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At Ben Truman’s House

September 18, 2024
by the gentle author

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Behold the shadows glimmering in this old house in Princelet St built in the seventeen-twenties for Benjamin Truman. A hundred years later, a huge factory was added on the back which more than doubled the size. In the twentieth century, this became the home of the extended Gernstein family who left the house in the eighties. Notable as Lionel Bart’s childhood home, who once returned to have his portrait taken by Lord Snowden on the doorstep, in recent years it has served as the location for innumerable film and photo shoots. More recently, it has become a venue for art exhibitions. Now, as if to complete the circle, the house has been acquired by the proprietors of the Old Truman Brewery.

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9 Responses leave one →
  1. Claire D permalink
    September 18, 2024

    Wonderful house, looks full of atmosphere. I hope and pray the new owners renovate it carefully and use it wisely.

  2. Martin lightfoot permalink
    September 18, 2024

    Superb!

  3. September 18, 2024

    It is a pity when these grand houses are left empty but, having seen proposals for the Truman Brewery, I fear for the house too. I hope that it doesn’t become a faceless office suite.
    I am delighted to see properties that are being painstakingly and sympathetically restored by craftspeople, documenting every step. This would make a grand home for somebody with a substantial budget. Better still, a museum for us all to enjoy …….but then, I always was a dreamer.

  4. Annie S permalink
    September 18, 2024

    A beautiful old house, I have been lucky to look around the whole of the house when there was an Art Exhibition there a couple of years ago.
    I knew it belonged to the Truman family but not that it had been the childhood home of Lionel Bart!

  5. Cherub permalink
    September 18, 2024

    I would like to see this restored to its former glory, it’s a lovely piece of history.

  6. September 18, 2024

    Isn’t it amazing to see how these old locations almost seem lifelike? I jumped in my seat to see the open treads of that vintage WORN staircase — so wobbly, uneven and yet enduring. One could easily imagine the thousands of endless foot falls, up and down. And I loved the ruined old chair, thoughtfully placed by the dim window — a collection of old book fragments nearby. How I would love to plop down there, balancing a nice hot cup of coffee, and just peruse the pages.

    This place seems to stand by, waiting for some good outcome. My fingers are crossed.

  7. Catherine Morris permalink
    September 18, 2024

    I went to a party here in the late 1980s when it had been bought. It was quite creepy and incredibly unsafe too but great party!

  8. Tones permalink
    September 18, 2024

    A very evocative house.

  9. Guillaume permalink
    September 18, 2024

    Oh, why cannot I live in such quiet resplendence?

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