About Blue Plaques | English Heritage
Source: https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/blue-plaques/about-blue-plaques
Archived: 2026-04-23 17:17
About Blue Plaques | English Heritage
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About Blue Plaques
About Blue Plaques
London’s blue plaques scheme, run by English Heritage, celebrates the links between notable figures of the past and the buildings in which they lived and worked. Founded in 1866, it has inspired many similar schemes in the UK and around the world.
Discover some key facts about the scheme below.
The English Heritage Scheme
English Heritage has run the London blue plaques scheme since 1986, when it had already been in existence for 120 years. Before that it was run by three bodies in succession – the (Royal) Society of Arts, the London County Council and the Greater London Council.
Many local councils, civic societies and other organisations run similar plaque schemes.
A plaque scheme covering England outside London is run by
Historic England
. You can search for plaques put up by other schemes using
OpenPlaques
.
More about the scheme's history
Who Can Get a Plaque?
To be awarded an official English Heritage plaque, the proposed recipient must have died at least 20 years ago. This is to help ensure that the decision about whether or not to shortlist a candidate is made with a sufficient degree of hindsight.
However, plaques are as much about the buildings in which people lived and worked as about the subjects being commemorated – the intrinsic aim of English Heritage blue plaques is to celebrate the relationship between people and place. For this reason, we only erect a plaque if there is a surviving building closely associated with the person in question.
In the past, different criteria were sometimes used: some plaques were put up to mark the site of a house which has since been demolished, and the 20-year rule did not always apply. The plaque to
Napoleon III
, for example – the oldest to survive – went up when he was still alive. However, the criteria are now applied without exception.
The English Heritage scheme relies on nominations from the public, so if you think someone deserves a plaque, and fits the criteria for acceptance, please let us know.
Find out how to propose a plaque
How to spot a plaque
Not all plaques in the official English Heritage scheme are blue. The famous blue roundel that we recognise today only became the standard design after the Second World War.
Although the very first plaques were blue, plaque-makers experimented with brown, terracotta, green, bronze, lead and stone plaques in the early years. Different shapes, including squares and rectangles, have also been used.
You can tell that a plaque is an ‘official’ one if it bears the name of one of the four successive bodies that have run the scheme – the Society of Arts, the London County Council, the Greater London Council or English Heritage. You can also search for the plaque to check if it’s part of our scheme.
Read more about plaque designs
How Plaques Are Made
Each blue plaque is handmade by artisan ceramicists and installed with care on a building with a special connection to the subject commemorated.
Find out how plaques are made and installed
Top Ten Blue Plaque Facts
Where is the oldest surviving plaque, and who does it commemorate? How many plaques are there? How many houses have two plaques? Find out the answers to these questions and more.
Find out more about blue plaques
More About Blue Plaques
Find a Blue Plaque
Discover who has been commemorated by one of the blue plaques on buildings across London.
Propose a Plaque
Discover how to put forward a proposal for a person or group who you think deserves a London blue plaque.
Support the blue plaques scheme
Help secure the future of London's blue plaques scheme by making a contribution.
https://www.facebook.com/englishheritage
https://instagram.com/englishheritage
https://www.youtube.com/user/EnglishHeritageFilm
https://twitter.com/englishheritage
Visit
Menu • Visit
Places To Visit
Visit • Places To Visit
PLACES TO VISIT
Stonehenge
1066 Battle of Hastings, Abbey and Battlefield
Dover Castle
Overseas visitors pass
Group visits
Find a place to visit
What's On
Visit • What's On
WHAT'S ON
Family events
Members' events
Events near you
May Half Term
Family Days out
Visit • Family Days out
FAMILY DAYS OUT
Top 10 family days out
Family property guides
Rainy days out
Inspire Me
Visit • Inspire Me
INSPIRE ME
1066 and the Norman Conquest
Podcast
Travel guides
Dog friendly places
Historic Gardens
Blue Plaques
Visit • Blue Plaques
BLUE PLAQUES
About the scheme
Find a blue plaque
Propose a blue plaque
Support the scheme
Weddings & Venue Hire
Visit • Weddings & Venue Hire
WEDDINGS & VENUE HIRE
Wedding venues
Corporate venues
Filming locations
Holiday Cottages
Visit • Holiday Cottages
HOLIDAY COTTAGES
Find a holiday cottage
Cottages by the sea
Late availability
About us
Menu • About us
About Us
About us • About Us
ABOUT US
Our people
Our policies and reports
Annual reports
Contact Us
About us • Contact Us
CONTACT US
General enquiries
Visit FAQs
Group visits
Information for Suppliers
Careers with us
About us • Careers with us
CAREERS WITH US
Search jobs
Our benefits
Modern slavery statement
News
About us • News
NEWS
Press office
Support us
Menu • Support us
Support Us
Support us • Support Us
SUPPORT US
Donate now
Guardians
Gifts in wills
Grants
How your support helps
Our Appeals
Support us • Our Appeals
OUR APPEALS
Your Places Appeal
Blue plaques
Volunteer
Support us • Volunteer
VOLUNTEER
Find a volunteer opportunity
Meet our volunteers
Why volunteer?
