Plaque

John Betjeman - EC1

Inscription

Sir John Betjeman, 1906 - 1984, Poet Laureate, lived here.

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

Site: John Betjeman - EC1 (1 memorial)

EC1, Cloth Court, 43

Betjeman rented this two-room flat 1954 - 1973.  In 1951 he met Lady Elizabeth Cavendish and began a long, important affair with her.  His wife remained, ignorant, in the country while this house was what the tabloids would have called Betjeman’s love-nest. Elizabeth was with Betjeman when he died.

This house is now available to rent from the Landmark Trust. The large window to the left of the plaque is very interesting - it's not actually a window at all. It contains a painting of a window and the interior scene that one might see looking through that window. This painting is protected with a sheet of plastic which is slightly curved which makes viewing the painting extremely difficult. The bottom section of the painting shows a low wrought-iron window railing and some indoor plants. Further into the room there are some people, possibly at tea, but the reflections in the top section obscure most of it.

According to Medieval London the building across the alley, to the right of our picture, is claimed to be "the oldest house in London still standing".

Diamond Geezer has done a very good post on this building and Cloth Fair generally.

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

This section lists the subjects commemorated on the memorial on this page:
John Betjeman - EC1

Subjects commemorated i

Sir John Betjeman

Poet Laureate 1972 - 1984. Conservation campaigner. Credited with saving the ...

Read More

Nearby Memorials

William Blake - SE1

William Blake - SE1

SE1, Hercules Road

The shield with the red crosses is from the Coat of arms of the City of London and suggests that the Corporation was responsible for its ...

2 subjects commemorated, 1 creator
Teddington Studios - Kenny Everett

Teddington Studios - Kenny Everett

TW11, Broom Road, Teddington Studios

July 2015 The Mirror reported that 4 of these plaques (Benny Hill, Tommy Cooper, Sid James and Irene Handl) were stolen just prior to the...

1 subject commemorated, 1 creator
MacDonald House

MacDonald House

W1, Grosvenor Square, 1, MacDonald House

This tablet commemorates the naming of this building in 1961 after the first Prime Minister of Canada, the Rt. Hon. Sir John Alexander Ma...

2 subjects commemorated
Spitfire factory

Spitfire factory

NW8, Hatton Street

Erected in the 1920s this building has now been divided into a number of sections. In 1988 one section was re-designed by Sir Terry Farre...

2 subjects commemorated
Frank Matcham - Coliseum

Frank Matcham - Coliseum

WC2, St Martin's Lane, London Coliseum

We thank our colleague for spotting and snapping this on a recent visit to the ENO. It's located on the landing by the dress circle bar.

1 subject commemorated, 1 creator

Previously viewed

Major-General William Roy

Major-General William Roy

Military engineer, surveyor, antiquary. Born South Lanarkshire.  Founder of the Ordnance Survey. 1749-55, one of a team that produced "The Duke of Cumberland's Map", commissioned by  George II as ...

Person, Armed Forces, Engineering, History, Science, Scotland

2 memorials
Marmaduke Langdale

Marmaduke Langdale

Active in 1859. Via JudyGr we found "1794: Langdale Marmaduke & Thomas, Distillers, 26, Holborn", mentioned in Dickens' 'Barnaby Rudge'. A connection seems very likely. 2018: The British Museu...

Person, Benefactor, Commerce

1 memorial