London’s Blue Plaques
London’s famous blue plaques link the people of the past with the buildings of the present. Now run by English Heritage, the London blue plaques scheme was started in 1866 and is thought to be the oldest of its kind in the world.
Across the capital over 900 plaques, on buildings humble and grand, honour the notable men and women who have lived or worked in them. Discover some of the people commemorated with blue plaques, or search for a plaque, below.
NEW BLUE PLAQUES TO SIR PATRICK ABERCROMBIE, RONNIE SCOTT AND GERTRUDE BELL
English Heritage has unveiled three new blue plaques to the pioneer of town planning Sir Patrick Abercrombie, the archaeologist and diplomat Gertrude Bell, and the jazz musician Ronnie Scott.
Bell is best remembered for her travel writings on the Middle East and her key part in establishing the modern state of Iraq. Abercrombie played a pivotal role in creating the professional practice of town and country planning and was central to the rebuilding of post-war London. Scott was one of the UK’s best jazz musicians and the founder of the country’s first modern jazz club.
Their plaques join others unveiled this year to Bob Marley, John Linnell and Camille Silvy, Sir Arthur Pearson, Sir Edward Frankland, Derek Jarman, William Bowman, Angela Carter and Martha Gellhorn.
Plaques for women
Today only 14 per cent of London’s blue plaques celebrate women. We don't think that’s good enough. Since 2016 when we first launched our ‘plaques for women’ campaign, more than half of the people awarded plaques have been women, but only a third of the public nominations were for women. Nominations are the life blood of the London blue plaques scheme and if we are to see a significant increase in the number of blue plaques for women, we will need more female suggestions.
If you know of a woman who deserves a blue plaque and meets the selection criteria, nominate her now and help us address the gender imbalance in London's blue plaques.
Propose a woman for a blue plaqueBlue Plaque Stories
Behind every plaque is a story. From the creative output of international composers to the campaigns for women’s rights, discover the personal journeys and historic achievements of London’s notable former residents with our series of in depth articles.
Discover the stories behind the plaquesArtists of London
Blue Plaques App
The official blue plaques app is now available to download for free for iPhone and Android. Use the app to follow guided walks around Soho and Kensington, or explore all of the 900 plaques by finding ones nearby and searching for your favourite figures from history.
From Sylvia Pankhurst’s former home in Chelsea to Jimi Hendrix’s flat in Mayfair, let English Heritage’s blue plaques guide you through the streets of London.
Download the free app now from the Apple App Store for iPhone or the Google Play Store for Android.
