Blue Plaques

Blue plaques are a familiar sight across Brighton & Hove.

Below you'll find more information about the Blue Plaque Scheme, as well as a list of plaques situated around the city.

What is a Blue Plaque?

A blue plaque is a permanent sign installed in a public place to commemorate a link between that location and a famous person or event - serving as a kind of historical marker.

Commemorative plaque schemes exist across much of England and indeed other countries around the world. The first formal scheme, however, was launched in England.

Selection criteria

In order to be eligible for an English Heritage blue plaque, a figure must have been dead for twenty years or have passed the centenary of their birth.

You can find out more about Brighton Blue Plaques by:

• Listening to the 'People who Made Brighton & Hove' Podcast
• Following one of the Regency Society's Blue Plaque Trails.

Commemorative Plaques in Brighton & Hove

Here are the Blue Plaques in Brighton, Hove and the surrounding area.

Brighton

• 5 Arundel Terrace, Kemptown - William Harrison Ainsworth (1805-1882). Novelist, lived here 1853-1867.
• 31 Buckingham Road - Aubrey Beardsley (1872-1898). Illustrative artist, born here in 1872.
• 6 Cavendish Place - Dion Boucicault (1820-1890). Irish dramatist and actor, lived here 1862-1872.
• 48 Marine Parade (Chain Pier House) - Sir Samuel Brown (1776-1852). Designer of the Chain Pier (destroyed in a storm in 1896)
• 77 West Street - Fanny Burnley (1752-1840). Writer, 'The Mother of English Fiction'.
• 11 Waterloo Place - Charles Augustus Busby. Architect of the Kemptown and Brunswick estates.
• Royal Crescent Hotel, Marine Parade - George Canning (1770-1827). Prime Minister in 1827, lived in the original house.
• 103 Marine Parade - Sir Herbert Carden (1867-1941). Mayor of Brighton 1916-1918.
• 11 Sussex Square, Kemptown - Lewis Carroll (Reverend Charles Dodgson) (1832-1898). Author of Alice in Wonderland, his sister lived here 1874-1887, and he was a frequent visitor.
• Black Lion Brewery, Black Lion street - Deryk Carver (d 1555). Owner of 16th century brewery.
• 15 Prestonville Road - Charles Blake Cochrane (1872-1951). Theatrical impresario, born here in 1872.
• 13 Lewes Crescent, Kemptown - Thomas Cubitt (1788-1855).  Builder on Kemptown estate. Lived here 1846-1855.
• 46 Sussex Square, Kemptown - Anthony Dale (1912-1993). Author, historian and conservationist. Wrote many volumes of history on Brighton.
• Holiday Inn, King's Road, (formerly known as Bedford Hotel) -
Charles Dickens. Wrote Dombey and Son whilst staying at the Bedford Hotel. 
• 17 Lewes Crescent, Kemptown - Frederick Elwyn-Jones (1909-1989) & Pearl Binder (1904-1989). Rt Hon Lord Elwyn-Jones was a Labour MP, a prosecutor at the Nuremberg trials, and Lord Chancellor in the 1970's. His wife, Pearl Binder was an artist and author, and founding member of The Artists International Association.
• 55 Old Steine (Steine House) - Mrs Maria Fitzherbert (1756-1837). Built for Maria Fitzherbert, mistress of King George IV. She lived here from 1804 until her death in 1837, at the age of eighty. (Now the YMCA.)
• 20 Middle Street - William Friese-Greene (1855-1921). Cinematography pioneer, later lived at 9 Worcester Villas, Hove.
• 32 Hamilton Road - Eric Gill (1882-1940). Stone carver and engraver, born here, and later moved to Highcroft Villas.
• Adelphi Hotel, Pool Valley - William Ewart Gladstone (1809-1898). Prime Minister during reign of Queen Victoria. Frequently stayed at Lion Mansions Hotel near Pool Valley.
• 36 East Street - Martha Gunn (1726-1815). Known as the 'Queen of Dippers', she and her 'bathing women' bathed female visitors to Brighton in the sea.
• 11 Hanover Crescent - Sir Rowland Hill (1795-1879). Postal reformer, introduced the penny post and the Penny Black stamp in 1840 and promoted letter boxes - both public and in private front doors.
• 36 Camelford Street - George Jacob Holyoake (1817-1906). Social reformer and first president of the Brighton Equitable Co-operative Society. The last man in England to be jailed for atheism in 1851.
• 77 West Street - Samuel Johnson (1709-1784). Lexicographer, wrote the first English dictionary in 1755. Often visited the Assembly Rooms of The Old Ship.
• 22 Sussex Square & The Temple, Montpelier Road - Thomas Read Kemp (1782-1844). MP and developer of Kemptown, lived here 1827-1837.
• 2 Regency Square - Dr William King (1786-1865). Social reformer, Co-operative pioneer, mathematician and physician.
