Heritage Plaques

Islington’s Heritage Plaques showcase our culturally rich and colourful heritage by commemorating the significant people, places, and events in the borough. There are currently 102 plaques spread out on various sites across the borough. Search the full list of Heritage Plaques below and be inspired by some of the amazing people, places and events of Islington.

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African National Congress (1978-1994)

London headquarters of the ANC. 28 Penton Street, N1.

African National Congress Plaque
A London Borough of Islington plaque in conjunction with the Nubian Jak Community Trust. Unveiled in February 2010. The three-storey office in Penton Street, N1 was the London headquarters of the African National Congress (ANC) between 1978 and 1994. It was there that Oliver Tambo and Thabo Mbeki planned the overthrow of the apartheid regime. The ANC moved out of the Penton Street office when Nelson Mandela became president in South Africa’s first democratic elections in 1994. London Borough of Islington and Nubian Jak Community Trust unveiled the plaque in February 2010.

Alexander Cruden (1699-1770)

Humanist Scholar and Intellectual. 45 Camden Passage, N1.

A Market Stallholders Association plaque.

Alexander McQueen (1969-2010)

Fashion Designer. 11 Aberdeen Road, N5.

An Islington heritage plaque, unveiled in March 2014, to commemorate McQueen's contribution to the British fashion industry.

Amelia Edwards

Egyptologist and Writer. 19, Wharton Street, WC1X.

A English Heritage Plaque, unveiled in 2015.

Andrea Levy (1956-2019)

Celebrated author. Childhood home, Twyford House in Elwood Street, Highbury.

Andrea Levy plaque
Andrea Levy was born in Whittington Hospital in Islington in 1956. She grew up with her family in Twyford House on the Blackstock estate, and attended the prestigious Highbury Hill Grammar School (now Highbury Fields School). After starting to write as a hobby in her early 30s, Andrea went on to produce some of the nation’s most celebrated and influential works exploring the lives and contributions of immigrants and working class people in the UK. Best known for her novels Small Island and The Long Song, Andrea’s work provides an insight into life in Britain from the perspective of the Windrush generation. Read more about Andrea Levy

Anton Bruckner (1824-1896)

Composer. 39-45 Finsbury Square, EC2.

A Brunel University plaque, unveiled in 1976.

Archway Toll Gate (1813-1864) 

Pauntley House, Pauntley Street, N19.

A London Borough of Islington Heritage Plaque to commemorate the Archway Toll Gate (1813 – 1864) which stood at site of Pauntley House, Pauntley Street, N19.

Basil Spence (1907-1976)

Architect. 1 Canonbury Place, N1.

A English Heritage Plaque.

Benjamin Britten (1913-1976)

Composer. 8 Halliford Street, N1.

A London Borough of Islington plaque, unveiled in October 1985.

Betty Knight (1936 – 2010)

Champion for the rights of Islington residents. Tunbridge House, Spa Green Estate, EC1R.

An Islington People's Plaque, unveiled in May 2014.

Carlo Gatti (1817-1878)

Location of an ice well built by the Swiss entrepreneur. 445 Caledonian Road, N7.

Caroline Chisholm (1808-1877)

Philanthropist and 'the emigrants' friend'. 32 Charlton Place, N1.

A Greater London Council Plaque.

Charles ‘Elia’ Lamb (1775-1834)

Essayist. 64 Duncan Terrace, N1.

A London County Council plaque.

Charles Bowerman (1851-1947)

Veteran of the printing trade union movement. 4 Battledean Road, N5.

A London Borough of Islington plaque.

Charles Cruft (1852-1938

Dog show promoter. Ashurst Lodge, Highbury Grove, N5.

A London Borough of Islington plaque.

Christopher Pinchbeck (1670-1732)

Clock Maker. 33 St John's Lane, EC1.

City Pesthouse (1593-1736)

Historic Site. Bath Street, EC1.

A London Borough of Islington Plaque.

City Road Turnpike (1766-1864)

Historic Site. 112 City Road, EC1.

A London Borough of Islington Plaque.

Clerks’ Well

Historic Site. 14-16 Farringdon Lane, EC1.

A Metropolitan Borough of Finsbury plaque.

Collins’ Music Hall (1862-1958)

Music Hall. 10-11 Islington Green, N1.

A Greater London Council Plaque.

Copenhagen Fields (21 April 1834)

Thousands marched in support of the Tolpuddle Martyrs who had been sentenced to transportation to Australia. Clock Tower, Caledonian Park, Market Road,…

A London Borough of Islington Plaque.

Copenhagen House (early 17th century-1855)

Famous tavern and Tea garden & Caledonian Market (1870s - 1939). Clock Tower, Caledonian Park, Market Road, N7.

A London Borough of Islington Plaque.

