London Charterhouse

London Charterhouse tickets: which one to buy

The Charterhouse stands on Charterhouse Square in the Clerkenwell and Smithfield area of the City of London, near the Barbican Centre and Smithfield Market, and it is a unique complex: a former Carthusian monastery, a Tudor mansion and, since the seventeenth century, an almshouse where elderly people, known as Brothers, still live. Entry to the museum and the chapel is free, while guided tours, some led by the Brothers themselves, are ticketed and must be booked in advance;

they are the best way to see the Great Hall, the Great Chamber and the gardens. The Charterhouse is a short walk from Barbican and Farringdon stations. Walking tours of the Smithfield area combine the Charterhouse with Saint Bartholomew the Great, one of London's oldest churches, and Smithfield Market. The site is peaceful, a hidden oasis in the busy City. Tours led by the Brothers are the most popular and should be booked well in advance.

Visiting London Charterhouse: what to see

The site was a burial ground for victims of the Black Death in 1348, and a Carthusian monastery was founded here in 1371. In 1535, the monks refused to accept Henry VIII as head of the Church, and many were executed, becoming the Carthusian Martyrs. After the dissolution of the monastery, the buildings were turned into a grand Tudor mansion, where Queen Elizabeth I and King James I stayed. In 1611, Thomas Sutton, the richest commoner in England, bought the Charterhouse and founded a school, which later moved to Surrey, and an almshouse for elderly men, which still operates. The museum tells the story of the site through objects found in excavations, including skeletons from the plague pit. The chapel holds Thomas Sutton's elaborate tomb.

The Great Hall has a Tudor screen and a hammerbeam roof, and the Great Chamber has a painted ceiling. The gardens and courtyards are carefully kept. The Great Chamber's plaster ceiling is decorated with gilded patterns, and its walls hold tapestries. The Norfolk Cloister was built by the Duke of Norfolk, who was executed for plotting to marry Mary, Queen of Scots. A cell door from the original monastery survives, with a hatch through which food was passed to the monks. The museum displays a skeleton of a plague victim found in the square. The Brothers' quarters are private, but the Brothers often lead tours and share stories of life in the almshouse. The chapel's organ and pulpit date from the seventeenth century.

London Charterhouse opening hours and the best time to go

The museum and chapel are open from Tuesday to Sunday, and guided tours run on several days a week. The area is busy on weekdays with office workers and quieter at weekends. Smithfield Market, London's historic meat market, operates early in the morning on weekdays. The Charterhouse's gardens are beautiful in spring and summer. Christmas brings services in the chapel. Allow about half an hour for the museum and chapel, or an hour and a half with a tour, and visit Saint Bartholomew the Great nearby. The Barbican Centre, a short walk away, holds concerts, theatre and a conservatory with tropical plants.