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 PLAQUE TO PL TRAVERS
English Heritage has installed a blue plaque to Mary Poppins author, PL Travers. Her blue plaque marks 50 Smith Street in Chelsea, where she lived for 17 years. While living there she wrote Mary Poppins in the Park (1952) and took photos of the house to Walt Disney in Los Angeles to show him what the Banks’ house should look like in his famous 1964 big screen adaptation of her books.
PL Travers is the third person to be commemorated by an English Heritage blue plaque so far this year. The other Londoners already celebrated in 2018 are Sir Hugh Carleton Greene , the former Director–General of the BBC, and John Thelwall, the radical orator and pioneering speech therapist.
Celebrating London’s Blue Plaques
Famous Londoners show us their favourite blue plaques around the city in celebration of the original scheme, now over 150 years old. Sir Ian Mckellen tells us the story of the Flying Bomb plaque at Mile End, Sir Robert Winston talks about the Moses Montefiore plaque in Hyde Park and Shami Chakrabarti explains why she’s chosen Mary Seacole’s plaque in Soho Square.
The Blue Plaques Book
The lives of London’s most significant residents are placed at your fingertips in this new book. With all 900-plus official plaques mapped onto the city, The English Heritage Guide to London’s Blue Plaques is the definitive companion to London’s iconic memorials and the people who have helped shape the history of this city. Use it to explore the capital at street level, or read it in the comfort of your own home and discover little-known stories from London’s past.
Order your copy nowChildren's Authors
Discover the authors behind the much-loved characters of our childhoods. Click on the images below to find the blue plaques commemorating their London homes and learn more about their time in the city.
Blue 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 plaquesBlue 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.
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