Coppice Row Turnpike (c1750-1830)

Historic Site. Farringdon Road/Roseberry Avenue, EC1.

A London Borough of Islington Plaque.

Crystal Hale (1915-1999)

Boat Club Pioneer and Community Campaigner. City Road Basin, N1.

An Islington People's Plaque, unveiled in August 2011.

Cyril Mann (1911-1980)

Artist and Sculptor. Bevin Court, Cruikshank Road, WC1.

An Islington People's Plaque, unveiled in September 2013.

Dadabhai Naoroji (1825-1917)

First South Asian Member of Parliament. Naoroji Street.

An Amwell Society plaque, unveiled in 2009.

Dadabhai Naoroji (1825-1917)

First South Asian Member of Parliament. Finsbury Town Hall, EC1.

Dame Alice Owen’s Girls’ School

Site of heavy casualties during the Blitz, 15 Oct 1940. Owen's Fields, Goswell Road, EC1.

Dame Gracie Fields (1898-1979)

Singer and entertainer. 72 Upper Street, N1.

A English Heritage plaque.

Dan Parkes (1946-1989)

Clock Maker. 33 St John's Lane, EC1.

David Gestetner (1854-1939)

Developer of Office Copying Machinery. 124 Highbury New Park, N7.

A English Heritage Plaque, unveiled in 1989.

Derek Jarman (1942-1994)

Artist, Film Director and Queer Activist. 60 Liverpool, N1.

An Islington People’s Plaque unveiled February 2018 to commemorate Jarman’s contribution to LGBT+ activism, film and the arts. The plaque is situated on the facade of the artists’ collective he lived in from 1967-69, at the very start of his creative career. Read more here.

Dr A Gordon Signy (1905-1972)

Pioneering pathologist and international fencer. 23 Alwyne Road, N1.

An Islington People's Plaque, unveiled in June 2017.

Edith Garrud (1872-1971) 

The suffragette who knew Jiu-jitsu. 60 Thornhill Square, N1

An Islington People’s Plaque, unveiled in June 2012.

Edward Irving (1792-1834)

Founder of the Catholic Apostolic Church. 3 Claremont Square, N1.

A Greater London Council Plaque.

Edward Lear (1812-1888)

Artist, illustrator and writer. Bowman's Mews, Seven Sisters Road, N1.

A London Borough of Islington Plaque.

Edward Massey (1772-1852)

Clock Maker. 33 St John's Lane, EC1.

Edward Suess (1831-1914)

Geologist, Economist and Statesman. 4 Duncan Terrace, N1.

A Geological Society of London plaque, unveiled in 1929.

Finsbury Park Empire (1910-1960)

Home to music hall and variety entertainment. Vaudeville Court, St Thomas's Road, N4.

An Islington People’s Plaque was unveiled 10 Oct 2017 at Vaudeville Court, on the site where the Finsbury Park Empire theatre once stood. Read more in our blog post about Islington's famous stage

First Gay Rights Demonstration (27 Nov 1970)

Historic Site. Highbury Crescent, N7.

An OutRage! plaque.

Florence Keen (1868-1942)

Founder of the North Islington Infant Welfare Centre and School for Mothers. Manor Gardens Centre, Manor Gardens, N7.  

An Islington People's Plaque, unveiled in July 2013.

Fortune Theatre (c1600)

Edward Alleyn's Theatre. Fortune Street, EC1.

George Baxter (1804-1867)

Artist and Craftsman. 11 Northampton Square, EC1.

George Cruikshank (1792-1878)

Engraver and Illustrator. N1 69-71 Amwell Street.

A London Borough of Islington Plaque.

George Leybourne (1842-1884)

Music hall comedian: ‘Champagne Charlie'. 136 Englefield Road, N1.

A Greater London Council Plaque.

George Orwell (1903-1950)

Novelist and Essayist. 27 Canonbury Square, N1.

A London Borough of Islington plaque in conjunction with the Canonbury Society. Unveiled in May 2016, replacing the original plaque on this site.

Highbury Corner V1 attack (27 Jun 1944)

Memorial to the dead, injured and bereaved. Highbury Corner, N5.

Jabez Bunting (1779-1858)

Wesleyan Methodist. 30 Myddelton Square, EC1.

A London Borough of Islington Plaque.

Jack Kennedy (1935-2003)

Campaigner for justice, equality and workers' rights. 166 Drayton Park, N5.

An Islington People's Plaque, unveiled in March 2013.

James “Bronterre” O’Brien (1805-1864)

Chartist writer. Elizabeth Garrett Anderson School, Donegal Street, N1.

A London Borough of Islington Plaque.

James Edmondson (1857-1931)

Highbury builder. 86 Highbury Park, N5.

A London Borough of Islington plaque in conjunction with the Sotheby Rd Conservation Society. Unveiled in October 2013.

