area, retains some sense of its earlier atmosphere. In 1844 the parish church of St Peter and St Paul was built on the Green, and a few C18th and C19th buildings still overlook the green. The area remained rural until housing development took place largely as a result of the arrival of the railway in the late C19th and by the 1920s suburban housing replaced Chingford's fields.
The Roman Catholic Church was established in Chingford in 1914, and the Church of Our Lady of Grace and St Teresa of Avila was founded in 1919 although it was not until 1930/31 that the present church was built. A Gothic Revival style building designed by architect/builder G W Martyn, with the tower dating from 1956, the church is surrounded on two sides by a small garden with flower beds, shrubs and trees. The south porch is English oak with carvings by Don Potter (Porter?).