• 3 Percival Terrace, Kemptown - Sir James Knowles (1831-1908). Architect and editor, designed avenues in Stanford estate of Hove.
• 65-66 Regency Square - Sir Edwin Landseer (1802-1873). Artist, created bronze lions in Trafalgar Square.
• 14 Chichester Terrace, Kemptown - Louise, Princess Royal.Lived here 1896-1924.  Daughter of Edward VII, who stayed with her several times.
• 20 Old Steine - Dr Gideon Mantell (1790-1852).Celebrated Sussex geologist and physician, lived here 1833-1838.
• 30 Old Steine - Sir Edward Marshall Hall, KC (1858-1927). 'The Great Defender' - famous lawyer of 19th century classic criminal trials, born here in 1831.
• 79 Buckingham Road - E J Marshall (d 1899). Headmaster of Brighton Grammar School 1861-1899.
• 6 Vernon Terrace - Eleanor Marx (1855-1898). Women's rights campaigner and daughter of Karl Marx.
• 131 Kings Road - Harriet Mellon (d 1837). Wife of banker Thomas Coutts; actress; became the 'wealthiest woman in Europe' on his death. Later became Duchess of St Albans and a leader of Brighton society in the 19th century.
• 104-109 Queen's Road (Queensbury House) - Dr William Moon (1818-1894. Pioneer of blind welfare in Brighton.
• 25 Burlington Street - Max Miller (1894-1963). Comedian and entertainer, lived here from 1948 until his death.
• 18 Lewes Crescent, Kemptown - Dame Anna Neagle (1904-1986) & Herbert Wilcox (1890-1977). Actress and film-producer, lived here 1953-1969.
• 1 Montpelier Terrace - Ray Noble (1903-1978). Musician and bandleader, born here in 1903.
• 4 Royal Crescent - Sir Laurence Olivier (1907-1989). Actor-director and film star, lived here 1961-1979, whilst commuting to the National Theatre, which he helped to found.
• 79 Marine Parade (Bedford House) - Sir Terence Rattigan (1911-1977). Playwright, co-authored the screenplay of Brighton Rock with Graham Greene.
• Montpelier Road & Trinity Church- The Rev Frederick William Robertson (1816-1853). Famed preacher, made Trinity Chapel most popular church in Brighton.
• Royal Albion Hotel, Old Steine - Dr Richard Russell (1687-1759).  Famous for his 'seawater cure' which helped to establish Brighton as a resort, Dr Russell lived in a house on this site from 1753 to 1759.
• Brighton Station, West Entrance - John Saxby (1821-1913).  Signal engineer, born in Brighton.
• 12 Cavendish Place - Horace Smith (1779-1849). Poet and novelist, and friend of Shelley and Thackeray. Coined the phrase 'Queen of watering places'. Formerly lived in Hanover Crescent.
• 3 Percival Terrace, Kemptown - Herbert Spencer. Philosopher.
• 9 Old Steine - Charles de Talleyrand-Perigord (1754-1838). French Statesman and politician, stayed here in 1831.
• 28 Warleigh Road - Maurice Tate (1895-1956).  Sussex and England Cricketer.
• 77 West Street - Henry (d 1781) & Hester (1741-1821) Thrale. Lived in a house on this site from 1776. Henry Thrale was one of the town's commissioners, and the family owned London's Anchor Brewery. Hester Thrale was a writer.
• 128 Dyke Road - Magnus Volk (1851-1937). Inventor and electricity pioneer of Volk's Railway fame. Equipped his own home and some of Brighton's public buildings with electric lights. Born in Western Road, later moved to Preston Road, and lived here 1914-1937.
• The Western Pavilion, Western Terrace - Amon H Wilds (1790-1857). Architect, work includes Park Crescent and The Victoria Fountain.
• Royal York Buildings, Old Steine - King William IV (1765-1837) & Queen Adelaide (1792-1849). Stayed in the Royal York Hotel. Queen's Park, Brighton and Adelaide Crescent, Hove are named after Queen Adelaide.
• 22 Kensington Gardens, Anita Roddick (1942-2007). Entrepreneur, environmentalist and human rights campaigner. 
• 34 Kensington Gardens, Peggy Ramsay (1908-1991). Theatrical agent. 
• 140 Western Road, Admiral Sir Edward Codrington (1770-1851). British Admiral, hero of the Battle of Trafalfgar and Battle of Navarino.
• The Old Vicarage, Temple Gardens, Rev’d Henry Wagner (1792-1870) & Rev’d Arthur Wagner (1824-1902). Henry: Vicar of Brighton, 1824-1870, commissioned six of Brighton’s churches to be built.
  Arthur: Son of Henry. Perpetual curate of St Paul’s Church.
• 14 Sussex Square, Kemptown - Lord John Russell (1792-1878). Twice liberal Prime Minister.
• St Mary's Hall, Kemptown - Henry Venn Elliott (1792-1878) and Charlotte Elliott (1789-1871). Founder of St Mary's Hall, school for poor daughters of clergymen. Charlotte wrote the hymn 'Just as I am.'
• Tyson Place, Grosvenor Street - Doreen Valiente (1922-1999). Known as the 'Mother of Modern Witchcraft.'

