The Charterhouse - Free Audio Guide

The Charterhouse in Smithfield, London, is a historic complex originating as a Carthusian monastery founded in 1371 by Sir Walter de Manny. Over centuries it evolved into a Tudor mansion and, after acquisition by Thomas Sutton in the early 17th century, became Sutton’s Hospital—an almshouse and the original home of Charterhouse School. The site retains monastic and post‑medieval fabric: a chapel, cloisters, the Great Chamber, gardens and burial ground, alongside museum displays interpreting religious life, Reformation‑era events including the Carthusian martyrs, and the institution’s educational legacy. Architecturally and culturally significant, the Charterhouse reflects layers of London history and civic charity and is protected as a listed historic building. Parts of the complex are open to visitors through exhibitions and structured visits; access arrangements and any admission charges vary, and the historic fabric means full step‑free access is limited in places.