Volunteer focus magazine
Partnership and sponsorship
Support us • Partnership and sponsorship
PARTNERSHIP AND SPONSORSHIP
Corporate partnerships
Marketing partnerships
Licensing
Learn
Menu • Learn
Learn
Learn • Learn
LEARN
1066 and the Norman Conquest
School visits
Teaching resources
Histories
Learn • Histories
HISTORIES
History of Stonehenge
History of Hadrian's Wall
Women in history
LGBTQ history
Find more...
Conservation
Learn • Conservation
CONSERVATION
Caring for our collections
Collections advice & guidance
Gardens & landscapes
Paintings conservation
Clothes moth research
Story of England
Learn • Story of England
STORY OF ENGLAND
Prehistory
Romans
Tudors
Victorians
Find more...
Shop
Join
Members' Area
Menu • Members' Area
Members' Area
LOGIN TO MEMBERS' AREA
Please login or register for the Members' area. The new Members' area allows you view details of your membership and your payments as well as requesting amendments.
About Blue Plaques
About Blue Plaques
London’s blue plaques scheme, run by English Heritage, celebrates the links between notable figures of the past and the buildings in which they lived and worked. Founded in 1866, it has inspired many similar schemes in the UK and around the world.
Discover some key facts about the scheme below.
The English Heritage Scheme
English Heritage has run the London blue plaques scheme since 1986, when it had already been in existence for 120 years. Before that it was run by three bodies in succession – the (Royal) Society of Arts, the London County Council and the Greater London Council.
Many local councils, civic societies and other organisations run similar plaque schemes.
A plaque scheme covering England outside London is run by
Historic England
. You can search for plaques put up by other schemes using
OpenPlaques
.
More about the scheme's history
Who Can Get a Plaque?
To be awarded an official English Heritage plaque, the proposed recipient must have died at least 20 years ago. This is to help ensure that the decision about whether or not to shortlist a candidate is made with a sufficient degree of hindsight.
However, plaques are as much about the buildings in which people lived and worked as about the subjects being commemorated – the intrinsic aim of English Heritage blue plaques is to celebrate the relationship between people and place. For this reason, we only erect a plaque if there is a surviving building closely associated with the person in question.
In the past, different criteria were sometimes used: some plaques were put up to mark the site of a house which has since been demolished, and the 20-year rule did not always apply. The plaque to
Napoleon III
, for example – the oldest to survive – went up when he was still alive. However, the criteria are now applied without exception.
The English Heritage scheme relies on nominations from the public, so if you think someone deserves a plaque, and fits the criteria for acceptance, please let us know.
Find out how to propose a plaque
How to spot a plaque
Not all plaques in the official English Heritage scheme are blue. The famous blue roundel that we recognise today only became the standard design after the Second World War.
Although the very first plaques were blue, plaque-makers experimented with brown, terracotta, green, bronze, lead and stone plaques in the early years. Different shapes, including squares and rectangles, have also been used.
You can tell that a plaque is an ‘official’ one if it bears the name of one of the four successive bodies that have run the scheme – the Society of Arts, the London County Council, the Greater London Council or English Heritage. You can also search for the plaque to check if it’s part of our scheme.
Read more about plaque designs
How Plaques Are Made
Each blue plaque is handmade by artisan ceramicists and installed with care on a building with a special connection to the subject commemorated.
Find out how plaques are made and installed
Top Ten Blue Plaque Facts
Where is the oldest surviving plaque, and who does it commemorate? How many plaques are there? How many houses have two plaques? Find out the answers to these questions and more.
Find out more about blue plaques
More About Blue Plaques
Find a Blue Plaque
Discover who has been commemorated by one of the blue plaques on buildings across London.
Propose a Plaque
Discover how to put forward a proposal for a person or group who you think deserves a London blue plaque.
Support the blue plaques scheme
Help secure the future of London's blue plaques scheme by making a contribution.
https://www.facebook.com/englishheritage
https://instagram.com/englishheritage
https://www.youtube.com/user/EnglishHeritageFilm
https://twitter.com/englishheritage