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20
Crematorium.
I am indebted to Mr. Percy Benson, Clerk to the Tottenham and
Wood Green Burial Board for the following particulars.
The new Crematorium established by the Tottenham and Wood Green
Burial Board at Enfield was opened by the Chairman of the Burial Board,
His Worship the Mayor of Tottenham (the late Alderman F. W. Cox,
J.P.), on Wednesday, 19th October, 1938. This is the 44th Crematorium
to be established in Great Britain.
The buildings were designed by the eminent firm of Architects,
Sir Guy Dawber, R.A., and Mr. A. R. Fox.
The main group of buildings consists of the two Chapels, the Cloister
(which is also the principal entrance), two wings, North and South,
containing rest rooms suitably furnished, vestries and lavatories. The
room on the South side is a general waiting room, and the one on the
North side a ladies' retiring room. The Committal Chamber is at a
lower level, and the entire group is dominated by a central clock tower.
In general design the buildings could be described as modern
traditional; a pleasant mellow toned brick has been used with effect,
internally as well as externally, with an English pantile roof.
The Chapels are panelled, the North one in Indian silver greywood
and the South in oak, both with ceilings of special design and a moderate
use of stained glass in the brick mullioned windows. The catafalques
are built in Clipsham stone with a bronze rim. The pavings are tiles
in the Cloisters and Lobbies, and Korkoid and Oak in the Chapels and
the Committal Chamber.
Provision has been made for five furnaces, but at the moment only
one has been installed, being Askam's latest type of Gas Furnace.
Electric cables are laid into the building, so that if time proves that
Electric Furnaces are a definite improvement on the Gas Furnace, there
will be no trouble whatever in carrying out the installation.
The Burial Board are very proud of their effort in carrying out
this £50,000 scheme without increasing their precept of one farthing
in the pound.
It is the Board's intention to bring cremation within the reach
of all, and to prove that it should be considerably cheaper than earth
burial.
The Board have fixed the fee for cremation, which applies to residents
of all districts, at four guineas.