The Charterhouse

The Charterhouse has recently opened its doors to the public and offers a small museum, visitors centre and cafe. You approach the impressive new gates via the newly opened garden square which, once given a chance to recover from recent excavations and landscaping, will be most lovely. The visitors centre, though very new and shiny, has been sympathetically designed and has a pleasant warmth in the lovely light wood panelling. The museum is small but fascinating and has a wealth of detail about the different stages of life of the monastery, family home, school and retirement home. You are also able to book a tour of parts of the rest of the building with one of the Brothers (current residents) which is a lovely experience, and one I would recommend. You can also visit Smithfield market, the site of the martyrdom of the Carthusian monks who were resident at the Charterhouse during the dissolution of the monasteries, and the Museum of London is also just a short walk away. Very interesting part of London.