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Broomfield Park Garden of Remembrance

This war memorial comprises a Garden of Remembrance made up of several features with a miniature temple as the set-piece. In a recess of the temple are three impressed small windows indicative of Fortitude, Sacrifice, and Victory, with an inscription above. The garden is bounded by redbrick walls possibly incorporating those of an earlier domestic walled garden. In front of the miniature temple is a cairn originally of 280 stones with each stone representing a life laid down in World War I, with an inscription at the base. The original cairn was dismantled following World War II and re-assembled with additional stones for each of the lives lost in that conflict incorporated into the re-assembled cairn. Names were originally inscribed on bronze plaques which were stolen c.2009 and replaced with granite plaques. Access to the remembrance garden is through two openings served by wrought-iron gateways, one of which was also stone and replaced c.2000. In the centre of the garden is a small water pool on a square-plan with flag stone surround, and a small urn-like water fountain mounted on a pedestal at the centre. A stone bird-bath carrying commemorative inscriptions is located on a small lawn to the east side of garden. A York-stone pathway, steps and terrace are laid out to give access throughout the garden, and sheltered by a timber pergola walkway to each side of the temple. The garden also contains six seats made from timbers from HMS Dido and a large variety of plants. The memorial garden is located to the south corner of Broomfield Park in Palmers Green.

In 2017 War Memorials Trust offered a grant of £61,470 towards the undertaking of conservation works. These works addressed a number of concerns with the garden which were identified in consultation with War Memorials Trust and set-out in a report by the project’s conservation architect. The roof of the miniature temple was badly damaged. Existing slate, flashings, roof battens and decaying timbers were removed and new timbers were inserted, new felt over timber work was fitted, and the roof was re-slated with original slate and matching slate where some were damaged. New lead flashings were inserted in appropriate places and masonry re-pointed where required. Decaying oak boards and decaying rafters were removed from the inside of the temple and new matching boards and rafters were inserted and stained to match with existing oak timbers. The original stained glass panels inside the temple had been vandalised and lost without trace. Following discussions and agreement with WMT new stained glass panels encapsulated in protective glass were designed and produced by specialist lead glass manufacturers to interpret the known wording on the memorial and match the design found on some historical film footage. The terrace fronting the temple had been damaged, sub-sided and in places inappropriately repaired over time. All existing uneven and poorly matched York stone paving was lifted and set-aside. The sub base was levelled and York stone was re-laid with original and matching York stone sourced to replace damaged and non-matching stone, and repointed. The steps from the terrace down to the pool area were also uneven and damaged and so these were lifted and re-laid using some new matching York stone and cut to regular size to form the correct radius of the step. The central water pool required its retaining wall’s pointing to be raked out and the wall was then re-pointed using an appropriate mortar. Loose York stone slabs surrounding the pool were lifted and re-laid with new mortar and non –matching stone was replaced with York stone to match existing. The centre-piece urn fountain had been lost a number of years ago and so was reinstated to working order using archival evidence of the original design with a new water pipe laid to supply the fountain. Five damaged stones from the memorial cairn were removed and replacement stones were cut to size and shape, and re-inserted and mortared. The bowl of the commemorative Bird Bath had been lost and so was manufactured and reinstated to match the original design based of archival photographs. The gateway from Broomfield Lane was damaged and so broken pantiles were removed and replaced with matching pantiles in shape and size to the original design. Loose mortar in the joints of the archway were raked out and re-pointed to match existing joints. The broken lock mechanism to the gates was removed and replaced with new matching lock and working turn handle. Two matching design drop bolts were also installed. Entrance gates and associated iron work was cleaned down and re-painted in black gloss. The gateway from Broomfield Park was also damaged and so all vegetation was removed from either side of entrance and loose mortar carefully raked-out. New bricks were obtained to reinstate missing crease line above entrance arch, all brickwork was re-pointed with lime mortar. Capping’s of entrance piers were removed and re-mortared and re-tiled to match the original design. The gates and associated iron work was cleaned back and re-painted in black gloss. Repairs were also carried out to the timber of the pergolas with rotten timbers removed and new pieces of timber spliced in to match original design. Defective stone slabs to pathways were lifted and replaced with matching York stone slabs and re-pointed using lime mortar. Concern had been raised over the accessibility of the memorial temple and so sympathetically designed bespoke wrought-iron hand rails were designed and installed at four agreed locations in the memorial garden to assist access. A number of designs for the hand rails were sourced and agreed with WMT prior to installation. The section of boundary wall to the left of the entrance from Broomfield Park had vegetation removed in places to expose areas of defective brick work and mortar. Loose mortar work was carefully raked-out and re pointed with an appropriate lime mortar and loose and defective bricks were removed and replaced with matching brick. The construction joints of the rear wall to the memorial was raked-out re pointed where loose mortar was found. The wall adjacent to the Broomfield Lane entrance had a number of defective bricks which were removed and replaced with matching bricks and areas of loose mortar were raked-out and re pointed in lime mortar.

In 1926 Southgate Urban District Council decided to use the south east corner of Broomfield Park as the site for a Garden of Remembrance including a war memorial for local servicemen who had died in World War I. The plans for the Garden and memorial were drawn up by the borough surveyor, Robert Phillips, and accepted by the Council in 1927. The new boundary wall of Broomfield park was built using 950 handmade half-round tiles from Lisney & Co and 280 stones were cut from a quarry to provide the stones for the cairn. There was an official opening ceremony of the Garden of Remembrance on July 7th 1929 with the unveiling of the cairn carried out by the Admiral of the Fleet, Earl Jellicoe. The ceremony was for the local dignitaries from Southgate but Earl Jellicoe addressed the huge crowds of people assembled in Broomfield Lane who were allowed into the Garden once the formal proceedings had finished (" Programme for the Opening of The Garden of Remembrance, Broomfield Park). Since 1929 (apart from during World War II and a period in the 1990/2000s) an Armistice Day service has been held in the Garden of Remembrance each year on November 11th.

Further information

War Memorials Trust reference WM3441
UK National Inventory of War Memorials: 17989

War Memorials Online: 105972

If you have a concern about this memorial please contact the Trust on conservation@warmemorials.org

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