New Plaque honouring Andrew Marvell unveiled by Mayor of Camden
Andrew Marvell (1621-1678), the seventeenth-century poet, satirist, wit and Member of Parliament, spent most of his adult life in Highgate. His cottage, which was one of the buildings demolished to make Waterlow Park, was on Highgate Hill, just up from the entrance to Lauderdale House. After the cottage was demolished the London County Council put up a plaque on the wall of the Park in 1898 commemorating Andrew Marvell which is still there. Most people walk past the plaque without noticing it.
Just a little late for his 400th birthday five years before, on 8 October 2026 a new more colourful plaque donated by Highgate Society was unveiled by the Mayor of Camden. It sits beside the old one, commemorating a significant character in the history of Highgate and includes extracts from his poetry. Andrew Marvell tutored Oliver Cromwell’s godson during the Protectorate, and was a friend of General Henry Ireton, Cromwell’s right-hand man. Opposite the plaque are Cromwell House (now the Ghanaian High Commission) and Ireton House commemorating their connection with Highgate.
Here is a verse from Marvell’s poem Upon Appleton House, to my Lord Fairfax. We will publish different verses each month until the end of this year. When you next visit Lauderdale House take a look at the sundial on the lawn. It displays another poetic memorial to Marvell.
For the whole poem go to
https://www.luminarium.org/sevenlit/marvell/appleton.htm
‘When in the East the Morning Ray
Hangs out the colours of the Day,
The Bee through these known Allies hums,
Beating the Dian with its Drumms,
Then Flow’rs their drowsie Eylids raise,
Their Silken Ensigns each displayes,
And dries its Pan yet dank with Dew,
And fills its flask with Odours new.’
