Person    | Male  Born 28/8/1906  Died 19/5/1984

Sir John Betjeman

Categories: Architecture, Poetry

Poet Laureate 1972 - 1984. Conservation campaigner. Credited with saving the Midland Grand Hotel (now St Pancras Chambers) and the station at St Pancras from demolition and helping to achieve their Grade I listed status. This campaign in the 1960s is often given as the beginning of the conservation movement. He also helped save the Queen's Tower at Imperial College and Holy Trinity near Sloane Square. His friend the author Anthony Powell described him as having "a whim of iron".

Born 52 Parliament Hill Mansions, Lissenden Gardens (where oddly, 2014, there is no plaque, despite the Tenants Association having erected at least 6 others). Brought up in Highgate. Died at his home in Trebetherick, Cornwall and is buried in the nearby church of St. Enodoc.

2016: A bust of Betjeman (an exact replica of the St Pancras statue) was unveiled at Wantage where he lived 1951 - 72.

Comments are provided by Facebook, please ensure you are signed in here to see them

This section lists the memorials where the subject on this page is commemorated:
Sir John Betjeman

Commemorated ati

Bedford Park panel

On the back of the panel 8 Bedford Park men are featured, each with a paragra...

Read More

Black Friar pub

The plaque is a perfectly nice pub plaque but the pub is adorned with many lo...

Read More

John Betjeman - EC1

Note that, despite its blueness, this is not an English Heritage plaque.

Read More

John Betjeman - Marylebone

As the gateway to Metroland, Betjeman was fond of this station.

Read More

John Betjeman - N6

Sir John Betjeman, 1906 - 1984, poet, lived here, 1908 - 1917. English Heritage 

Read More

Show all 8

This section lists the memorials created by the subject on this page:
Sir John Betjeman

Creations i

Alexander Cruden

Camden Passage (link now dead) had a picture of the unveiling by Poet Laureat...

Read More

Battishill Gardens

This stone frieze (13 metres long, 2 metres high) was originally unveiled on ...

Read More

Cruikshank

Cruikshank lived here for 25 years. The plaque was unveiled by Betjeman in 1...

Read More

Other Subjects

William Lee and F. J. Smith

William Lee and F. J. Smith

Architects active in 1882.

Group, Architecture

2 memorials
Henry Astley Darbishire

Henry Astley Darbishire

From Anatpro: English architect mostly associated with philanthropic schemes, including the Gothic Columbia Market (1866) and the Gothic working-class housing-scheme at Columbia Square (1857–60), b...

Person, Architecture

2 memorials
Bauhaus

Bauhaus

Art school. In full Staatliches Bauhaus. Founded by Walter Gropius, the name means 'building house', but in its early years it didn't actually have an architecture department. It was located initia...

Group, Architecture, Seriously Famous, Germany

1 memorial
Raising the tower - Wandsworth All Saints

Raising the tower - Wandsworth All Saints

The upper storey of the west tower was added in 1841 to enable a peal of eight bells to be installed.  The picture shows the tower in 1810, pre-works.

Event, Architecture, Religion

1 memorial
South London Hospital for Women

South London Hospital for Women

Hospital for women and children. Founded by surgeons Eleanor Davies-Colley and Maud Chadburn. Throughout its existence, it was staffed by women only. The original building was designed by Sir Edwin...

Building, Architecture, Medicine

2 memorials