The home that inspired Lady in the Van up for sale

The home which inspired the film the Lady in the Van has been put on the market for £3million.

British playright Alan Bennett, 83, is selling the famous property in Camden, north London, after living there for almost 40 years.

The house, 23 Gloucester Crescent, is known after Mr Bennett let a homeless woman named Miss Shepherd live on his driveway in different vans for 15 years.  

Mr Bennett wrote the book after she died in 1989 and it was subsequently adapted in a 2015 British comedy-drama starring Dame Maggie Smith and Alex Jennings.   

Alan Bennett

The house, 23 Gloucester Crescent, (left) is known after British playright Alan Bennett, 83, (right) let Miss Shepherd live outside for 15 years 

Dame Maggie Smith and Alex Jennings (pictured) both starred in the 2015 film, The Lady in the Van 

Dame Maggie Smith and Alex Jennings (pictured) both starred in the 2015 film, The Lady in the Van 

He bought the home in 1969 for just £13,500 and he has kept the home despite moving a few miles west to neighbouring Primrose Hill 10 years ago. 

Mr Bennett allowed the house to be used as the setting for the film. 

David Birkett is the estate agent who is selling the property for Mr Bennett and speculated Mr Bennett kept the property because of the film.

He told The Sunday Times: ‘I think he might have sold it years ago but the house was needed as the film set, so it was kept until that was made.’

Mr Bennett sent the newspaper some of his memories and moments he enjoyed inside the home. 

Mr Bennett wrote the book after she died in 1989 and it was adapted in a 2015 British comedy-drama (pictured)

Mr Bennett wrote the book after she died in 1989 and it was adapted in a 2015 British comedy-drama (pictured)

He wrote: ‘In 1968 I was renting a topfloor flat in Chalcot Square for £10 a week (which I thought was outrageous) when Rachel, [the theatre director] Jonathan Miller’s wife, rang to say a board had gone up opposite in Gloucester Crescent, which is how I moved to No 23.’

When he bought the property, the surrounding area was full of actors, writers, artists, journalists and advertising execs, according to Mr Bennett. 

His neighbours were writers Deborah Moggach and Alice Thomas Ellis, author Michael Frayn and biographer Claire Tomalin.

Read more at DailyMail.co.uk