Cheltenham Civic Society

Promoting good design in a historic environment

Commemorative Plaques of Cheltenham

by Peter Smith and Sue Rowbotham

The definitive guide to the plaques on buildings around Cheltenham that celebrate people, places and events

Buy this book at the special price of £6.00 plus £1.75 for postage and packing to UK addresses

One copy £7.75 Two copies £15.50 Three copies £23.25 Four copies £31.00 Five copies £38.75

or send a cheque payable to Cheltenham Civic Society to
Plaques Book, Parmooor House, 13 Lypiatt Terrace, Lypiatt Road, Cheltenham GL50 2SX

About the book

Commemorative Plaques of Cheltenham tells the stories behind the plaques affixed by the Cheltenham Civic Society since 1982, and a number of other earlier plaques celebrating notable people associated with the town. Authors Sue Rowbotham and the late Peter Smith throw light on the broader history of the town through the plaques; from George III’s historic visit in 1788, which changed Cheltenham from a small, isolated market town into a fashionable spa resort, to the present day. Eight carefully-drawn maps by Brian White detail the individual areas of Cheltenham where groups of plaques can be found, encouraging the reader to learn more about the person or event in the specific context of the plaque’s location.

The authors hope that both residents and visitors to Cheltenham will find something to capture their interest and imagination in this book, and will see the town in a fresh light, through the plaques and the stories that they tell.

About the authors

Peter Smith (1917-2007) moved to Cheltenham in 1962 with his wife Judy, and was often to be seen about the town, instantly recognisable by his shock of thick white hair and his purposeful stride. Peter and Judy played an active part in the activities of many local groups, including Cheltenham Local History Society.

Peter is, perhaps, best remembered as Plaque Officer for Cheltenham Civic Society, coordinating the Society’s commemorative plaques scheme from 1995-2005. In 2001 he was given the Alderman Charles Foster MBE award in well-deserved recognition for his voluntary work in Gloucestershire and, in particular, for his untiring efforts for the Cheltenham Civic Society. Sadly Peter died in 2007, at the age of 91, and so did not see the publication of this book.

Sue Rowbotham moved to Cheltenham at the age of two weeks. and has lived in the town since that time. She was bitten by the local history bug in 1998, and has researched and written about the town’s past in a wide variety of ways ever since. She collaborated with the University of Gloucestershire to design a CD-ROM on Cheltenham’s history for use in schools, based around the national curriculum, and contributed research to the project that led to the performance of Our Town Story: Cheltenham at the Millennium Dome in 1999.

Sue published Cheltenham: A History, co-authored by Jill Waller, in 2004, which covered the history of the town from prehistory to the present day. She was editor of the Cheltenham Local History Society Journal from 2002-8,.

© Cheltenham Civic Society 2009