All the blue plaques in Tenby and where to find them

In a place so rich with natural beauty and deeply-woven history, it is no surprise that Tenby has attracted some notable names down the years. Some have attained distinction for their connection or contribution to the area through the memento of a blue plaque from the Tenby Civic Society.

There are a number of plaques dotted around – some detailing foregone structures or showcasing dissolved industries, but there are also others that, like English Heritage does, honour individuals through a plaque, pinned onto buildings that made them all a fabric of Tenby. Here are all the blue plaques of those select few people and where to find them!

George Eliot, novelist

Mary Ann Evans, better known by her pen name George Eliot, is regarded as one of the most significant authors of the Victorian era, with her most famous work Middlemarch heralded as one of the greatest novels in the English language.

Evans was working as the assistant editor for The Westminster Review when she took a trip to Tenby in 1856 with her partner George Henry Lewes, who nurtured Evans’ long-held aspiration to write fiction. A year later, she published Scenes of Cleric Life, beginning an accomplished run that saw her complete eleven fictional works until her death in 1880.

Her blue plaque can be found at the bottom of St John’s Hill overlooking the scenic harbour and North Beach that could inspire even the most procrastinated of writers.

Charles Norris, author of ‘etchings of Tenby’ (house next door to Tudor Merchant House)

Charles Norris was an etcher and writer who produced the seminal ‘Etchings of Tenby’, which has proven to be a key resource in understanding the history and development of the town.

Published in 1812, ‘Etchings’ documented the landscape of Tenby at the time through detailed and evocative recreations of settings like Castle Hill and the town walls, as well as vistas from north cliff and Waterwynch – the latter of which is where he would have a house given to him as recognition for his work. He also depicted many ancient buildings which, in the years following, were destroyed.

Hailing from East Anglia, he became connected with Tenby after initially moving to Milford Haven. His blue plaque can be found on the back end of the red house on Bridge Street, next door to the Tudor Merchant’s House and the Plantagenet pub.  

Henry VII (houses at the top of St John’s Hill)

It is possible one of the most significant moments in British royal history took place in Tenby. Born in Pembroke Castle, – about a 20 minute drive from Tenby – Henry was exiled to France in 1471 as the House of Tudor succeeded the House of Lancaster as the main rival to the reigning House of York during the War of the Roses. 

That’s a lot of houses, which is also what you will find at Henry Tudor’s blue plaque. It is situated between two residences at the top of St John’s Hill, which leads down to the harbour and Castle Beach.

It is there where Henry was purportedly able to smuggle himself out of the country and across the channel to France, where he remained until 1485. He returned to Pembrokeshire to begin his rebellion against the House of York, starting in Milford Haven and ending at the Battle of Stoke Field, where Henry cemented his spot as King of England.

Sir William Paxton, MP for Carmarthen and Tenby seaside resort pioneer (on Tenby House)

Of all the names on the list, Sir William Paxton is perhaps the most influential in regards to Tenby. After spending over twenty years working in British-controlled India, where he was able to rack up a fortune selling his assets in South Asia, he moved to West Wales. First becoming an MP for Carmarthen before choosing to heavily invest in the struggling town of Tenby.

Time had long passed since Tenby had a status of national importance as a port town. A brief Royalist insurgency during the English Civil War and a plague outbreak decimated the town, but 152 years later, Paxton began buying up property and rejuvenating Tenby into a spa and seaside resort.

His plaque is on Tenby House – a building he built in 1821 on the same site as the old Globe Hotel.

John Wesley, cleric (on Tenby House too)

The same plaque that bears Paxton’s name also honours John Wesley, the preacher who was a pivotal figure in the Methodist revival of the 18th century.

A dedicated member of the Anglican church, Wesley sought to share the word of God by performing open-air preaching in unconventional locations, like fields and collieries, where he drew crowds of thousands of working-class people.

In 1763, he visited Tenby to preach and remarked on the conditions of the place, which gives an insight into what it was like before Paxton redeveloped it.

“Two-thirds of the old town is in ruins or has entirely vanished. Pigs roam among the abandoned houses, and Tenby presents a dismal spectacle.”

St John’s Church remains the only Methodist Church 

Alison Bielski, poet (Cobb Lane, between Equinox and bookshop)

Alison Beilski was a poet who lived in Tenby between 1967 and 1970, though her connection to the town would extend beyond these three years. She drew a lot of inspiration from folklore, myth and Welsh identity, penning works like The Story of the Welsh Dragon and Tales and Traditions of Old Tenby.

