Fascinating reason why abandoned house has become popular UK tourist attraction

03 December 2023 , 15:29

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This 15-room home in London has become a big hit on Instagram (Image: Getty Images/iStockphoto)

An abandoned house which looks ordinary on the outside has become an unlikely tourist attraction in the UK due to its magnificent history and TV stint.

The 15-room Georgian home, located at 4 Street, in London's Spitalfields, is said to be one of the most photographed homes in the capital. Visitors are said to be drawn in by its faded red door and sweet details such as window shutters with star shapes cut into them.

Although it may look like an ordinary home, it has become more known since it appeared as a safe house in the BBC drama Luther. However, the derelict home has also been seen in Ralph Fiennes-directed film, The Invisible Woman in 2013.

But before it was used as a film set, the historic building was owned by a brewery boss named Sir Benjamin Truman around 300 years ago. Since then, the home has been occupied by silk weavers, tailors, Polish bootmakers and Bangladeshi migrants who helped set up London's iconic curry houses on Brick Lane.

The structure is old and worn out (Alamy Stock Photo)

According to Mail Online, the property also was at the centre of a trial at the Old Bailey after an aggressive family row reportedly took place inside. The publication alleged that a violent family argument took place at the property during the 1850s.

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They allege "a labourer and his wife were both injured in the row, which resulted in a trial at the Old Bailey". But the house was purchased for more than a whopping £4million by the Truman Brewery in 2016 - the business left over by Sir Benjamin. Despite the name, the company hire out spaces for events including at 4 Princelet Street.

The bathroom inside the stunning property (Alamy Stock Photo)

A photo of the property was uploaded by an Instagram account called londonafterlockdown_ which left users stunned by the property. One person said: "Feels like you’ve stepped back in time." Someone else commented on a different photo posted by catch.photos. "Looks like an album cover," they said.

Members of the public recently had the chance to step into the property after an international art gallery Gagosian used the home to put on an exhibit of work by Bulgarian artist Christo. It ran until the end of October. Kay Pallister, of Gagosian, said: "Gagosian shows artists in some of the most beautiful contemporary architectural spaces in the world but for this new series of projects, Gagosian Open, we searched for locations where we don't usually exhibit.

Monica Charsley