Abney Park Trust restores War Memorial ahead of the WW2 bombing's 80th anniversary
Abney Park Trust, which fights to preserve the heritage and biodiversity of Stoke Newington’s 19th century woodland cemetery, has cleaned the Grade II listed memorial thanks to a donation from a local charity.
The memorial, which is located just fifty metres or so from the Church Street entrance of the historic cemetery, pays tribute to local victims of the Blitz during the Second World War. This includes victims of the Coronation Avenue bombing in October 1940 - one of the biggest civilian tragedies of the Second World War - as well as victims of bombings on Green Lanes, Lidfield Road and others. 13th October 2020 marks the 80th anniversary of the terrible occasion.
The memorial itself dates back to 1948, and is inscribed with the words: “Death is but crossing the world as friends do the seas. They live on in one another still.”
And it has now been cleaned in full and restored to its former glory thanks to a four-figure donation from TimeLine, a learning project charity.
A specialist monument restoration company, Orbis Conservation, worked on the monument in early September carefully restoring the stonework. The firm used water and soft bristle brushes to clean the monument and then rinsed and sponged it dry. This reduces the risk of abrasion, and avoids the use of biocides.
Preserving Hackney’s shared memories
The restoration of monuments like these across the Park is a key part of the Abney Park Trust’s mission.
In 2019 the Trust commissioned repairs to the Portland sandstone statue of the hymnodist Sir Isaac Watts, including replacement of the statue’s missing hand. Watts was, along with Lady Mary Abney, a prominent figure in the Park’s early history.
In 2017 the Trust also funded repair works on the monument to Johanna Vassa, the daughter of the Abolitionist Olaudah Equiano. This renovation removed the monument from the Heritage At Risk register, and followed an initial restoration in 2007 by Hackney Council.
Further restoration and repairs are planned for other monuments across the Park as funds allow.
Since the beginning of the COVID 19 pandemic the Trust has offered a range of online events, including self-guided walking tours on subjects like the Park’s long-running association with the Abolitionist movement.
In the coming years, the London Borough of Hackney will receive National Lottery Heritage Fund support for major works in Abney Park to restore the Chapel and create new amenities in the park. As an independent charity the Trust will continue to need to raise funds to preserve monuments, run highly popular online and in-person events, and pay for two part time staff members.
Tom Walker, Chair of the Abney Park Trust, said:
“Abney Park Trust is proud to work with the community and Hackney Council to invest in and commemorate the amazing history and stories of this unique urban woodland.”
“The Civilian War Memorial is an important commemoration of the dark history of the Second World War. As the inscription on the memorial notes, the memory of Stoke Newington’s war dead lives on in the world – and the Abney Park Trust will carry on working to preserve and protect this area’s shared past.”
“As a registered charity, we rely on the support of the community and our sponsors. We would not be able to restore monuments like these, put on our events, or maintain a grave search service for loved ones and family historians without continued donations and contributions.”
APT’s October memorial
The Abney Park Trust will also lead an online community memorial event on Tuesday 13th October to remember those killed in the Coronation Avenue bombing.
Find out more about this online event and sign up here.
The charity TimeLine was instrumental in the original restoration of the memorial, which took place in 2013.
Loved ones of some of the victims of the bombing will speak at this online event.
Camilla Loewe, Co-ordinator at TimeLine, said:
“The Civilian War Memorial in Abney Park Cemetery is a very important part of the history of Stoke Newington, as its status as a Listed Building indicates. The names of so many men, women and children who lost their lives in the Borough during World War Two remind us of the sacrifices made by ordinary people who once led their lives in places we now inhabit in difficult but thankfully peaceful times.”
“TimeLine, an organisation set up to help local people of any age learn and cherish the history and heritage of Stoke Newington, is pleased to have helped to restore the war memorial in time to mark the 80th anniversary of one of the Borough's darkest hours.”
Alan Gartrell, a local historian, will also speak. He is a regular speaker at the Abney Park Trust’s popular events, and recently delivered an online lecture about the Park’s origins for its 180th anniversary.
And Rabbi Herschel Gluck, a prominent community figure in Stamford Hill, will also speak at the event.
A significant number of Jewish people, many of whom came to London to escape persecution in Germany, were tragically killed in the Coronation Avenue bombing.
The event will be introduced by Councillor Susan Fajana Thomas, who represents Stoke Newington ward on Hackney Council and serves as a Trustee of the Abney Park Trust. Councillor Fajana Thomas was also involved in the memorial’s original restoration works.
Councillor Susan Fajana Thomas said:
“I am pleased to see the Stoke Newington Civilian War Memorial cleaned ahead of October’s anniversary of the horrific Coronation Avenue bombing. The memorial is a significant and fitting tribute to those from all walks of life who died during the Blitz.”
“We are proud to have this memorial here in Abney Park. The Abney Park Trust and Hackney Council will continue to work together to keep this precious space open and welcoming to all.”
Find out more about this online event and to sign up here.