In the centenary year of the outbreak of World War One, the Friends of Broomfield Park are hoping that money will be made available for the restoration of the Park's Garden of Remembrance, which has fallen into serious disrepair.
Remembrance Garden pond with fountain (1930s)The bid for money is a joint project by the Friends and Enfield Council. At the request of the Friends the Council last month applied to the War Memorials Trust for a grant of up to £30,000 to restore the remembrance garden.
Opened by Earl Jellicoe in 1929, the centrepiece of the Garden is a memorial cairn, originally constructed of 280 stones but later extended. Other features are a pond, ornamental pergola and seats made from timber from HMS Dido.
The pond in 2014 without the fountainThe planned restoration work covers five areas:
Ivy growing through the roof of the TempleWorld War 1 memorial temple. Urgent repairs are required to the roof as the slates have loosened (because of weathering and ivy growth) allowing water to get in and damage the decorative oak ceiling and inner stone walls which contain the granite tablets.- Memorial cairn: Some of the individual stones (up to twenty) are broken as a result of weathering and need to be repaired or in a few cases replaced.
Water penetration into the TemplePaved area in front of memorial. The York-stone paving slabs and steps down to the pond are uneven and a hazard and have been poorly patched over the years. The broken slabs need replacing and the whole area needs to be relaid with the correct type of cement.- The pond and fountain: The fountain no longer exists and the plinth is damaged and both need to be rebuilt according to the original design (shown in the 1930s photograph). The flagstones around the edge of the pond are in reasonable condition but need to be re-cemented to match the paved area above.
- Handrails for disabled access: Access to the War Memorial is along a path under a pergola with steps which are difficult for disabled people. Two handrails are needed to improve access and it is proposed to use wood that matches the original pergola.
The total cost of the work would be £40,000, meaning that if the bid is successful a further £10,000 will be needed - either from the Council or through a fundraising campaign.
Susan Younger, who is leading the project on behalf of the Friends of Broomfield Park, points out that while Enfield Council is planning to spend an estimated £50,000 on a new war memorial, it has been neglecting the existing memorial and remembrance garden in Broomfield Park, noted for its unique architectural design.
