Historic Buildings & Rooms

From its 1348 origins as a Black Death burial ground to a Carthusian monastery, Tudor mansion, and modern charitable foundation, the Charterhouse is a landmark of London’s evolving history. Discover a unique heritage site defined by faith, ambition, and community.

The Great Hall

The Great Hall remains the vibrant heart of the Charterhouse community, where residents have gathered for daily meals since 1614. While a devastating fire during the Blitz briefly interrupted its use, the Hall was restored after the Second World War, preserving its legacy as a site of continuous hospitality.

The grand stone chimney piece, dated 1614, commemorates the charity's founder, Thomas Sutton.

The intricately carved wooden screen, a 1571 commission by the 4th Duke of Norfolk, remains a centerpiece of the room.

Tudor screen in the Great Hall at the Charterhouse

The Great Chamber

Constructed in the 1540s, the Great Chamber is the Charterhouse’s magnificent main reception room. It is where both Elizabeth I and James I held court prior to their coronations, Elizabeth holding her first Privy Council here and signing letters “from the Royal Palace”. Take an online tour of this impressive space

With striking green silk walls and portraits of the Restoration Governors, the Great Chamber today recaptures the past splendour of a grand Tudor interior.

From the Duke of Norfolk’s 16th-century carvings to the painted royal arms of Charles I, the Chamber’s heraldry serves as a visual record of shifting power and royal allegiance.

The elaborate plasterwork ceiling, restored after the Blitz, and the decorative fireplace were commissioned by the 4th Duke of Norfolk around 1570.

Piano in the Great Chamber at The Charterhouse

Grand mullioned windows, including Edward Blore’s 1840 west window, feature leaded panes still etched with 19th-century schoolboy graffiti.

The Norfolk Cloister

Tracing its origins to the 1371 Carthusian monastery, the Norfolk Cloister is a rare survival of London’s medieval and Tudor past. This ‘garden gallery’ was later used by schoolboys to play cloister football.

Cell B is the sole surviving doorway of the original twenty-five Carthusian monks’ cells, set beneath the Duke of Norfolk’s 16th-century vaulted red brick ceiling.

Detail of stone decoration arounnd monastsic cell door

Wash-house Court

Wash-house Court contains the oldest complete building on the estate and has remained in continuous use since 1531. Originally a monastic service area, this atmospheric courtyard still serves the community today, providing both housing and a launderette for residents – beautifully bridging the gap between its medieval origins and modern life.

Decorative brickwork on the exterior wall featuring the letters ‘IH,’ thought to refer either to the prior at the time, John Houghton, or the Christogram ‘IHS’ for Jesus.

view of the external wall of Wash-House Court at the Charterhouse with symbols and lettering in the brickwork

Master’s Court

Master’s Court perfectly illustrates the Charterhouse’s evolution from a medieval monastery into a grand Tudor mansion. Sir Edward North repurposed the original buildings in 1545, using masonry of the monastery to construct his new private home.

Carved stone and windows from the original Carthusian church were integrated into the exterior of the Great Hall, leaving a striking physical record of the site’s transition from religious to secular power

Master's Court with a view of the front of the Tudor mansion

Courtyard Gardens

In addition to Charterhouse Square, there are a series of court gardens behind our walls. Chapel Court, the Norfolk Garden, Preacher’s Court and Master’s Garden are contemporary gardens manage by the Horticulture team. Discover the Charterhouse Gardens

The Duke of Norfolk added 'ANNO 1571’ to the exterior Norfolk Cloister wall to commemorate the completion of his ‘garden gallery’.

Exterior wall of the Norfolk Closter with the lettering ANNO viewed from the garden

The secluded, walled gardens provide a perfect place for our residents and visitors to enjoy in the summer.

A wooden bench against the tudor bick wall in the Norfolk Garden

The Chapel

The Chapel combines medieval foundations with Jacobean and 19th Century architecture. Originally the site of the monks’ chapterhouse, it bore witness to the Carthusians’ resistance against Henry VIII—a stand that led to Prior John Houghton and several monks and lay brothers being sentenced to death.

Discover the Charterhouse Chapel