Streatham War Memorial

A Streatham War Memorial General Council was established in 1919 with plans to build a large Hall of Remembrance in Streatham to commemorate the 720 servicemen from the district killed during the First World War. The memorial council bought land on the Chimes estate near Streatham Common, but a lack of funding meant the ambitious scheme was not implemented. Instead, the plan was changed so that the Chimes building would become a servicemen's club, with a memorial garden and war memorial. Limited funding also prevented this plan from being realised, and the building was sold to the United Services Club in 1922, other land was sold to London County Council, and the proceeds were used to build…

The memorial comprises a square column of white stone on a tapering base, topped by a life-size bronze statue of a soldier. The soldier stands in service dress with his head uncovered and bowed, with his hands resting on a reversed rifle resting on his left boot. At his feet lie an army jacket, a steel helmet and a gas mask. The sculpture was based on Toft's Boer War memorial in Ipswich, and he included identical statues in the First World War memorials he designed for Stone, Staffordshire, Leamington, Warwickshire and Thornton-Cleveleys, Lancashire. The plinth bears the inscription "TO / OUR GLORIOUS DEAD" and two bronze wreaths resembling Transport for London roundels, the top one…