Commonwealth Air Forces Memorial

The Commonwealth Air Forces Memorial is a war memorial built in 1953, designed by Edward Maufe. It is constructed from Portland stone and features a low-pitched slated roof, with eaves to single-storey enclosures that hide the roofs of the central elements. The memorial has a quadrangular plan, with wings extending to the left and right at the rear.

The central entrance is through a tall, single-storey centerpiece that has three capital-less arches, fully glazed in bronze frames. Each arch is adorned with three pairs of bronze lions in relief on the glazing. The doors were originally made for the New York Trade Fair but were adapted for this memorial by the Mond Nickel Company for the Commonwealth War Graves Commission. A moulded cornice above the entrance features the inscription "PER ARDVA AD ASTRA," and an eagle with extended wings and a crown is positioned over the parapet.

The low flanking wings on either side project outwards and contain 6-pane windows, enclosing a courtyard. The outer walls of these wings are articulated by narrow vertical strip windows. Inside, the single-storey wings create an open cloister, characterized by round-headed arches supported by Ionic columns with simplified capitals. The centerpiece opposite the entrance, which was covered for repairs during the visit, is taller and features a central round-headed arch, plain walling, and five small square windows beneath a moulded cornice. The roof is topped with a crown finial.

The cloisters have coffered, painted ceilings decorated with coats of arms. The engraved north window and the painted ceilings of the shrine and outlooks were created by the artist John Hutton. The rear walls include moulded Portland stone seats with shell decoration, one for each strip window. The window jambs and wall panels display the inscribed names of the fallen, a treatment that continues in the quadrant wings.

The memorial was formerly listed as the Royal Air Force Memorial.