Iconic Battersea Park artworks conserved for future generations

Two historic public artworks have been preserved for future generations to enjoy thanks to recently completed conservation work.

Wandsworth Council, in partnership with The Friends of Battersea Park, has completed the work on Henry Moore’s Three Standing Figures and the Grade 2* listed 24th Division War Memorial.

Henry Moore’s Three Standing Figures was created in 1947 and was originally exhibited at the London County Council’s first Open-Air Sculpture Exhibition in Battersea Park in 1948. Donated to the council, it has remained in the park since 1950 and was designated a Grade II listed structure in 1988.

24th Division War Memorial was sculptor Eric Kennington’s first public commission. Unveiled in 1924, it was upgraded to Grade II* listed status in 2005. The work commemorates the service of a division which served on the Western Front in the First World War and saw more than 10,000 men killed or missing presumed dead.

A report last year revealed extensive surface discolouration caused by lichen, moss, algae and pollution, threatening both aesthetics and long-term preservation of the stone. The conservation was carried out by Rupert Harris Conservation, removing biological growth while preserving the stone’s original texture and colour.

Martin Graham, representing the Friends of Battersea Park, said: “All lichen, moss and fungal growth has been removed in a way that preserves the stone, leaving the surface and colour close to the original.”

Deputy Leader of Wandsworth Council, Kemi Akinola added: “During our Borough of Culture year, we are pleased to have preserved these important sculptures for the public to enjoy for years to come.”

Other notable public artworks in the borough include the Putney Sculpture Trail, Barbara Hepworth’s Single Form in Battersea Park, the Bull sculpture in Roehampton, and the newly installed bronze statue of landscape designer Fanny Wilkinson in Coronation Gardens.