Do you know how to find the house of Karl Marx? Where did Darwin live, or Emmeline Pankhurst? Did you know that Mozart and Canaletto both called London home for a while?
A new, free app from English Heritage uses the blue plaque scheme to tell the story of London. It sets out walks around town that pass by many famous names.
The first, 'Soho's Creatives and Visionaries' takes a meandering route from Oxford Circus to Tottenham Court Road, taking in plaques to the likes of John Logie Baird, who first demonstrated television in Greek Street, and Ordnance Survey founder William Roy.
You can also use the app to craft your own guided walks, based on either the part of town you're in, or by subject category.
It's 150 years since the first blue plaque was awarded. The new app will be joined by an official guidebook to the scheme, due for publication in the autumn.
English Heritage will also erect new plaques this year, including Freddie Mercury, Ava Gardner and Bobby Moore. Plaques to prima ballerina Margot Fonteyn and the choreographer Frederick Ashton are unveiled today (7 June).
The Blue Plaque app is available for free for Android and Apple devices.
See also
- What is London's oldest blue plaque?
- London needs more blue plaques for women
- London's unusual blue plaques
