English Heritage has unveiled a new blue plaque at 239 King’s Road in Chelsea, to honour and remember the site of the legendary Gateways Club. For over fifty years, it served as a vital LGBTQ+ meeting place in a time when same-sex relationships were forbidden, and legal protections were non-existent. Gateways Club offered a safe space for queer women to gather and eventually became the best known and longest-lived lesbian social venue, holding tenure for 54 years (between 1931 and 1985).

Commemorated on 2nd July 2025, the new blue plaque is a permanent sign of historical significance to the site, awarded by English Heritage in a London-wide scheme running for 150 years. Rebecca Preston, Historian at English Heritage, said: “The Gateways Club in Chelsea holds a profoundly significant place in British LGBTQ+ history and the site remains an important one in the wider history of the capital. For over five decades, it offered a precious safe space where lesbian women could be themselves, free from judgment, harassment, and the prying eyes of the law. This blue plaque commemorates a venue of great social significance.”

The entrance to the Gateways Club was formerly via an unassuming green door, today repainted in bright green. Behind it concealed a vibrant underground world, one that – while predominantly lesbian – attracted a diverse mix of patrons including artists, musicians and writers. A member recalled that, “Whether you were gay or black or Jewish or whatever, in those days, everybody mixed because you were all in a minority group.”

Over time, the Gateways Club evolved from an underground speakeasy to a celebrity haunt, attracting mainstream media attention and being visited by the likes of Joan Collins, Diana Dors and Dusty Springfield. It finally shut its doors on 23 September 1985, due to city competition and evolving social attitudes. Its legacy, however, prevails for the countless women who found solace behind its discreet green door, now immortalised within the Sloane Stanley Estate.

Images:

  • The new blue plaque revealed
  • Amy Lamé speaks at the unveiling ceremony on the 2nd July 2025
  • Original image from the Club sourced from Historic England