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.

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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...

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Black Friar pub

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

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John Betjeman - EC1

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

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John Betjeman - Marylebone

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

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John Betjeman - N6

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

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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...

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Battishill Gardens

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

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Cruikshank

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

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Other Subjects

St James's Gardens, W11

St James's Gardens, W11

RBKC and British History Online have a lot of information about the creation of this square, with plans and drawings.

Place, Architecture, Property

2 memorials
Bow Road Railway Station

Bow Road Railway Station

The authoritative-looking picture source website gives the date of opening as 4 April 1892 (contradicting the plaque) and the closing date as 1949 for passengers and 1962 finally.

Building, Architecture, Transport

1 memorial
Lettsom's house

Lettsom's house

Grove Hill, Camberwell.

Building, Architecture

1 memorial
Carob & Partners

Carob & Partners

Architects active in 1992.

Group, Architecture

1 memorial
Francis Golding

Francis Golding

Architectural expert:  honorary fellow of the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA), head of the Royal Fine Art Commission during the late 1990s and had worked on major projects such as the ...

Person, Architecture, Cyclist, Tragedy

1 memorial