An important piece of history has been restored and unveiled for visitors to enjoy once again at world famous London neighbourhood, Wembley Park. A commemorative plaque from the original opening of Olympic Way in 1948 to mark the Olympic Games has been restored and made available to visitors, by Quintain, who commissioned and funded the restoration.
On April 19th, 2023, a ceremony was held in Wembley Park for the unveiling of the newly restored plaque, led by Cllr Abdi Aden, the Mayor of Brent Council. The event was attended by local dignitaries and members of the local community. The plaque, which was in a severe state of disrepair, was restored with the support of the British Olympic Association, World Olympians Association, sports journalist and author Mike Collett, and the Wembley History Society. The restoration project was part of the redevelopment of Olympic Way, the iconic walkway also known to football fans across the world as "Wembley Way."
The land surrounding the plaque has been re-landscaped by Goddard and LDA Design, in a move to celebrate the significance of this newly restored piece of history. The original plaque was unveiled on 6th July 1948 by Alfred Barnes MP, then Minister of Transport, to mark the opening ceremony of Olympic Way preceding the 1948 Olympic Games, also known as the ‘Austerity Games’ because of the rationing and economic difficulties following World War II.
Athletes from a record 59 nations participated in 19 sporting disciplines, with events held at Wembley Stadium and Wembley Park’s Empire Pool – now OVO Arena Wembley. Originally located on Olympic Way, the plaque was later relocated in 1993 to a nearby scrubland area just above the Bobby Moore Bridge by Wembley Park tube station.
Over time, the plaque deteriorated due to wear and tear. Now, the 1948 commemorative plaque has been painstakingly restored by stone carver Louis Russell to its former glory. “I am pleased to have collaborated with the team at Wembley Park to restore the Olympic Way Plaque, which serves as a rare and valuable physical reminder of the 1948 Games. It is an important historical artefact that has been carefully restored for future generations to appreciate and enjoy.”
Mike Collett, Sports Journalist and Author Furthermore, Louis Russell created a new Portland Stone plaque, which was unveiled on Olympic Way, as part of the same unveiling ceremony on April 19th. The plaque is positioned on a plinth in front of the National Stadium, at a height suitable for younger children and individuals using wheelchairs. Its purpose is to signify and celebrate the conclusion of the Olympic Steps and Olympic Way renovation works in 2021.
A collaboration between Quintain and the London Borough of Brent, Olympic Way has undergone a major transformation over the last decade, culminating in the unveiling of the Olympic Steps in June 2021 in time for the delayed UEFA Euro 2020 tournament. The iconic walkway, inaugurated in 1924 as "Kingsway," was renamed "Olympic Way" in 1948 ahead of the Olympic Games held at Wembley. The transformation of Olympic Way has included new paving and illumination, a 50% widening of the walkway, and the addition of new restaurants and attractions such as BOXPARK Wembley.
An award-winning tree planting strategy was also implemented. Today, visitors to Olympic Way pass through 24 matched pairs of trees arranged in terms of their corresponding longitude in the world, with the best specimens from the northern hemisphere represented.
The new Olympic Steps replaced the monolithic, 1970s steep concrete ramps known as the "Pedway" and are equipped with four new high-capacity lifts, each providing space for three wheelchair users and their carers. “Few areas of London – of the UK, for that matter – have such a deep-seated sporting history as Wembley Park. We are thrilled to be able to unveil both the restored 1948 commemorative plaque and the new plaque, beautifully bookending Olympic Way.” Julian Tollast, Head of Masterplanning and Design, Wembley Park