Plaque honours Triumph Bonneville designer

A blue plaque has been unveiled in Southwark dedicated to the designer of the most iconic British motorcycle ever – the Triumph Bonneville.

Edward Turner first started designing and building motorbikes in workshops in Peckham in the 1920s. Now, as part of the Southwark blue plaques scheme, run by Southwark Council, his contribution to the world of motorcycle design has been officially recognised.   

The plaque was unveiled by Turner’s son, on Sunday October 25 at 8 Philip Walk in Peckham, where he lived in the early 1920s.

Cllr Nick Stanton, leader of Southwark Council, said: “I hope this plaque will remind people for years to come that the man responsible for a truly iconic motorbike lived and worked in this borough.”

Stephen Humphrey, Southwark Council archivist, said: “Edward Turner was a Southwark boy through and through, and it was here in Peckham where he first started and then developed his career in motorbike design, a career that was to make a name for him across the globe. 

“It was at his own firm, Chepstow Motors, based on Peckham Road, where he built his first motorcycle, and later he went on to design such classics as the Ariel Square Four, the Triumph Speed Twin, and the Triumph Bonneville.”