Summary

War memorial. Erected in 1920 by Messrs G Maile and Son Ltd.

Description

Located at the north-west corner of the church at the junction of St Alban's and Colney Roads, the memorial is in the form of a rough-hewn Celtic cross. It is made of grey Cornish granite, with a curved, boulder-like, plinth standing on a square, two stage base. The lower stage is of Portland stone and is a later addition. The front face of the cross bears a Sword of Sacrifice in relief. The front face of the plinth bears the following inscription: ‘THE/ GLORIOUS/ DEAD/ IN GRATEFUL AND LOVING/ MEMORY OF THE MEN/ WHO FELL IN THE GREAT WARS/ 1914-1919 1939-1945’.

This List entry has been amended to add sources for War Memorials Online and the War Memorials Register. These sources were not used in the compilation of this List entry but are added here as a guide for further reading, 30 November 2016.

History

The memorial, the first to commemorate the fallen of the First World War in Dartford, was designed by Messrs G Maile and Son Ltd of 357 and 367 Euston Road, London, a company specialising in granite funerary monuments and which erected a large number of war memorials throughout the country. It was unveiled on 8 December 1920 by HRH The Duke of York. The inscription was subsequently altered to commemorate the Second World War. Originally located on the south side of the church, it was moved to the north-east corner in the late C20.

It was relatively unusual for a parish memorial not to bear the names of the fallen, perhaps in this case for reasons of cost or a wish to respond quickly, since the later town memorial bears around 350 names.  

Reasons for Listing

The war memorial in the church yard of St Alban's, Dartford, unveiled in 1920, is listed at Grade II for the following principal reasons:
* Historic interest: as an eloquent witness to the tragic impacts of world events on this community, and the sacrifices it made in the conflicts of the C20;
* Architectural interest: as a sombre and dignified memorial, relatively unusual for a parish memorial in not bearing the names of the fallen.

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q26676957

External links are from the relevant listing authority and, where applicable, Wikidata. Wikidata IDs may be related buildings as well as this specific building. If you want to add or update a link, you will need to do so by editing the Wikidata entry.

Recommended Books

• 
  Pevsner's Architectural Glossary (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Introductions)
• 
  Essex: Buildings of England Series (Buildings of England) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Suffolk: West: The Buildings of England (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Lancashire: Liverpool and the South-West (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Harrow on the Hill: A photographic portrayal of listed buildings and structures (Historic Buildings Picture Guides)
• 
  Setting up a Listed Building Heritage Partnership Agreement: Historic England Advice Note 5