The childhood home of David Bowie at 4 Plaistow Grove in Bromley, where he lived from age eight to 20 and wrote early songs, will open to the public in late 2027 after being acquired by the Heritage of London Trust. The semi-detached house will be restored to its original early 1960s appearance, offering fans a glimpse into the domestic life that shaped the music icon.
The house where Bowie became Bowie
Bowie, born David Robert Jones in Brixton in 1947, moved to the three-bedroom house with his parents John and Peggy in 1955. He lived there until 1967, writing formative songs in a 9ft x 10ft bedroom he described as his 'entire world'. The room, where he surrounded himself with books, music and a record player, inspired his breakthrough hit 'Space Oddity'.
Dr Nicola Stacey, director of the Heritage of London Trust, said: 'I have the keys to David Bowie's childhood home – it's extraordinary standing inside. There is something absolutely extraordinary about standing in the house. Even through a lot of it structurally hasn't changed a huge amount, there is something very powerful about opening his bedroom door, just standing there looking out of the window where he spent so much of his time.'
Restoration and workshops
The project is curated by Geoffrey Marsh, co-curator of the 'David Bowie Is' exhibition, and supported by Bowie's lifelong friend George Underwood. The house will feature creative and skills workshops for young people, continuing Bowie's legacy of 'free creative experimentation'. Dr Stacey added: 'We've been working with local schools looking at what aspects of David's life really inspire them and how we can tell them through the house.'
The restoration aims to recreate 1960s domestic life, including an outdoor lavatory and a tin bath. 'We're giving people the opportunity to see a house in Bromley exactly how it was in the 1960s. It wasn't a grand house by any stretch. There was a lavatory outside, the bath was a tin bath – all those things children now gasp with astonishment at when you tell them,' said Dr Stacey.
Bowie's south London roots
Bowie's south London connections run deep. He was born at 40 Stansfield Road in Brixton, later moved to Beckenham where he co-founded the Beckenham Arts Lab at the Three Tuns pub (now a Zizzi's restaurant). His iconic Aladdin Sane lightning bolt is etched into the pavement outside. He married his first wife Angie at Bromley Registry Office in March 1970 and worked on 'The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars' at Underhill Studios in Greenwich.
Dr Stacey said: 'It's a brilliant south London story. He's of such huge global significance and the idea of being able to bring people to south east London, and show them what this is where it all came from, is inspiring for everyone.'
Public response and timeline
The trust has received numerous messages from locals who remember Bowie. 'We've had an amazing amount of people contact us to say they knocked on his door when they were teenagers and got his autograph. People are so proud of living near the house and excited about what this will do for Bromley,' Dr Stacey said. The project is scheduled for completion in late 2027.
