Canterbury currently has very few of the famous Blue Plaques, despite having been home to many interesting and important people. The Canterbury Society Blue Plaques project was set up in 2020 and began by inviting suggestions from the general public for the names of individuals (and events) who have some connection with the city and who deserve to be remembered and commemorated.
After careful planning and community involvement, the Canterbury Society is thrilled to announce the completion of the Canterbury Society Blue Plaques Project. This initiative, conceived in 2020 and resumed in 2022, aimed to honour significant individuals and events in Canterbury’s history.
With the support of the local community, individuals and a number of generous corporate sponsors, funding was raised to finance the manufacture and installation of fourteen Blue Plaques across the city. These plaques commemorate notable figures such as Sarah Baker, Aphra Behn, and Michael Powell, among others.
Jan Pahl, Vice President of the Canterbury Society, emphasised the project’s goal of celebrating Canterbury’s heritage and enhancing the city’s appeal to both residents and visitors.
Many excellent suggestions for new blue plaques were received and from them fourteen have been selected by the Working Group leading the project. The Working Group includes people from the Canterbury Society, the Canterbury Commemoration Society, the Universities and other experts and worked closely with the Heritage and Conservation Team at Canterbury City Council. Over £9500 was raised to fund the project via a combination of sponsorship, crowd funding and individual donations.
The fourteen new blue plaques were put in place across the city on 8th March.
An event in July saw the Official Launch of the 14 new Blue Plaques in Canterbury. The Launch included a talk at Cathedral Lodge by Ptolemy Dean, President of the Canterbury Society, a guided walk around the new Blue Plaques Trail and the publication of a leaflet giving details of the plaques.
Click here to see the leaflet, which includes a map of the Blue Plaques Trail and details about the people being commemorated.