Join us for a tour of one of London’s most fascinating historical sites, the ancient Charterhouse and its gardens which lie not far from the Barbican. Originally a Carthusian monastery, which flourished throughout the later medieval and early Tudor period, it became an almshouse in 1611 and has remained such to this day. The history of the Charterhouse is immense. Elizabeth I met the Privy Council here in the days before her coronation in 1558 and James I used the Great Chamber to create 130 new Barons before he was crowned. Wellington, Gladstone and Cromwell have all been Governors. The Charterhouse was so well known, it appears in the writings of Daniel Defoe, Charles Dickens and William Makepeace Thackeray. Indeed, both Thackeray, and John Wesley attended school here.
We will be guided through the evocative remnants of the medieval monastery, the courtyards of the opulent Tudor mansion and the beautiful gardens which are described as “an oasis of calm and beauty.” There is also a lovely chapel and museum which can be visited before the tour. The Charterhouse is a registered charity and the proceeds of ticket sales support the almshouse.
This will be a fairly long tour with nearly an hour spent in the garden and even longer in the house.
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