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The Royal Artillery War Memorial
Conservation and Repairs
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At Hyde Park Corner, the Portland limestone Royal Artillery Memorial stood with uncompromising force. Designed by sculptor Charles Sergeant Jagger in collaboration with architect Lionel Pearson, it was conceived not as allegory, but as truth. Dedicated to the 49,076 men of the Royal Regiment of Artillery who died in the First World War, the memorial presented war as it was lived, heavy, brutal, and unsentimental.
Client
English Heritage
Dates
Until 2011
Location
London
Grade listing
Memorial
Fabric
Stone
Stone, Bronze, and the Weight of War
An enormous cannon rested atop a vast plinth carved with scenes of battle. Around it stood three bronze gunners, while a fourth lay dead beneath his coat. Jagger’s depiction rejected heroics in favour of realism, setting the memorial apart from its contemporaries and establishing it as one of Britain’s most powerful works of 20th-century public sculpture.
Caring for the Carved Narrative
As part of DBR London’s comprehensive maintenance programme, DBR Conservation undertook specialist conservation works to the carved frieze. Steam cleaning carefully removed accumulated soiling, followed by consolidation and localised mortar repairs to stabilise fragile areas of stone.
Protecting the Surface, Preserving the Message
To safeguard the relief, lime-based shelter coats were applied, formulated with selected stone dusts, trass, and wood ash. These were carefully blended to merge seamlessly with the surrounding Portland stone, offering protection without altering the memorial’s visual integrity
Through restrained and thoughtful intervention, the memorial’s carved surfaces were secured for the future. Its message, direct, unflinching, and deeply human, remained intact, ensuring that Jagger’s powerful vision continued to speak clearly within one of London’s most prominent civic spaces.
