WIREDGOV

The iconic and internationally recognised Whitehall Cenotaph in London's Whitehall which was the focus of the commemorations on Remembrance Sunday and Armistice Day, was cleaned and repaired this summer by English Heritage in preparation the weekend's Remembrance Sunday and the First World War centenary commemorations of the next four years. The highly skilled conservation works began at the end of April and were completed in July. The Cenotaph's Portland stone is naturally susceptible to weathering and pollution and although English Heritage carries out maintenance every year, a more thorough cleaning was needed. The Cenotaph is listed at Grade I and is widely regarded as one of the most iconic and poignant war memorials in the world.

Culture Secretary Maria Miller, who is leading the Government programme to mark the centenary of the First World War said:

"The Whitehall Cenotaph has a special place in everyone's heart.  The whole nation focuses on it every year on Remembrance Sunday, but all year long it serves as the perfect symbol of the deep debt of gratitude we owe to all our servicemen who made the ultimate sacrifice to preserve our freedom. 

"The wonderful restoration work undertaken by English Heritage earlier this year ensures that it will be back in the best possible condition on Sunday."

Simon Thurley, Chief Executive of English Heritage, said: "The Cenotaph, like all memorials, marks a place where history breaks through the surface and into our everyday lives. Its austere beauty powerfully reminds us of the millions who died in the terrible events that happened all over the world between 1914 and 1918.  English Heritage is honoured to have direct responsibility for making sure the Cenotaph is in good condition for the commemorations of the next four years.

"We also have a wider ambition, working with the Heritage Lottery Fund, War Memorials Trust and other bodies, to aid the repair of war memorials all over the country. There is money available and we hope that our work here on the Cenotaph will encourage people to come forward for grants and advice."

The famous British architect Sir Edwin Lutyens (1869-1944) produced his design for the Cenotaph within hours of the Peace Treaty marking the formal end of the First World War being signed on 28 June 1919. Intended only as a temporary part of the celebrations which followed, the Cenotaph was originally made of wood and plaster. However, the public reaction to the monument was so strong - the monument was soon piled high with flowers - that Lutyens was commissioned to design a permanent memorial. 

Derived from the Greek, Cenotaph means 'empty tomb' - a monument erected in honour of a person or group of people whose remains are elsewhere. One of the most renowned memorials anywhere in the world, the Whitehall Cenotaph honours the more than 1.1million British and Commonwealth soldiers who died in the First World War.

Drawing inspiration from classical architecture, Lutyens designed a Cenotaph whose power lies in its apparent simplicity, typified in the brevity of its inscription: The Glorious Dead. However, the design is more complex than is at first obvious. There are no straight lines.  Instead every surface is subtly curved with the raking verticals meeting at an imaginary point 1,000ft above the ground, designed to bridge the space between Heaven and Earth.

The Cenotaph was unveiled by King George V as he made his way to the ceremony for the Unknown Warrior in Westminster Abbey on 11 November 1920. It quickly became the nation's focal point when expressing grief and gratitude for the sacrifices of the First World War, and also for the conflicts which followed. It was estimated that within five days more than a million people had filed past, laying 100,000 wreaths. The monument had taken its place in the nation's heart as a poignant marker of remembrance.

Grants for War Memorials - More Money Available

Since 2004, English Heritage and the Wolfson Foundation have jointly funded a Grants for War Memorials scheme run in partnership with War Memorials Trust. So far £800,000 has been given out for more than 250 projects all over the country and from this year the annual amount available was doubled to £200,000 for the next two years.

Individual grants of £3,000 to £30,000 can be given for up to 75% of costs for repair, conservation, cleaning and work to improve the legibility of inscriptions, along with professional fees and VAT and it is hoped that many more people will come forward to apply for grants in the next few years.

War Memorials Online

English Heritage is also working with the War Memorials Trust on a new online crowd-sourcing database called War Memorials Online. Members of the public are invited to log-in and enter photographs and information about their local war memorials with an emphasis on noting their condition.  War Memorials Online will help to identify which are in need of repair and so assist with the effective distribution of grants from the War Memorials Grant Scheme and other sources. More information is available at War Memorials Trust's website.