The Blue Plaque scheme was first proposed in 1863 in the House of Commons by William Ewart MP, the scheme was was founded in London in 1866 by the Society of Arts, and since 1986 has been run by English Heritage. The blue Plaques commemorate the link between notable figures of the past and the buildings in which they lived or worked.
The popularity of English Heritage's London blue plaques scheme has meant that a number of comparable schemes have been established elsewhere throughout the United Kingdom. Many of these schemes also use blue plaques which often manufactured in metal or plastic, rather than the ceramic used in London, but some feature plaques of different colours and shapes.
The register of Blue Plaque schemes across England, is maintained by English Heritage on a monthly basis.
If there are any Blue Plaques that are missing from the list, can you please give us the details via our Contact Page, we would also welcome photos of the Blue Plaques that we do not have or better quality photo than we already have.
Hinckley |
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Name: | Jon Baker |
| Profession: | Architect | |
| Location: | Crown Court, Castle Street | |
| Notes: | Architect and local Councillor, he also campaigned against the arrival of the 2nd class stamp. | |
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Name: | William Bass (1717-1787) |
| Profession: | Brewer | |
| Location: | Castle Street | |
| Notes: | Founder of the famous Bass Brewery in Burton-upon-Trent, the brewery was established in 1777. | |
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Name: | Charlotte Mary Brame (1836-1884) |
| Profession: | Romantic Novelist. | |
| Location: | 35 Castle Street | |
| Notes: | A prolific writter, writing somewhere in the region of 130 novels during her lifetime. Her books were very successful with the public, but her earnings were severely diminished by piracy. | |
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Name: | William Butler (1843-1907) |
| Profession: | Brewer | |
| Location: | The Greyhound, New Buildings | |
| Notes: | Founder of the Mitchells & Butlers Brewery in Smethwick, Birmingham, the brewery was established in 1898. | |
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Name: | Dr Robert Chessher (1750-1831) |
| Profession: | Pioneering Orthopaedic Surgeon. | |
| Location: | Queens Park Court, London Road | |
| Notes: | The first British Orthopedist. He invented the double-inclined plane to help in the treatment of lower-body bone fractures. | |
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Name: | Elizabeth Coxhead (1909-1979) |
| Profession: | Author | |
| Location: | Mount Grace School | |
| Notes: | An Author of novels, Critic and a keen Mountaineer.
Note: Photo to be updated once the scaffolding has been removed. |
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Name: | Freemasons (1717-2017) |
| Profession: | Freemansonary. | |
| Location: | Hinckley Masonic Hall, St. Mary's Road | |
| Notes: | Freemasons first became established within the town in 1803, the ‘Knights of Malta’ Masonic Lodge No.47 held their first meeting at ‘Prince of Wales Inn’ along Lichfield Street. | |
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Name: | Joseph Dare (1800–1883) |
| Profession: | Teacher, Missioner, Poet and Social Worker. | |
| Location: | Great Meeting Unitarian Chapel | |
| Notes: | A pioneering social worker in Victorian Leicestershire, dedicated to tackling health issues in 19th Century Leicester. | |
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Name: | Rev Philip Doddridge (1702-1751) |
| Profession: | Theologian and hymn writer. | |
| Location: | Great Meeting Unitarian Chapel | |
| Notes: | Nonconformist leader, educator, and hymnwriter. Many of his hymns, such as O God of Bethel, by whose hand, continue to be used to this day. | |
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Name: | Joseph Hansom (1803-1882) |
| Profession: | Architect and designer of the Hansom cab. | |
| Location: | Natwest Bank, The Borough | |
| Notes: | He invented the Hansom cab, a horse-drawn carriage. A prolific English architect working principally in the Gothic Revival style, he founded the architectural journal 'The Builder' in 1843. | |
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Name: | Joseph Hansom (1803-1882) |
| Profession: | Architect and designer of the Hansom cab. | |
| Location: | The Edwards Centre, Regent Street | |