James Hudson Taylor (1832-1905)

Premises for the work of the China Inland Mission, founded 1865. 6 Pyrland Road, N5.

James Upjohn (1765-1794)

Clock Maker. 33 St John's Lane, EC1.

Jim Veal (1931-2006)

Community Campaigner. Jim Veal Drive, N7.

A London Borough of Islington plaque, in conjunction with the Southern Housing Group. Unveiled in July 2010.

Joe Meek (1929-1967)

Record producer: 'The Telstar Man'. 304 Holloway Road, N7.

Joe Orton (1933-1967)

Playwright. 25 Noel Road, N1.

A London Borough of Islington Plaque.

John Cranfield (1770-1790)

Clock Maker. 33 St John's Lane, EC1.

John Groom (1845-1919)

Philanthropist. 8 Sekforde Street, EC1.

A English Heritage Plaque.

John Moor (1801-1875)

Clock Maker. 33 St John's Lane, EC1.

John Wesley (1703-1791)

Religious leader. 47 City Road, EC1.

A English Heritage Plaque.

John Wright (1907-1991)

Founder of the Little Angel Theatre. Dagmar Passage, N1.

An Islington People's Plaque, unveiled in July 2011.

Joseph Chamberlain (1836-1914)

Politician, Statesman and Businessman. 25 Highbury Place, N5.

A London County Council plaque. Unveiled in 1915.

Joseph Grimaldi (1778-1837)

Clown. 56 Exmouth Market, EC1.

A English Heritage Plaque, unveiled in 1989.

Joseph Simms (1745-1770)

Clock Maker. 33 St John's Lane, EC1.

Kate Greenaway (1846-1901)

Children's book illustrator and artist. 147 Upper Street, N1 London.

A London Borough of Islington Plaque.

Kenneth Williams (1926-1988)

Comedy Actor and Writer. 13/15 Bingfield Street, N1.

A London Borough of Islington plaque, unveiled in June 2010.

Lilian Lindsay (1871-1960)

First Woman Dentist. 3 Hungerford Road, N7.

A English Heritage Plaque.

Lord Fenner Brockway (1889-1988)

Pacifist and Politician. 60 Myddelton Square, EC1.

A London Borough of Islington Plaque.

Louis MacNiece (1907-1963)

Poet. 52 Canonbury Park South, N1.

A English Heritage Plaque.

Lt-Cdr R. S. Kerridge (1903-1940)

Who died attempting to defuse a parachute mine on this site and who Kerridge Court was named after. Kerridge Court,…

A London Borough of Islington plaque, which replaced the original plaque as it was lost. Unveiled on November 2016.

Marie Stopes (1880-1958)

Site of the first Mothers' Clinic in 1921. 61 Marlborough Road, N19.

A London Borough of Islington Plaque.

Mary Tealby (1801-1865)

Founder of ‘The Home for Lost & Starving Dogs’ (later becoming ‘Battersea Cats & Dogs Home’). Freightliners Farm, Sheringham Road,…

An Islington People's Plaque, unveiled in October 2015. Mary Tealby moved to London to nurse her ill mother in the early 1850s and remained with her family at 20 Victoria Road (now Chillingworth Street), Holloway, after her mother’s death. Distressed at the number abandoned dogs in London, Mary founded the Home for Lost and Starving Dogs. It was located in stables behind 15 and 16 Hollingsworth Street (now occupied by Freightliners Farm and Paradise Park) and was opened on 2 October 1860. Mary died 3 October 1865 leaving the management of the home to her younger brother Edward, who relocated the dogs home to Battersea, south London in 1871. The home still operates today under the name of Battersea Cats and Dogs Home. Members of Mary’s family, the Battersea Cats and Dogs Home and Freightliners Farm attended the unveiling the plaque on 2 October 2015 at Freightliners Farm.

Mary Wollstonecraft (1759–1797)

Writer, teacher and feminist who opened a school for girls at Newington Green in 1784. Newington Green Primary School, Newington…

A London Borough of Islington plaque, unveiled in March 2011.

Michael Faraday (1791-1867)

Scientist. 7 Barnsbury Grove, N7.

Nina Bawden (1925-2012)

Author and Campaigner for Railway Safety. 22 Noel Road, N1.

A Islington People's Plaque, unveiled in September 2015. Nina was the author of many books for adults and children, some drawing on her life in Islington. She was seriously injured in the Potters Bar train crash in 2002 in which her husband, Austen, and six other people were killed. With others she successfully campaigned to make the railways safer and to hold those responsible for the accident to account. Her Islington People’s Plaque was unveiled 11 September 2015 at Noel Road, N1.

North London Synagogue (1868-1959)

First purpose-built synagogue built in Islington. Barnes Court, Lofting Road, N1.

An Islington People's Plaque, unveiled in June 2015.

