The blue plaque at Hughes Hall, unveiled to mark its 125th anniversary
The Cambridge blue plaque scheme was launched in 2001 to honour the most famous people or events associated with the city.
People and events commemorated with blue plaques have made a significant impact on life in the city, the country or the world.
Plaques are associated with a specific building or location within the city boundary.
Blue plaques — people
- John Addenbrooke — 1680–1719. Medical doctor, Fellow of St Catharine’s College and founder of the eponymous hospital
- Archie Scott Brown — 1927–1958. Racing driver
- Ann Docwra — c1624–1710. Quaker who donated the Friends&rsquo Meeting House in 1700
- Henry Fawcett — 1833–1884. Liberal MP and Postmaster General
- Sir Jack Hobbs — 1882-1963. Cricketer
- Thomas Hobson — 1544–1630. Carrier and stable keeper
- Charles Humfrey — 1772–1848. Architect, engineer, property developer and banker
- Eglantyne Jebb — 1876–1928. Founder of the Save the Children charity
- David Marshall — 1873–1942. University caterer, sportsman and early pioneer of motoring and flying. Founder of Marshall of Cambridge
- John Maynard Keynes — 1883–1946. Economist, philosopher, businessman, civil servant and diplomat
- John Mortlock — 1755–1816. Draper, banker, MP, recorder and thirteen times Mayor
- Dr Stephen Perse — 1548–1645. Physician, financier, philanthropist and founder of the Perse School
- Gwen Raverat — 1885–1957. Artist, illustrator, wood engraver and author
- John Stevens Henslow — 1796–1861. Professor, churchman, botanist and geologist, founder of the Cambridge Botanic Gardens
- Sir Charles Villiers Stanford — 1852–1924. Composer
- Sir Frank Whittle — 1907–1996. Pilot, engineer and inventor of the turbojet engine
- William Wilkins — 1778–1839. Architect
- Ludwig Wittgenstein — 1889–1951. Philosopher
Blue plaques — events
- Basque refugees
- Birthplace of the Reformation
- Cambridge Mayoralty — 800th anniversary
- The Discovery of DNA
- Hughes Hall — The oldest graduate college of the university, founded in Crofton Cottages in 1885
- New Hall — 50th anniversary
Nominations
To nominate a person or event to be commemorated, you will need to provide:
- the name of the person or details of the event
- the property or site on which the plaque should be placed, including the owner's name and address
- details of why you think the person or event is worthy of consideration based on the selection criteria above
To make a nomination, email the Historic Environment team at planning.conservation@cambridge.gov.uk or telephone 01223 457000.
Initial selection criteria
Persons to be commemorated should:
- have been dead for at least ten years
- have been born or educated in Cambridge, or lived here
- be eminent through their profession or calling
- have made a significant contribution to the life of the city and its residents
- merit recognition because of an outstanding or notorious act
Events to be commemorated should:
- have occurred at least ten years ago
- be instantly recognisable to the majority of the general public
- have significance in the history of the city or county as a whole
Committee
The plaques are erected by an independent committee, to whom nominations can be made. The committee selects appropriate people or events to be commemorated, according to the criteria below.
The committee has very limited funds, so proposers of new plaques should consider raising funds or sponsoring the cost themselves.
Cambridge City Council has a representative on the committee.
