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One of the joys of exploring London is turning a corner and finding a unique piece of history. One such finds is the Charterhouse which had a varied early history. The site was the location of the cemetery for those who had died in the Black Death of 1348-9, then developed as a Carthusian priory, before becoming a grand family home after the Henry VIII's Dissolution of the Monasteries - it is this rebuilding of 1545 that is the core of what we see today. The property was acquired in 1611 by Thomas Sutton from the Earl of Suffolk and Sutton established a hospital and a school here and, on his death, he established an endowment which which was hotly contested by his family, but upheld in the courts. The School, Charterhouse, moved out to Godalming in Surrey in 1872 and the property has had varied uses, but the almshouses remain to this day. There is a model of Charterhouse as you enter the garden. While Charterhouse is still in use today, you can enjoy the garden, the excellent museum and the historic chapel for free and there are guided tours of the main historic buildings and of the gardens. The memorial to Thomas Sutton in the chapel is particularly fine and you will spot carved greyhounds all over the place - taken from his coat of arms. Definitely worth visiting, and the volunteers and exceptionally knowledgeable and friendly.…
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Date of experience: March 2020
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mhooperconsults wrote a review Mar 2020
Royal Tunbridge Wells, United Kingdom37 contributions9 helpful votes
Beautiful place, lovely square in which it is located. (As an incidental bit of tat, for Poirot lovers (I mean the TV series with David Suchet), his "Flat" features in Charterhouse Square.) £20. Tour is normally led by a "Brother", who is NOT a monk, just someone who lives there now. It's basically an almshouse and a care home, and nothing to do with Charterhouse School since 1872. Fox and Anchor (2 mins away) is a pretty good "English Pub" to visit for lunch afterwards.…
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Date of experience: March 2020
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Absolute gem of a building, fantastic history & just a brilliant place. In amongst all the hustle & bustle of the city of London a little bit of tranquility. Book the tour for some London history of the last 600 + years.
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Date of experience: March 2020
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I had a family interst in seeing this as it was founded by one of my ancestors but that aside, it's well worth a visit and don't forget to see the chapel.
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Date of experience: December 2019
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Just casually walked in prior to the 12 pm tour, and this hidden gem doesn’t get the most tourists it would seem. But its truly a historic experience, I did the tour it was just me and the guide, and it was intriguing to learn the history of the building especially its ties to the royalty, and its function today. 5/5 would recommend. …
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Date of experience: February 2020
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