KENNINGTON

GARDEN OF REMEMBRANCE

AND MEMORIAL SHELTER

Restoration Project

2008-2011 Updated 2013

Kennington Community Forum

2

Map of Kennington, from Inclosure map 1861.

The Garden of Remembrance is shown as Lot 1

3

Map of Kennington, 1872 (from OS 1:2500)

4

An article from the Kennington Parish Magazine, November

1920, referring to the land that became the Garden of

Remembrance. The charity of the Lake Trustees, which also

owned the alms houses in Ulley Road, eventually became

part of the Kennington Parochial Charity

5

Initial proposals for the Kennington Memorial

and Thanksgiving scheme, prior to a public

meeting at Kennington WI on 11th June 1946

6

Proposals included a Community Centre on the Recreation

Ground, homes for ex-Servicemen, and a “Garden of Gratitude”.

Scheme B for a new sports ground was the most popular.

7

8

Letter dated Jan 25 1950 from Mr Walter

Howard, Chairman of the Kennington Memorial

Committee, advising the Ashford Urban District

Council of a change to the plan. The proposal to

place a “Covered Seat” behind the First World

War Memorial is replaced by a proposal for

“perhaps 2 covered seats” in the current location

9

10

Final plans submitted for planning consent.

Designed by R V Pearce of Ashford

11

Final plans submitted for

planning consent.

Designed by R V Pearce of Ashford —

outline of Garden of Remembrance

12

Letter from timber merchants

Frank Davis & Co who felled and cut

the oak for the Memorial Shelter frame

13

Letter from Capt W F Howard to

Ashford Urban District Council, 5th May 1951,

confirming completion and “formally handing

over the future care and maintenance of the

Memorial”

14

Letter from Ashford Urban District Council

of 7th May 1951 confirming they would

“arrange for the maintenance of the

Kennington War Memorial”

15

The Memorial Shelter nearing

completion, 13th October 1950.

16

Dedication of the Garden of

Remembrance, Remembrance

Sunday 1950. Mr Howard reading

the names of those commemorated.

17

Dedication of the Garden of Remembrance,

Remembrance Sunday 1950. Lt-Col J Ellison

Macartney of the Queen Victoria Rifles untying a

yellow ribbon at the entrance to the Garden.

18

Dedication of the G

arden of R

em

em

brance,

Rem

em

brance Sunday 1

95

0.

19

The people of K

ennington w

ho lost their lives

in

the Second W

orld W

ar

20

Following

completion

of Phase 1

restoration

November

2010

The 40-

tonne earth

bank at Ulley

Road

arriving

March 2011

Work is required to improve

drainage and pathways

21

Balluster rails

in place

The bench seat

prior to fitting

Restoration Completed February 2012

22

Outline plan for landscaping,

and some initial planting ideas

23

Research

Documents incorporated in this collection have been

researched and contributed by many people

including:

Robin Britcher

Rosemary Plommer

Sheila Orgar

Chris Morley

And from sources including

Kent County Archives

Ashford Library

Ashford Borough Council

Kentish Express

Landmark Information Group Limited

Queen Victoria’s Rifles Regimental Association

24

Funding

Kennington Community Forum is grateful to the many

individuals and organisations who have contributed to

the cost of this restoration, including:

English Heritage

War Memorials Trust

Kent County Council

Ashford Borough Council

Premier Foods Ltd

Coty UK Ltd

IBM On Demand Community

Waitrose Community Matters

Members of

Kennington Community Forum’s Core Group

And the many individuals who contributed through

the “Sponsor A Shingle” scheme and personal gifts.

25

26

Planning application WE/4/50/18, 8th February 1950, for the

new location, “Green corner opposite Schools in Upper Vicarage

Road”. The description states “To convert and develop existing

open ground into Garden of remembrance with possibly 2

covered seats. When finished the AUDC to maintain.”

27

28

Final planning application WE/4/50/18A, 13th

June 1950 with designs for the seat and layout

of the garden attached. The applicant’s interest

in the land is shown as “Prospective Tenancy”

29

Kennington H

om

e G

uard 19

40

30

Mem

bers of K

ennin

gton W

I pla

ntin

g roses to m

ark their

G

olden Jubile

e in

1

96

5

31

“Rem

em

ber W

hen?” article from

K

entish Express 25

th O

ctober 200

7 and interview

w

ith

Mrs Rosem

ary Plom

mer w

hose father chaired the K

ennington M

em

orial C

om

mittee