Person    | Female  Born 3/12/1838  Died 13/8/1912

Octavia Hill

Housing reformer and co-founder of The National Trust. Born at Wisbech, Cambridgeshire, her father's eighth daughter (yes, really). She believed that social housing should be small houses (rather than large blocks of flats) and in towns rather than in the suburbs. Working with John Ruskin she created 15 housing schemes in London to provide accommodation to 3,000 people.

Supporting the idea that Hill should appear on British bank notes, Pam Alexander wrote in a letter to the Guardian, July 2013: "{her} work benefited men, women and children and continues today. Octavia pioneered social housing and encouraged all her tenants to develop their skills in order to live fulfilled lives, however low their income. She cofounded the National Trust and coined the term green belt. Her Kyrle Society, supported by William Morris, was the forerunner of the Civic Trust and instrumental in the creation of Vauxhall Park; her training of housing managers led directly to the Charted Institute of Housing; and she made key contributions to modern social work and occupational therapy. Her focus on " a hand up rather than a handout" was controversial but is still an appropriate debate today."

Caroline's Miscellany has a good post about this "do-gooder". 2012: a memorial stone in Westminster Abbey to be dedicated on 22 October.

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This section lists the memorials where the subject on this page is commemorated:
Octavia Hill

Commemorated ati

Morley mosaics - KEW - Octavia Hill

Octavia Hill, born 1838. The founder of modern social work through her tirele...

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Octavia Hill - Finchley

Hill's family were living in Brownswell Cottages in 1851. These were on Finc...

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Octavia Hill Housing Trust

It would be nice to know who did the giving but we can't find out.

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Octavia Hill - moved

The plaque is located on the first floor of the building and is not on view t...

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Octavia Hill - NW1

Octavia Hill, a pioneer in housing reform built these cottages "for the peopl...

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This section lists the memorials created by the subject on this page:
Octavia Hill

Creations i

Red Cross Garden 2

The roundel was created by a glass-making firm, James Powell and Son, after a...

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Other Subjects

Philip Pusey

Philip Pusey

One of the Commissioners for the Great Exhibition, 1851.Agriculturist. Born Pusey, Berkshire. Died Christ Church, Oxford.

Person, Gardens / Agriculture

1 memorial
Daniel Solander

Daniel Solander

Swedish botanist. Came to London in June 1760 to promote Carl Linnaeus’ taxonomy and used it to catalogue the natural history collections at the British Museum. Travelled with Joseph Banks on Capta...

Person, Gardens / Agriculture, Science, Sweden

1 memorial
River Fleet

River Fleet

Dead End Street has a useful map showing the route of the old Fleet River and its tributaries, long ago buried in storm drains / large sewer pipes. The river used to flood, even into the 1930s. It...

Place, Gardens / Agriculture

5 memorials
Well Hall Pleasaunce

Well Hall Pleasaunce

Wellehawe as an area in Eltham was first recorded in 1401. It still contains a Tudor barn built by William Roper, the son-in-law of Sir Thomas More. Another main feature, used to be Well Hall (pict...

Place, Gardens / Agriculture

2 memorials

Previously viewed

6 Burlington Gardens - Goethe

6 Burlington Gardens - Goethe

W1, Burlington Gardens, 6

There are 22 statues on the façade of this building. Each is labelled with his (always 'his') surname. There are 12 at the top up against...

1 subject commemorated, 1 creator
Margaret Nakajima

Margaret Nakajima

E1, Elder Gardens

We don't know when the tree was planted but presume it was a sapling at the time. We photographed it in 2013 so anyone who knows their tr...

1 subject commemorated
Olive Schreiner

Olive Schreiner

Author, campaigner against war, against racism and for womans' vote.  Best remembered for her 1883 novel, 'The Story of an African Farm'.  Born in South Africa.  Named Olive Emilie Albertina Schrei...

Person, Gender Issues, Literature, Peace, Race Issues, South Africa

1 memorial
Bernard Cyril Freyberg, VC

Bernard Cyril Freyberg, VC

Soldier and administrator. Born Bernard Cyril Freyberg in Richmond, Surrey. He spent his early life in New Zealand, and at the outbreak of WWI enlisted in Britain and fought in Gallipoli and France...

Person, Armed Forces, Politics & Administration, France, New Zealand, Turkey

War served, WW1
3 memorials