Revealing the Charterhouse

The Charterhouse is one of London’s most evocative places. The complex owes its existence to the Black Death of 1348 and the buildings have been many things since then: a Carthusian monastery, a Tudor courtier’s house, a charity school and an almshouse – which it remains today. This history contains episodes of violent destruction alongside periods of secluded calm. It is a remarkable story.

This volume brings together a number of distinguished authors, all of whom have reason to know the Charterhouse well. Their expert insights reveal a place of historical, architectural and above all human fascination. Alongside the texts runs a photographic essay by Lawrence Watson – a day in the life of the Charterhouse. His compelling images capture the beauty and atmosphere of the Charterhouse today, a place where ordinary lives are lived in extraordinary surroundings.

The book is edited by Dr Cathy Ross, with essay contributions from: Dr Julian Luxford, Dr Stephen Porter, Dr Nigel Llewellyn, Catherine Smith, Eric Parry and Dr Todd Longstaffe-Gowan.

Author biographies

Cathy Ross is an Honorary Research Fellow at the Museum of London; Lawrence Watson is a world renowned photographer who is famous for his contributions to the New Musical Express; Nigel Llewellyn recently retired from Tate where he established and ran the Research Department, 2007–2015; Todd Longstaffe-Gowan is a landscape historian and gardens adviser to Historic Royal Palaces; Julian Luxford is reader in Art History at the University of St Andrews; Eric Parry established Eric Parry Architects in 1983 and was elected Royal Academician (RA) in 2006; Stephen Porter has published a definitive history of the charity The London Charterhouse (2012); Catherine Smith has been the Archivist at Charterhouse School since 2009.

Table of Contents

1. Foreword by Charlie Hobson
2. Introduction by Cathy Ross
3. A Day in the Life of the Charterhouse, 2016: 1 by Lawrence Watson
4. Carthusian Monasticism and the London Charterhouse by Julian Luxford
5. The Courtyard House by Stephen Porter
6. A Day in the Life of the Charterhouse, 2016: 2 by Lawrence Watson
7. The Founder’s Tomb by Nigel Llewellyn
8. Thomas Sutton’s Hospital by Stephen Porter
9. A Boy’s-eye View of the Charterhouse by Catherine Smith
10. A Day in the Life of the Charterhouse, 2016: 3 by Lawrence Watson
11. The Architecture by Eric Parry
12. The Attraction of the ‘ancient impenetrability’ of Charterhouse Square by Todd Longstaffe-Gowan
13. A Day in the Life of the Charterhouse, 2016: 4 by Lawrence Watson
14. Contributors
15. Bibliography
16. Governors of the Charterhouse, April 2016
17. Index