27 June 2025
Residents at a later living development in Plymouth recently got to witness their building taking its place in local history, with the unveiling of a blue plaque honouring the life of Victorian art scholar and first Director of the National Gallery, Sir Charles Eastlake.
Sir Charles Eastlake was born in Plymouth in 1793, and resided at Hillside, now known as later living development, Hillside Court. Knighted by Queen Victoria, Sir Charles was a distinguished painter and writer, who also served as the seventh President of the Royal Academy and Secretary of the Fine Arts Commission, in addition to his decade-long stint as the first Director of the National Gallery.
The Eastlake family also contributed significantly to Plymouth’s cultural life. In the early 19th century, his father George helped establish the Proprietary Library, one of Plymouth’s oldest historic institutions.
The current Director, Sir Gabriele Finaldi, visited Hillside Court to attend the unveiling, along with residents at Hillside Court, who were in attendance to get a glimpse of the new addition to their building, which reads that Sir Charles Eastlake “lived at Hillside, Plympton and attended Plympton Grammar School,”
Cindy Glendenning, Development Manager at FirstPort, which manages Hillside Court, commented:
The residents and I were excited to witness the unveiling of the plaque at Hillside Court, in honour of Sir Charles Eastlake. We’ve really enjoyed learning about his life and work, as well as the contribution of the Eastlake family to the local area. We are extremely proud that the building is now officially a part of local history!
The installation is a collaboration by The Box, a local museum, art gallery and archive, led by Plymouth City Council and The National Gallery. The project, The Triumph of Art, is a nationwide project by artist Jeremy Deller, commissioned by the National Gallery, London, to mark NG200, its Bicentenary celebrations, by bringing nationally significant stories back to their roots.
