Gas Light and Coke Company War Memorial Lamp

This list entry was subject to a Minor Amendment on 30 July 2021 to correct the name and to reformat the text to current standards

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TWELVETREES CRESCENT Gas Light and Coke Company War Memorial Lamp

(Formerly listed as War memorial)

09-APR-08

GV II

War Memorial commemorating the employees of the Gas Light & Coke Company killed in both World Wars. Architect unknown; perhaps moved to this site from Beckton gas works. Memorial comprises a stone column surmounted with flat capital on which sits a tall iron-framed and glass octagonal gas lamp.This is set on a stone base, rectangular in plan, which formerly held two bronze plaques commemorating the many employees killed in World Wars I and II, stolen in 2007. These included ceramic tiles with the arms of the company, featuring a pair of salamanders breathing fire.

The war memorial sits in a memorial garden to the north of the former London Gas Museum. Adjacent to this are two other memorials, as well as a statue of Sir Corbett Woodall, Governor of the Gas Light & Coke Company 1906-16. The war memorial has Group Value with the Bromley-by-Bow gas holders to the north and the statue of Sir Corbett Woodhall.

Summary of importance: there is strong historic interest to this war memorial that commemorates the many employees of the Gas Light & Coke Company killed in both world wars. It is also architecturally strong, comprising a stately column that is emotively and fittingly capped with a gas lamp, which evokes the 'eternal flame' and links it closely to the history of this important company.

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, 17 February 2017.