Monument | War dead | WW1

Limehouse WW1 Cross

Erection date: 15/4/1923

Inscription

{Immediately below the foliage and thorns:}
1914 - 1918

{At the top of the plinth, on the front:}
To the glory of God and to the memory of the men of England who fell in the Great War.

{At the top of the plinth, on the back:}
Greater love has no man than that he should lay down his love for his friends.

{The main part of the plinth, all four faces, is taken up with a list of about 140 names in alphabetical sequence. Much of this is illegible through weather damage but we have managed to transcribe the list on the least damaged north-facing front - see Subjects commemorated - with "?"s where letters are illegible.}

We photographed this section of the cross to show the very unusual carving. At the base this depicts thorny branches entwined around stem which, higher up, reveal themselves as the stalks of opium seed heads, symbolising the trials of battle giving way to the peace of sleep.

We've reported this memorial to the excellent War Memorials Trust, as being in need of some care and attention.

Site: Limehouse WW1 Cross (1 memorial)

E1, Butcher Row, St James' Gardens

Known as the Ratcliff memorial cross. None of the text on the cross identifies who erected it but we think this garden is the old graveyard of St James Ratcliff church, which used to stand where part of the 'Royal Foundation of St Katharine' now stands. From London Metropolitan Archives: "Saint James' ... was consecrated in August 1833. The church was gutted by incendiary bombs on September 7th 1940. In 1951 the parish was united to Saint Paul's, Shadwell and the ruins taken down."

Comments are provided by Facebook, please ensure you are signed in here to see them

This section lists the subjects commemorated on the memorial on this page:
Limehouse WW1 Cross

Subjects commemorated i

Nearby Memorials

War Memorial at St Anne's Soho

War Memorial at St Anne's Soho

W1, Wardour Street, St Anne's Soho

We note that the name John B. Freeman appears twice. Whilst this is probably a mistake on the part of the memorial creators we cannot ass...

War dead | WW1, WW2
85 subjects commemorated
Lloyd's of London WW1 memorial

Lloyd's of London WW1 memorial

EC3, Leadenhall Street, 12

This arch was the entrance to Lloyd's 1928 building. 37 feet high, of Portland stone, it was retained and now, rather incongruously, sits...

War dead | WW1
217 subjects commemorated
Sir Joseph Bazalgette

Sir Joseph Bazalgette

WC2, Victoria Embankment

Bronze 1899

2 subjects commemorated, 1 creator
Highgate School WW1

Highgate School WW1

N6, North Road, Highgate School

Blomfield was educated here.

1 subject commemorated, 1 creator
St Matthias Stoke Newington war memorial - cross

St Matthias Stoke Newington war memorial - cross

N16, Wordsworth Road, St Matthias Church

This cross is "the crucifix in the church enclosure" referenced by the heading on the plaque attached to the church. The stone plinth is ...

Previously viewed

Boy and panyer

Boy and panyer

EC1, Panyer Alley

This naked boy sitting on his pannier (basket) is thought to refer to the bakers in the area selling their wares on the street from a bre...

1 subject commemorated
Cetshwayo

Cetshwayo

Ruler of the Zulu kingdom. Born Cetshwayo kaMpande at Mlambongwenya. His birth year is approximate. Succeeded as king on 1st September 1873. His refusal to disband his army as demanded by the Briti...

Person, Armed Forces, Race Issues, Royalty, South Africa

1 memorial
Hilaire Belloc

Hilaire Belloc

SW10, Cheyne Walk, 104

Greater London Council Hilaire Belloc, 1870-1953, poet, essayist and historian, lived here, 1900-1905.

1 subject commemorated, 1 creator
F. Caplin
War dead, WW1
1 memorial
Human Rights tree

Human Rights tree

W6, Furnivall Gardens

Tulip Tree Planted 1998 to mark the 50th anniversary of the signing by the United Nations of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. A...

2 subjects commemorated, 1 creator