Rottingdean

• Aubrey House, Rottingdean - Enid Bagnold (1889-1981). Author of National Velvet, lived here from 1923.
• Prospect Cottage, Rottingdean - Sir Edward Burne-Jones (1833-1898). Pre-Raphaelite painter, lived here 1880-1898.
• The Elms, The Green, Rottingdean - Rudyard Kipling (1865-1936). Writer, lived here 1897-1903, before moving to Burwash, East Sussex.
• Aubrey House, The Green, Rottingdean - Angela Thirkell (1890-1960). Writer, granddaughter of Sir Edward Burne-Jones.
• Poet's House, 17 Marine Drive, Rottingdean - Sir William Watson (1858-1935). Poet.
• 1 Challoner Cottages, Rottingdean - The Copper Family. Folk singers.

Hove

• 45 Wish Road– Dame Henrietta Barnett (1861-1936). Social reformer and wife of the founder of Toynbee Hall.
• 17 Brunswick Square– Robert Bevan (1865-1925). Born here at his grandfather’s house. Studied art in London and Paris where he was influenced by the Post-Impressionists.
• 45 Brunswick Square– Edward Carpenter (1844-1929). Author, pamphleteer, poet, born here in 1844.
• 29-30 Brunswick Road– Sir Winston Churchill (1874-1965). The colossus of British 20^th century politics. Sent to a private school here before going on to Harrow.
• 20 The Drive – Dame Ivy Compton-Burnett (1884-1969). Novelist. Lived here from 1897-1915. Also went to school in Tisbury Road.
• 9 Worcester Villas – William Friese-Greene (1855-1921). Cinematograph pioneer lived here from 1910 to 1913.
• 12 First Avenue – Patrick Hamilton (1904-1962). Author and playwright lived here as a boy.
• 33 Brunswick Square– Sir Hamilton Harty (1870-1941). Composer, song writer and arranger. Died here in 1941.
• 30 Albany Villas –Sir John Hindmarsh. Fought at the Battle of the Nile and Trafalgar. In 1836 he became the founding Governor of the State of South Australia. Lived his last few years here.
• 13 Palmeria Avenue– sir Jack Hobbs (1882-1963). The England and Surrey cricketer has a plaque here at his former home.
• 87 Lorna Road– Richard Jeffries (1848-1897). Writer on the English countryside, lived at what is now 87 Lorna Road from 1883-1884.
• 16 Lansdowne Place– John Leech (1817-1864). ‘Humorous Artist’ renowned as a friend of Charles Dickens.
• 42 Brunswick Terrace – Prince Metternich. Forced into exile in 1848 and settled here.
• 10 Walsingham Terrace – Charles Stewart Parnell. Towering figure on the British political scene. Lived at 8 Medina Villas and then moved here, where he died. Plaque is displayed on Dorset Court, Kingsway  which replaced 10 Walsingham Terrace.
• 222 Old Shoreham Road– Margaret Powell (1907-1984). Writer and radio and television personality. Born here.
• 4 Brunswick Square – Roger Quilter (1877-1953). English songwriter. Born here.
• 15 Brunswick Terrace – J H Round (1854-1928). Born here at the family home. Medieval historian.
• 19 Albany Villas – Sir C Aubrey Smith (1863-1948). Sussex and England cricketer as well as starring in a series of Hollywood films.
• 18 Chanctonbury Road – George Albert Smith (1864-1959). Began making films of local life and of comedy sketches in 1896. Working with James Williamson, he developed the colour process ‘Kinemacolor’. Retired here.
• 2 Brunswick Square– Sir Georg Westphal (1785-1875). Admiral Westphal was in action over 100 times.
• Cambridge Grove – James Williamson (1855-1933). Built a film studio at the address around 1902. Was also a pharmist at 144 Church Road and moved to 55 Western Road.
• St Aubyn's Mansions - Dame Clara Butt (1872-1936) - Recitalist and concert singer.
• St Aubyn's Mansions - Vesta Tilley (1864-1952). Music hall artiste.
• 8 Clarendon Villas - Hablot Knight Browne (1815-1852). Illustrator known as 'Fizz'.
• 11 Sillwood Road, formerly '9 Mrs Sober's Gardens' - John Constable R.A. (1776-1837). Painter and artist.

Please note, whilst care has been taken to ensure that the information on this list is correct, it is intended as a guide only.