The House from a 1910 postcard
Earlier Houses: An earlier house was replaced by the current mansion circa 1515 by Sir William Compton.
Built / Designed For: Sir William Compton
House & Family History: In 1514 an earlier Bruce Castle was granted to Sir William Compton; Compton replaced the old house with an E-shaped mansion. In 1684 this house was enlarged by Lord Coleraine, and altered again in the 18th century by the Townsend family. In 1827 Sir Rowland Hill, inventor of the adhesive stamp and the man behind the penny post, purchased Bruce and turned it into a progressive school. The municipal borough purchased the Castle in 1891. Today Bruce Castle is a municipal museum containing, among other collections, the largest collection in the UK (outside the Post Office) of items of postal history.
Title: Art and Architecture of London: An Illustrated Guide, The
Author: Saunders, Ann
Year Published: 1984
Publisher: Oxford: Phaidon Press Limited
ISBN: 0714823201
Book Type: Hardback
House Listed: Grade I
Park Listed: Not Listed
Past Seat / Home of: Sir William Compton, 16th century. Henry Hare, 2nd Baron Coleraine, 17th century. Townsend family, 18th century.
Current Ownership Type: Government
Primary Current Ownership Use: Museum
Ownership Details: Owned by the London Borough of Haringey and operated as Bruce Castle Museum.
House Open to Public: Yes
Phone: 01818-088-772
Email: [email protected]
Website: http://www.haringey.gov.uk/bruce-castle-museum
Historic Houses Member: No