Richmond upon Thames Borough War Memorial
Whittaker Avenue, Richmond Upon Thames, London, TW9 1EH
Listed on the National Heritage List for England. Search over 400,000 listed places
Overview
- Heritage Category:
- Listed Building
- Grade:
- II
- List Entry Number:
- 1447856
- Date first listed:
- 20-Jul-2017
- List Entry Name:
- Richmond upon Thames Borough War Memorial
- Statutory Address:
- Whittaker Avenue, Richmond Upon Thames, London, TW9 1EH
Location
Location of this list entry and nearby places that are also listed. Use our map search to find more listed places.
Use of this mapping is subject to terms and conditions .
This map is for quick reference purposes only and may not be to scale.
What is the National Heritage List for England?
The National Heritage List for England is a unique register of our country's most significant historic buildings and sites. The places on the list are protected by law and most are not open to the public.
The list includes:
 |
Buildings |
 |
Scheduled monuments |
 |
Parks and gardens |
 |
Battlefields |
 |
Shipwrecks |
Local Heritage Hub
Unlock and explore hidden histories, aerial photography, and listed buildings and places for every county, district, city and major town across England.
Discover moreOfficial list entry
- Heritage Category:
- Listed Building
- Grade:
- II
- List Entry Number:
- 1447856
- Date first listed:
- 20-Jul-2017
- List Entry Name:
- Richmond upon Thames Borough War Memorial
- Statutory Address 1:
- Whittaker Avenue, Richmond Upon Thames, London, TW9 1EH
The scope of legal protection for listed buildings
This List entry helps identify the building designated at this address for its special architectural or historic interest.
Unless the List entry states otherwise, it includes both the structure itself and any object or structure fixed to it (whether inside or outside) as well as any object or structure within the curtilage of the building.
For these purposes, to be included within the curtilage of the building, the object or structure must have formed part of the land since before 1st July 1948.
The scope of legal protection for listed buildings
This List entry helps identify the building designated at this address for its special architectural or historic interest.
Unless the List entry states otherwise, it includes both the structure itself and any object or structure fixed to it (whether inside or outside) as well as any object or structure within the curtilage of the building.
For these purposes, to be included within the curtilage of the building, the object or structure must have formed part of the land since before 1st July 1948.
Location
- Statutory Address:
- Whittaker Avenue, Richmond Upon Thames, London, TW9 1EH
The building or site itself may lie within the boundary of more than one authority.
- County:
- Greater London Authority
- District:
- Richmond upon Thames (London Borough)
- Parish:
- Non Civil Parish
- National Grid Reference:
- TQ1771174656
Summary
A First World War memorial, with later additions for the Second World War.
Reasons for Designation
Richmond upon Thames Borough War Memorial, which stands at the end of Whittaker Avenue, is listed at Grade II for the following principal reasons:
Historic interest:
* As an eloquent witness to the tragic impact of world events on this local community, and the sacrifice it has made in the conflicts of the C20.
Architectural interest:
* An imposing and well-proportioned memorial incorporating statues of a sailor and soldier in uniform.
Group value: with Richmond Bridge (Grade I) and other nearby buildings listed at Grade II.
History
The aftermath of the First World War saw the biggest single wave of public commemoration ever with tens of thousands of memorials erected across England. This was the result of both the huge impact on communities of the loss of three quarters of a million British lives, and also the official policy of not repatriating the dead which meant that the memorials provided the main focus of the grief felt at this great loss.
One such memorial was raised at Richmond upon Thames as a permanent testament to the sacrifice made by the members of the Borough who lost their lives in the First World War. Designed by Messrs Goodale and CO of Richmond, it was unveiled by Field Marshal Sir William Robertson on 23 November 1921 at a ceremony attended by the Mayor and Corporation. Following the Second World War, a dedication was added to commemorate the fallen of that conflict. The figure of a sailor to the north-west side of the memorial has been restored, having been vandalised in 2003.
Details
Richmond upon Thames Borough War Memorial stands on the Embankment at the south-west end of Whittaker Avenue, overlooking the River Thames. A number of buildings on the Embankment to either side are listed, as is Richmond Bridge (Grade I). The tall stone monument takes the form of a column raised on a plinth, flanked by walls on which commemorated names are recorded.
The tapering column, octagonal in plan, supports an orb rising from a moulded collar. The column stands on a tall plinth of three stages. The uppermost stage, with round headed pediments to each side, is carved with Richmond Borough’s coat of arms to the north-east and south-west, with the figure of a sailor to the north-west and a soldier to the south-east. Below the Borough arms is inscribed PRO PATRIA/ 1914 – 1918.
This stage stands on two steps, rectangular on plan. A group of commemorated names is recorded on the north-east face of the upper step. Below, the lower stage bears the principal dedicatory inscription to the south-west face, reading IN REMEMBRANCE/ OF THE MEN OF THIS BOROUGH/ WHO GAVE THEIR LIVES IN THE SERVICE OF THEIR/ KING AND COUNTRY DURING THE GREAT WARS/ 1914 – 1918 & 1939 – 1945. Two semi-circular steps project from the south-west face of the base, for the placement of wreaths and floral tributes. An additional inscription on the north-east face of the base reads 1914 - 1918/ 1939 – 1945 and records that the Borough’s book of Remembrance is on public display in the former Town Hall (unlisted) nearby.
Flanking walls in brick with stone coping, terminating in low stone piers, extend from the lower stage of the plinth. Stone facings to the south-west face of the walls recorded further names.
Sources
Books and journals
Lang, P.H., Richmond Upon Thames Through Time, (2015)
Websites
Roll of Honour, Surrey, accessed 30 May 2017 from http://www.roll-of-honour.com/Surrey/Richmond.html
War Memorials Register, accessed 30 May 2017 from http://www.iwm.org.uk/memorials/item/memorial/12517
War Memorials Online, accessed 30 May 2017 from https://www.warmemorialsonline.org.uk/memorial/111220
Other
"News in Brief." Times [London, England] 24 November 1921: 7. The Times Digital Archive. Web. 30 May 2017.
Legal
This building is listed under the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990 as amended for its special architectural or historic interest.
Map
This map is for quick reference purposes only and may not be to scale. This copy shows the entry on 09-Jun-2026 at 03:09:39.
Download a full scale map (PDF)End of official list entry
All text content is available under the Open Government Licence v3.0 , except where otherwise stated. Any supplied maps are © Crown Copyright [and database rights] 2026 OS AC0000815036 and may not be reproduced without permission.