A terraced house in Bromley is being transformed into an immersive 1960s experience, allowing visitors to walk through David Bowie’s childhood home – including the bedroom where he wrote Space Oddity.
David Robert Jones, later known as David Bowie, lived in the railway workers’ cottage at 4 Plaistow Grove when he was aged 8 to 20 (1955-1967).
The property was recently acquired by Heritage of London Trust and is set to be complete for public visits in late 2027.
With the help of donations, the Trust wants to restore the “two up, two down” cottage to its 1960s appearance with the help of Geoffrey Marsh, who is the co-curator of the V&A’s David Bowie Is exhibition.
The interior will be the same as it was when Bowie’s father commuted to work at charity Dr Barnardo’s and his mother worked as a waitress, using a “never seen before” archive of material.
His bedroom will be the centre of the immersive experience, with the 9ft x 10ft box room witnessing the start of his musical journey in the ‘60s.
The announcement of the acquisition came last Thursday, on what would have been Bowie’s 79th birthday. The next day 10 January, was the 10-year anniversary of his death.
Bowie’s lifelong friend, George Underwood, said: “We spent so much time together, listening to and playing music. I’ve heard a lot of people say David’s music saved them or changed their life.
“It’s amazing that he could do that and even more amazing that it all started here, from such small beginnings, in this house. We were dreamers, and look what he became.”
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The house is near the Edwardian ‘Bowie bandstand’ – where the young musician performed in 1969 and was restored by Bromley Council and Heritage of London Trust in 2024.
To help the restoration, City law firm Jones Day have awarded a £500,000 grant as part of the Jones Day Foundation, which is funded by attorneys and staff.
Dr Nicola Stacey, Director of Heritage of London Trust, said: “David Bowie was a proud Londoner. Even though his career took him all over the world, he always remembered where he came from and the community that supported him as he grew up.
“It’s wonderful to have this opportunity to tell his story and inspire a new generation of young people and it’s really important for the heritage of London to preserve this site.”
Heritage of London Trust are welcoming donations to help restoration efforts on their website.