| Notes: | He invented the Hansom cab, a horse-drawn carriage. A prolific English architect working principally in the Gothic Revival style, he founded the architectural journal 'The Builder' in 1843. | |
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Name: | William Illiffe (1620-1688) |
| Profession: | Introduced the stocking frame to Hinckley. | |
| Location: | Hinckley & District Museum, Lower Bond Street | |
| Notes: | Changed the whole economy of the area by introducing the first knitting frame to Hinckley in 1640. He bought a knitting frame for the substantial sum of £60. | |
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Name: | Arthur Kimbrell (1897-1986) |
| Profession: | Entertainment Organiser. | |
| Location: | The Bounty, The Horsefair | |
| Notes: | Hinckley's 'Mr Showbiz' known for bringing big name acts to the town. | |
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Name: | Nat Langham (1820-1871) |
| Profession: | Pugilist (bare-knuckle boxer). | |
| Location: | Above archway to Cross Keys Yard, Castle Street. | |
| Notes: | A bare-knuckle prize fighter, who became the Middleweight Champion of England. | |
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Name: | Robert James Lees |
| Profession: | Spiritualist | |
| Location: | Jilly Flowers Florist, Upper Bond Street | |
| Notes: | A 19th century spiritualist medium who was reputed to have given seances to Queen Victoria, to put her in touch with Albert. He was one of the founders of the Spiritualist Church in the UK, and the Titbits magazine. | |
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Name: | Father Matthew Thomas Norton |
| Profession: | Roman Catholic Recusant | |
| Location: | St Peter’s Catholic Primary School | |
| Notes: | Father Matthew helped to reform the Dominican order in the country, and Hinckley became the first priory in England after Henry VIII’s reformation. He was also a distinguished agronomist - a cultivator of crops, pasture, soils and eco-systems. | |
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Name: | A.J. Pickering |
| Profession: | Businessman, Archaeologist and Philanthropist | |
| Location: | Hansom Court, The Borough | |
| Notes: | Owned the local stationary business 'Pickering's', a very keen Archaeologist finding items from the roman period. | |
Burbage |
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Name: | Kinard Baghot de la Bere (1837-1932) |
| Profession: | Engineer | |
| Location: | Burbage Hall, Aston Lane | |
| Notes: | Discovered the use of Isinglass as a preservative, also Parliamentary Advisor on Agricultural matters. | |
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Name: | Noel Rowston Brannan (1921-2001) |
| Profession: | Artist | |
| Location: | Athelstan, Hinckley Road (opposite Regency Court) | |
| Notes: | Noel Brannan was a local Burbage Artist who was known for his paintings, he was also a teacher at Westfield Boys School. | |
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Name: | George Canning (1770-1827) |
| Profession: | Politician and 1827 British Prime Minister. | |
| Location: | Burbage Constitutional Club/Canning House, Church Street | |
| Notes: | Canning was a British statesman and politician who served as Foreign Secretary and briefly became the British Prime Minister in 1827, that would last a mere 119 days. | |
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Name: | Roger Cotes (1682-1716) |
| Profession: | Mathematician | |
| Location: | Catherines Church, South Gate Street | |
| Notes: | Invented many mathematical formulae which includes: logarithmic spiral, least squares and Newton's work on Gravity. | |
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Name: | Edward Crump (1878–1956) |
| Profession: | Chief Borough Engineer | |
| Location: | Tong Lodge, Church Street | |
| Notes: | Gave Burbage an uncontaminated water supply, Burbage Clean Water Scheme of 1915. | |
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Name: | Darby and Joan Club |
| Profession: | Social care for old Aged Pensioners | |
| Location: | Herford Way Community Centre,Far Lash | |
| Notes: | The Burbage Darby and Joan Club celebrates 100 years. This club is for the old Aged Pensioners of the area. | |
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Name: | Charles Higham (1855–1934) |
| Profession: | Guide Philosopher and Friend | |
| Location: | Cheadle House, Britannia Road | |
| Notes: | As a founder member of the Burbage Constitutional Club and its first secretary he served the village most of his life as a Parish Councillor, church Warden and Superintendent of the Sunday Schools. | |
