Islington War Memorial

The Islington War Memorial is a war memorial arch built in 1923, designed by Percy Adams, a Fellow of the Royal Institute of British Architects. It is constructed from red brick with Portland stone dressings. The arch and window above are the only remaining parts of the casualty department of the Royal Northern Hospital. At the base, there are inscribed foundation and dedication stones set behind rounded granite bollards. The segmental archway features rusticated quoins, and above it is a 16/9-pane sash window within an aedicular surround, topped with a console hood. A cast iron balcony, flanked by palm-enriched volutes, enhances the design. On either side of the archway, behind iron gates, are Portland stone walls inscribed with the names of 1,307 war dead from the borough. Each side bears the inscription, "TO THE MEMORY OF THOSE ISLINGTONIANS WHO MADE THE SUPREME SACRIFICE IN THE GREAT WAR 1914-1919." Additionally, a separate plaque states that the memorial was erected by public subscription to honor those who fell in the Great War and the brave deeds of those who survived. The foundation for the new casualty department was laid by Lady Patricia Ramsay in July 1923, and the building was officially opened by the Prince of Wales on November 27, 1923. The hospital closed in 1992, and the site was redeveloped by Bellway Homes, but the arch was preserved as a memorial to the borough's dead.