PC Alfred Smith (1880-1917)

For heroic actions in WWI. 43-45 Central Street, EC1V.

An Islington People’s Plaque, unveiled in June 2017. 37-year-old PC Alfred Smith, an officer of the Metropolitan Police, saved the lives of over 150 women and children in Central Street Finsbury, during a heavy-bomber Gotha raid on 13 June 1917. Tragically, Smith was caught by the blast of one of the bombs and died. Read more in our blog post.

Peacock Inn (1564-1962)

Old Coaching Inn. 11 Islington High Street, N1.

A London Borough of Islington Plaque.

Red Bull Playhouse

Built around 1605, it became the longest-lived London Jacobean playhouse

Built around 1605, the year of the Gunpowder Plot, the Red Bull Playhouse stood in Red Bull Yard (now Hayward’s Place, off St John Street, Clerkenwell) until 1665. It was converted from the yard of an inn called ‘the Red Bull’ and was at least as large as the better-known Globe Theatre, if not larger. It became the longest-lived London Jacobean playhouse, surviving the English Civil War and Commonwealth, becoming a safe venue for entertainment into the Restoration. Its Islington Heritage Plaque was unveiled on on Wednesday 29 August 2018. Read more in our blog post about the playhouse

Riceyman Steps

Setting for the novel by Arnold Bennett. Gwynne Place, WC1.

An Amwell Society plaque.

Roman Camp Site

Historic Site. 141 Hungerford Road, N7.

A London Borough of Islington Plaque.

Samuel Phelps (1804-1878)

Actor and manager of Sadler's Wells Theatre. 8 Canonbury Square, N1.

A London County Council plaque. Unveiled in 1911.

Sir Arthur Keith (1866-1955)

Physiologist and Anthropologist. 17 Aubert Park, N5 London.

A London Borough of Islington Plaque.

Sir Frances Ronalds (1788-1873)

Meteorologist, inventor and pioneer of electric telegraphy. 1 Highbury Terrace, N5.

A London Borough of Islington and Highbury View Tenants Association plaque unveiled Sept 2013.

Sir Henry Bessemer (1813-1898)

Famous inventor, who devised the Bessemer process for the mass production of steel. 15 Northampton Square.

A City University plaque, unveiled in May 2017.

Sir Michael Sobell (1892-1993)

Philanthropist, whose foundation contributed to the building of the Sobell Leisure Centre. Hornsey Road, N7.

A London Borough of Islington plaque in conjunction with the Sobell Foundation. Unveiled in September 2010.

Social Democratic Foundation (1926-1937)

Headquarters. 54 Colebrooke Row, N1.

A London Borough of Islington Plaque.

Spa Green (discovered 1685)

Spa known as the New Tunbridge Wells. Lloyd's Row, EC1.

St John Street Turnpike (1746-1830)

Historic Site. Tunbridge House, St John Street, EC1.

A London Borough of Islington Plaque.

St John’s Gate (1504)

Entry to the Priory of the Knights of St John. St John's Square/St John's Lane, EC1.

The Keskidee (1971-1992)

Britain's first arts and cultural centre for the Black community. Gifford Street, N1.

An Islington People's Plaque, unveiled in April 2011.

The Peasants’ Revolt (1381)

Commemorating the burning and destruction of Highbury Manor during the Peasants' Revolt. Highbury Barn Tavern, N5.

An Islington People's Plaque, unveiled in June 2011.

The Triffids (1985)

Site where the album 'Born Sandy Devotional' was recorded. 27 Britton Street, EC1.

Thomas Britton (1644-1714)

The Musical Coalman. Jerusalem Passage, EC1.

A London Borough of Islington Plaque.

Thomas Hosmer Shepherd (1793-1864)

Artist who portrayed London. 26 Batchelor Street, N1.

A Greater London Council plaque, unveiled in 1976.

Thomas Tompion (1639-1713)

Clock Maker. 33 St John's Lane, EC1.

Tom Paine (1737-1809)

Revolutionary and Author. Angel Square.

A Memorial to ‘The Rights of Man’.

Vladimir Ilyich Lenin (1870-1924)

Founder of the USSR. Royal Scot Hotel, King's Cross Road, EC1.

A London County Council plaque.

Wallace Bligh Cheesman (1865-1947)

Founder of the Fawcett Association. 8 Highbury Grange, N5.

A London Borough of Islington Plaque.

Walter Richard Sickert (1860-1942)

Artist. 1 Highbury Place, N5.

A London Borough of Islington plaque. Unveiled in July 2011, replacing the original plaque on this site.

William Caslon (1692-1766)

Typefounder. 21-23 Chiswell Street, EC1.

A London County Council plaque.

William Compton (1851-1913)

Politician. Northampton Square, EC2.

William Makepeace Thackeray (1811-1863)

Author. Clerkenwell Road, EC1.