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Name: | Stanley Higham (1883–1947) |
| Profession: | Guide Philosopher and Friend | |
| Location: | Cheadle House, Britannia Road | |
| Notes: | The first Burbage representative on the Hinckley Urban Council, also head of the National School. | |
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Name: | Charles Chamberlain Hurst (1870-1947) |
| Profession: | Geneticist | |
| Location: | Main Entrance, Burbage Infant school, Grove Road | |
| Notes: | Site of Burbage Research Station (1907-1922), Charles was well known for his work on hybridisation and breeding in orchids, but also for carrying out early studies into eye colour genetics inn 1905, and animal coat coloration. | |
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Name: | Armine Robinson née Sandford (1928-2011) |
| Profession: | BBC Newsreader and Actress | |
| Location: | Archer Cottage, Church Street | |
| Notes: | First female newsreader for the BBC reginal television, a theatre actress and also a member of the pioneering traveling Century Theatre that was constructed in Hinckley. | |
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Name: | Herbert Robinson (1884-1977) |
| Profession: | International Rose Breeder | |
| Location: | 109 Church Street | |
| Notes: | When Herbert was then at the peak of his success at breeding roses, he was regarded as one of the greatest hybridist in horticulture in 1959. | |
Barton in the Beans |
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Name: | Samuel Deacon |
| Profession: | Clockmaker and Baptist Preacher. | |
| Location: | Baptist Chapel, Main Street | |
| Notes: | Settled at Barton c.1765 and set up in business as a clockmaker. His workshop was preserved by his successors and after many years of continuous use is now in the collections of the Leicester Museum. He was a leader of the General Baptist sect and the author of many works, including his autobiography. | |
Earl Shilton |
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Name: | Samuel Almey (1777-1824)
Nathaniel Almey (1784-1863) George Almey (1791-1826) |
| Profession: | Soldier | |
| Location: | Almey's Lane | |
| Notes: | Commemorating the 3 men who fought with the Royal Horse Artillery G Troop at the Battle of Waterloo in 1815. | |
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Name: | Norman Dagley (1929-1999) |
| Profession: | World Champion Billiards Player. | |
| Location: | Earl Shilton Institute, Station Road | |
| Notes: | World Amateur and Professional Billiards Champion. An Earl Shilton man, he began and developed his game here. | |
Higham on the Hill |
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Name: | Lord Geoffrey Fisher (1887-1972) |
| Profession: | Archbishop of Canterbury 1944-1961. | |
| Location: | C of E Primary School, Main Street | |
| Notes: | Baron Fisher of Lambeth was Archbishop of Canterbury from 1945 to 1961. In 1958 he caused controversy by speaking out in favour of a nuclear war, and features in Roald Dahl's book Boy. He grew up in Higham on the Hill. | |
Kirby Mallory |
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Name: | Ada Lovelace (1815-1852) |
| Profession: | Pioneering Mathematician and Programmer. | |
| Location: | Coach House, Mallory Park Racing Circuit | |
| Notes: | Mathematician and writer of the first computer program, also the daughter of famed poet Lord Byron, Mallory Hall was her childhood home. | |
Market Bosworth |
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Name: | Davey Graham (1940-2008) |
| Profession: | Musician | |
| Location: | Bosworth Hall Hotel, The Park | |
| Notes: | Musical maestro, innovator and inspiration to some of the biggest names in popular music. | |
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Name: | Thomas Hooker (1586-1647) |
| Profession: | Puritan religious and colonial leader. | |
| Location: | Dixie Grammar School, Station Road | |
| Notes: | A prominent Puritan colonial leader, who founded the Colony of Connecticut after dissenting with Puritan leaders in Massachusetts. He was known as an outstanding speaker and a leader of universal Christian suffrage. | |
Markfield |
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Name: | National School |
| Profession: | ||
| Location: | The Green (off Main Street) | |
| Notes: | Notes outstanding. | |
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Name: | Sawpit |
| Profession: | ||
| Location: | The Lower Green, Main Street (opposite the Methodist Church) | |
