Bevan'S War Memorial In Northfleet Cement Works

742/0/10011 THE SHORE 17-MAY-06 Northfleet BEVAN'S WAR MEMORIAL IN NORTHFLEET CEM ENT WORKS

II War Memorial, erected post First World War and designed by Francis William Doyle-Jones (1873-1938).

DESCRIPTION: Made of concrete, the memorial is in the form of a seated Britannia designed in the Art Deco style, in robes and armour with crested helmet, her cloak draped over the back of her throne. Symmetrical, she sits very upright, her gaze directly forwards, forearms resting on the arms of her throne. The throne stands on a cubed plinth displaying a bronze plaque to the front with the inscription 'GREAT WAR 1914-1918/EMPLOYEES OF BEVANS WHO MADE THE SUPREME SACRIFICE/(names)/THEIR NAMES LIVETH FOR EVERMORE' and listing the names and occupations of the fallen. The plinth rests on a two tier square concrete base.

HISTORY: Thomas Bevan (1829-1907) founded the cement works in the late C19. The memorial lists those employees of Bevans cement works who lost their lives in the First World War. Doyle-Jones also designed the bronze Partick and Whiteinch War Memorial, Victoria Park, Glasgow (1922).

SUMMARY OF IMPORTANCE: War memorials qualify for listing because of their strong historical and cultural significance in both a local and a national context. This is a striking example of unusual Art Deco war memorial that is made of concrete, appropriately honouring the employees of the Northfleet Cement Works who died in WWI.

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.