42 Kent Street in Portsea, Portsmouth, was built in 1784 by the Portsea Beneficial Society as a free school for boys. It was enlarged in 1836 to add a girls' school and listed Grade II* in 1953. From 2010 to 2025 it was the Groundlings Theatre. Portsea knows it as the Old Benny.
Who built 42 Kent Street?
The answer is carved in stone on the front of the building. High in the brick pediment a tablet reads: "This building was erected in 1784 by the Beneficial Society for their Free School for Boys established 1755 and enlarged 1836 for the purpose of adding a Girls School to the Institution."
The Portsea Beneficial Society was a friendly society, formed in 1755, that gave help in times of sickness and with funerals. It also ran a free school. The Victoria County History of Hampshire calls that school the oldest foundation among the elementary schools of Portsmouth.
What was Portsea like in 1784?
The town outside the dockyard gates was still called Portsmouth Common. It was renamed Portsea in 1792, eight years after the school was built. It was growing fast. By 1801 Portsea had about 25,000 people, while old Portsmouth had about 7,000.
What happened here, year by year?
- 1755
The Beneficial Society's free school for boys is established.
- 1784
The Society builds 42 Kent Street for the school.
- 1784
It is said that from the start the schoolroom was downstairs and the Society kept the upstairs hall for meetings, theatre and concerts.
- 1812
It is said that Elizabeth Dickens went into labour at a ball here on 6 February. Her son Charles was born the next day. Read the story of Dickens and the ball.
- 1821
Henry Ayers is born in Portsea. He is educated here, and Ayers Rock is later named after him.
- 1836
The building is enlarged to add a girls' school. The west side grows from 7 bays to 22.
- 1953
The building is listed Grade II* on 10 January.
- 1962
It is said that the school closed and the building became a youth training centre.
- 2010
After several years empty, the building opens as the Groundlings Theatre.
- 2021
The building appears on the television series Help! My House Is Haunted. Meet the ghosts of the Old Benny.
- 2025
The Groundlings Theatre moves to the Historic Dockyard in October.
- Next
The Beneficiary opens upstairs in the hall.
Who went to school here?
The best known pupil is Sir Henry Ayers. He was born in Portsea in 1821, the son of a dockyard worker, and was educated at the Beneficial Society's School. He emigrated to South Australia in 1840 and became its Premier. A blue plaque beside the front door remembers him.
Is the building listed?
Yes. It is listed Grade II*, the second highest grade, under Historic England list entry 1271859. The listing describes red brick in Flemish bond, a stucco ground floor, a Welsh slate roof and a large Venetian window that rises through two floors. That window lights the upstairs hall. Our guide explains how to read the front of the building.
Why is it called the Old Benny?
Benny is short for Beneficial. Generations of Portsea children went to the Benny, and the name stayed with the building after the school had gone.
What is it now?
The upstairs hall is becoming The Beneficiary, a venue for live music and entertainment. The name is our thanks to the Society that built the place. Join the list to hear when the doors open.