| Notes: | Notes outstanding. | |
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Name: | John Wesley (1703-1791) |
| Profession: | Founder of Methodism. | |
| Location: | 41 The Green | |
| Notes: | An Anglican cleric and Christian theologian. Wesley is largely credited, along with his brother Charles Wesley, as founding the Methodist movement which began when he took to open-air preaching. He was widely respected and referred to as 'the best loved man in England'. | |
Orton on the Hill |
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Name: | William Worthington (1723-1800) |
| Profession: | Brewer | |
| Location: | The Unicorn, 20 Main Street | |
| Notes: | Founder of the famous Worthington Brewery in Burton-upon-Trent, the brewery was established in 1761. | |
Ratby |
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Name: | Booking Office (1833) |
| Profession: | ||
| Location: | Railway Inn, Station Road | |
| Notes: | Built as a booking office for the Leicester and Swannington Railway in 1833. | |
Stoke Golding |
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Name: | Thomas Barton (1365-1410) |
| Profession: | Charity | |
| Location: | Cottage, Blacksmith’s Yard, High Street | |
| Notes: | Founder of the 'Charity of Thomas Barton', or 'The Causeway Charity', the charities were created as an act of Christian Faith aroun c.1400. | |
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Name: | Church of St. Margaret of Antioch (1200s) |
| Profession: | ||
| Location: | Wall, Church Walks, High Street | |
| Notes: | This mediaeval Church is decorated Gothic style was built and extended during the 13th and 14th Centuries. | |
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Name: | The Old Hall (1610-1850) |
| Profession: | ||
| Location: | No.20, High Street | |
| Notes: | Bought in 1678 by Sir Henry Firebrace, a Church benefactor and courtier to Kings Charles I, Charles ll and James II. | |
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Name: | The Moats and Tumulus |
| Profession: | ||
| Location: | Main Street | |
| Notes: | A castellated mansion or fortified manor house once stood in the area where the moats remain, until the time of Elizabeth I. | |
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Name: | The Mansion House and Parke |
| Profession: | ||
| Location: | Main Street | |
| Notes: | The Mansion House and Parke that Basil Trymnell and his family lived in 1604. | |
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Name: | The Mangle House |
| Profession: | ||
| Location: | Station Road, opposite Andrew Close | |
| Notes: | Once housed a huge 1800s Box Mangle, the house still bears that name. The Box Mangle was found in pieces in a local farmer's barn, from where it was removed to Stowmarket museum. | |
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Name: | The Free Grammar School (1678) |
| Profession: | ||
| Location: | 31 Station Road | |
| Notes: | The Free Grammar School of The Foundation of Hester Hodges, the building was largely rebuilt in 1841 and additionally provided the residence of the Schoolmaster. | |
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Name: | Crown Hill |
| Profession: | ||
| Location: | Brick Pillar, Crown Hill Bungalow, Station Road | |
| Notes: | King Henry Vll who was the first of the Tudor Monarchs was crowned on Crown Hill, following The Battle of Bosworth 22nd August 1485. | |
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Name: | The Ashby de la Zouch Canal |
| Profession: | ||
| Location: | Ashby Boat Company, The Wharf, Station Road | |
| Notes: | A lock-free canal allowing the navigation of craft with a beam of 14' from the Ashby Woulds Coalfield to a junction with the Coventry Canal at Marston got underway in 1794, completed in 1804. | |
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Name: | The Ashby & Nuneaton Joint Railway |
| Profession: | ||
| Location: | Entrance to Willow Park, Station Road | |
| Notes: | Stoke Golding Station and the Stationmaster’s house (1873), both now privately occupied. In 1890 Queen Victoria travelled along the line in the Royal Train, and in 1902 King Edward Vll passed through Stoke Golding on his way to visit Earl Howe at Gopsall Hall.
Note: The Plaque is missing 24-Feb-2016 |
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If there are any Blue Plaques that are missing from the list, can you please give us the details via our Contact Page, we would also welcome photos of the Blue Plaques that we do not have or better quality photo than we already have.
