Bloomsbury is central London’s calming retreat, where the streets hum and you can pause for thought. Scattered around the area you’ll find many Blue Plaques, each commemorating one or many historic people. Make sure you make space in the schedule for:
Bloomsbury
Our very own
Bertrand Russell
Location: 34 Russell Chambers, Bury Place, Bloomsbury, London, WC1A 2JXStart by taking moment to head to Bury Place and see Bertie’s Blue Plaque. He was a mathematician, logician, philosopher, and public intellectual. Bertrand’s Townhouse captures the Bertie’s personality; his famous wit with a spark of eccentricity. Learn more about Bertie and the hotel’s history.
Lady Ottoline Morrell (Ottie)
Location: 10 Gower Street, Bloomsbury, London, WC1E 6DPOttie was a fond friend of Bertie and queen of conversation. Visit Gower Street to find her Blue Plaque. She was an aristocrat and society hostess but also part of the Bloomsbury Group of associated British artists, intellectuals, philosophers and writers. We’re proud to name Ottie’s Salon in her honour.
The Bloomsbury Group Location: Gordon Square, 46 Gordon Sq, London, WC1H 0PD
Find a Blue Plaque dedicated to the Bloomsbury Group. It commemorates the associated group of artists, intellectuals, philosophers and writers at a house they lived in. It’s located in Brunswick Square.
Virginia Woolf Influential author
A name synonymous with literature. She was known for using stream of consciousness narration.
John Maynard Keynes Influential economist
Keynesian economics and its variations that are still practised today were initially based on Keynes’ writing.
More Bloomsbury Group Members
Leonard Woolf
Author
Duncan Grant
Artist
Adrian Stephen
Psychoanalyst
Charles Dickens Location: 48 Doughty Street, Holborn, London, WC1N 2LX
Commonly regarded as the greatest novelist of Victorian times. His Blue Plaque sits on the wall of the Charles Dickens Museum in Doughty Street. Make sure you have time to explore the museum. It’s under 15 minutes on foot from Bertrand’s Townhouse.
Slow down, Breathe Let Bloomsbury comfort you
Browse books, stop for a drink and pause for thought.
West End
Ambling no more than 10 minutes takes you into London’s theatre district and home of culture. The West End has it’s own selection of Blue Plaques that are worth the few more steps:
Blue Plaques in the West End
01
Karl Marx
Location: 28 Dean Street, Soho, London, W1D 3RY
02
Thomas Sheraton
Location: 163 Wardour Street, Soho, London, W1F 8WL
03
Mozart
Location: 180 Ebury Street, Belgravia, London, SW1W 8UP
04
Oscar Wilde
Location: 34 Tite Street, Chelsea, London, SW3 4JA
05
Vivien Leigh
Location: 54 Eaton Square, Belgravia, London, SW1W 9BE
06
The Adelphi
Location: The Adelphi Terrace, Charing Cross, London, WC2N 6BJ
Locating More Blue Plaques In London
There’s over 950 plaques across London to be found. To plan your own route around the corridors of history, download the official app: Blue Plaques of London.
Frequently Asked Questions
Blue Plaques are placed on buildings with a historical connection to significant figures. They display information about the historic person, people or entity and explain the connection to the plaque’s location. You can learn more about London’s Blue Plaques on the English Heritage website.
Absolutely. The boutique Bertrand’s Townhouse is based in Bloomsbury. There you can find Blue Plaques dedicated to Bertrand Russell and Lady Ottoline Morrell who we celebrate at the hotel. You can find out about the history here.
There is also a Blue Plaque dedicated to the Bloomsbury Group and to Charles Dickens. More Blue Plaques are easily accessed from Bertrand’s Townhouse via the Holborn and Russell Square Underground Stations. Both are within a minutes of the hotel.
Bertrand’s Townhouse is just a 10-minute walk from the West End. Take advantage of buses and London Underground routes to simplify the journey.