It is difficult to find her work online and she never received widespread notoriety during her lifetime, instead opting to continue with an experimental approach that included minimal punctuation, internal rhyming and uncharted subject matters. “I want my poems to sing. To surprise, but never instruct,” she said. During her time in Tenby and shortly after, she also worked with Literature Wales, helping to nurture writing based in Wales and in the Welsh language.

Her plaque stands tall on Romola House on Cob Lane, situated in between Equinox and Tenby Bookshop.

Admiral Lord Nelson + Sir William Hamilton & Lady Hamilton (above Nelson’s walk + St Julians Street)

Three years prior to his most significant and final battle at Trafalgar, Lord Horatio Nelson was on an escapade in Pembrokeshire with Sir William and Lady Emma Hamilton. 

Nelson had in fact given up his marriage with Frances Woolward to be with Emma, who was still married to William, who is generally accepted to be content with the affair, especially as Nelson’s blessing enabled him to expand the docks and naval shipyard plans he had for Milford Haven, which Hamilton founded.

The three of them stayed in Tenby at East Rock House on St Julian’s Street and took in a show at what is now Italian restaurant Il Caminetto, next to the eponymous Nelson’s Walk. In both places, there are two separate plaques commemorating their brief time together in Tenby.

Eric Bradforth, artist (house down a bit from the glassblower)

Another artist who was instrumental in shaping our understanding of Tenby, Eric Bradforth created vivid paintings depicting the town’s past and present, capturing much of the magic that drew him to this corner of the world.

Born in Sheffield, Bradforth initially moved to Pembrokeshire after securing a job in graphic arts at the Royal Artillery in Manorbier. He would later move back to Tenby after spending the remainder of his working life in England, displaying a lot of care and love for the area in his work as well as skilled versatility as an artist. For instance, Tenby in 1586 shows the town as a detailed and tightly-knit place within the original fortifications, while The Mayor’s Slip is a more colourful and hyperreal portrait that manages to capture the beauty of Tenby in altogether different senses.

A number of his pieces can be seen in Tenby Museum & Art Gallery on Castle Hill, with his plaque being on Trafalgar Road – down from glassblowing shop Gift of Glass – where he lived and worked.

Dylan Thomas (The Croft)

One of Wales’ most famous sons, Dylan Thomas visited Tenby in 1949 and 1953, making as indelible a mark as he did with most places. The latter of the two visits provided a seismic moment in the course of Welsh art as he read from the soon-to-be published Under Milk Wood, one of the few public performances of the ‘play for voices’. The Salad Bowl, where he performed, has since been demolished, but the blue plaque commemorating him is where the venue once stood – on The Croft overlooking the idyllic North Beach.

Furthermore, thanks to artist Lloyd the Graffiti, his image is emblazoned on the side of the Coach and Horses pub, the oldest in Tenby, along with the tale of him leaving the only manuscript of Under Milk Wood on a stool. Thankfully, he retained the copy, and it would be shared with the world in print and through radio in 1954.

Thomas’ latter years were tumultuous, gripped by alcoholism that led to multiple extramarital affairs and severely damaging his health, contributing to his death in New York City one month after his second trip to Tenby. But even as his conditions worsened, he was still able to conjure his gift for creating distinctive, lyrical and mesmerising drama.

Beatrix Potter (The Croft)

Another world-famous writer also has her name above the gorgeous views of North Beach. Beatrix Potter, famed author of children’s books featuring characters like Squirrel Nutkin, Tom Kitten and Jemima Puddle-Duck, stayed at what is now Croft House and used the surrounding scenery as an influence for her most famous story. The garden of the house would serve as an inspiration for Mr McGregor’s garden in The Tale of Peter Rabbit, with a watercolour illustration showing a cosy backyard that contains a pond, flower beds waiting to bloom and a cat sitting in the middle (perhaps waiting for a sparrow to flutter close by). 

During this time, she also wrote letters describing the herds of rabbits present on North Cliff nearby. It’s safe to say Tenby helped feed her imagination for her most successful book in a career that totalled an estimated £250 million in worldwide sales. Her blue plaque can be found on the newly renovated Croft House, a few doors down from Dylan Thomas’ own commemoration.

Blog by Brandon Williams | Photography by Lucy Crockford