Sutton House

Sutton House A National Trust property in Hackney, open to the public five days a week, wedding venue and an active community centre Originally known as 'Bryck Place', Sutton House was built in 1535 by Sir Ralph Sadleir, Principal Secretary of State to Henry VIII, and is the oldest residential building in Hackney.
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It is a rare example of a red brick building from the Tudor period. Sutton House became home to a succession of merchants, sea captains, Huguenot silk-weavers, Victorian schoolmistresses and Edwardian clergy. The frontage was modified in the Georgian period, but the core remains an essentially Tudor building. Oak panelled rooms, including a rare 'linen fold' room, Tudor windows and carved fireplaces survive intact, and an exhibition tells the history of the house and its former occupants. The house is the oldest surviving domestic building in Hackney. It is the second oldest in East London, Bromley Hall, a much modified house of the Tudor period, which survives next to the Blackwall Tunnel approach road, being slightly older; it is not open to the public. At the turn of the 18th century, Hackney was renowned for its many schools, and Sutton House contained a boys' school. The name is a mis-attribution to Thomas Sutton, founder of Charterhouse School, who was another notable Hackney resident, in the adjacent Tan House. This was demolished in 1806 to allow for the extension of Sutton Place, a terrace of 16 Georgian Houses (Grade II listed). Sutton House was bought by the National Trust in the 1930s with the proceeds of a bequest. During World War II it was used as a centre for Fire Wardens, who kept watch from the roof. From the 1960s its was rented by the ASTMS Union, led by its charismatic general secretary Clive Jenkins. When the union left in the early 1980s, the house fell into disrepair. In the mid-1980s the building was squatted and used as a music venue and social centre, known as the Blue House (a decorated wall from this time is preserved within the current museum). After the squatters were evicted the building's condition continued to decline. Renovations were completed in 1991. The building is now a museum, has a cafe, an art gallery and a book / gift shop. There is an active schools education programme at the house, together with other community programmes.

Operating as usual

As the Sutton House team wrap up for 2020, we wish you all a very merry Christmas. Pictured: the Squatters Room decorate...
18/12/2020

As the Sutton House team wrap up for 2020, we wish you all a very merry Christmas.

Pictured: the Squatters Room decorated in 80s festive fashion last Christmas. Image by Adrian Tauss.

Have you dusted off your board games during lockdown? We've created a board game for you to download and play, inspired...
01/05/2020

Have you dusted off your board games during lockdown?

We've created a board game for you to download and play, inspired by our Breaker's Yard garden which used to be the site of a working car Breakers Yard. Illustrated by the talented Josh Knowles, it can be downloaded here, as well as other free activities to try at home:

https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/sutton-house-and-breakers-yard/features/family-activities-to-try-at-home

You'll also find instructions on how to make your own board game at home - in case you've worked your way through your own collection already!

#GetCreativeAtHome #MuseumFromHome

Today’s #peekoftheweek is our very own Tudor Kitchen.In this snap, the Tudor kitchen looks calm and tranquil but you can...
28/04/2020

Today’s #peekoftheweek is our very own Tudor Kitchen.
In this snap, the Tudor kitchen looks calm and tranquil but you can read all about the reality of working in a Tudor kitchen over on our website now.

I don’t know about you, but right now it feels like we’re spending a lot of time in our kitchens. What chaos have you been cooking up? We’d love to see your lockdown bakes and creations. Take a snap and tag us!

#bakeoftheweek #ourhousetoyours #history #tudors #kitchen

https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/sutton-house-and-breakers-yard/features/tudor-kitchen-nightmares

Each week we are sharing a free family activity to do at home.This week we are inviting you to ‘Watch a Bird’. We’ve cre...
23/04/2020

Each week we are sharing a free family activity to do at home.

This week we are inviting you to ‘Watch a Bird’. We’ve creating a London wildlife spotting sheet for you to complete from your window, balcony, garden or while exercising... so you can still work on your #50things while you’re at home.

Get extra points for the more difficult creatures! Find out more and download the sheet here:

Https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/sutton-house-and-breakers-yard/features/bird-watching-from-home

Let us know how you get on!

#freefamilyfun #freefamilyactivities #birdwatch

Today’s #peekoftheweek is our very own home improvement project. 🏡 With the help of @cardifftheatricalservices and with ...
21/04/2020

Today’s #peekoftheweek is our very own home improvement project.

🏡 With the help of @cardifftheatricalservices and with support from visitors and members, in March we replaced our old Tudor-replica oilcloth with a brand new, hand painted one. Swipe for the before and after.

🔧 Have you recently improved a room or corner of your home? Maybe you’ve fixed something that kept falling to the bottom of your to-do list?

📸 Share a pic using #peekoftheweek and tag us so we can see it. Or comment below!

🖥 Visit our website to find out more about the Oilcloth https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/sutton-house-and-breakers-yard/features/the-new-oilcloth

#ourhousetoyourhouse #peekoftheweek #suttonhousent #conservation #collections

While we are closed, we want to bring our house to your house. Watch out for our first #peekoftheweek tomorrow. #ourhous...
20/04/2020

While we are closed, we want to bring our house to your house. Watch out for our first #peekoftheweek tomorrow. #ourhousetoyourhouse #nationaltrust #stayathome

Our house, garden, outdoor space, shop and café are now closed. Please see our website for the most up-to-date informati...
17/03/2020

Our house, garden, outdoor space, shop and café are now closed. Please see our website for the most up-to-date information on closures: https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/sutton-house-and-breakers-yard

We are continuing to plan an exciting programme of events for Summer and Autumn and are looking forward to reopening our doors and welcoming you in when the time is right.

Until then, take care. From all at Sutton House.

‘There is no place that is not haunted by many different spirits hidden there in silence… Haunted places are the only on...
19/02/2020
Emotions, History and Place 2020

‘There is no place that is not haunted by many different spirits hidden there in silence… Haunted places are the only ones people can live in.’ – Michel de Certeau, The Practice of Everyday Life: Walking the City (1984)

On 9th June we are delighted to be hosting part of The Emotions, History and Place conference 2020. The call for papers is now live, find out more here: https://emotionshistoryplace2020.wordpress.com/

The Emotions, History and Place conference 2020 invites a range of reflections on the relationship between emotions and place within a historical context.

Unfortunately Sutton House will be closed on Sunday 9th February due to high winds. We sincerely apologise for any incon...
07/02/2020

Unfortunately Sutton House will be closed on Sunday 9th February due to high winds. We sincerely apologise for any inconvenience caused. On Saturday (tomorrow) we are open from 12noon to 4.30pm - do come to visit us then!

Tomorrow Sutton House reopens for 2020! Come to visit us over the weekend to explore the house and gardens, browse the n...
31/01/2020

Tomorrow Sutton House reopens for 2020! Come to visit us over the weekend to explore the house and gardens, browse the new products in our shop, and sample the freshly baked goods in our cafe.

Open 12noon to 4.30pm on Saturday and Sunday, then for bookable guided tours on Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays. Browse dates and book tickets here: https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/sutton-house/whats-on

We've started decorating for our Deck the Halls exhibition which begins this weekend. Make sure you book your slot to me...
18/11/2019

We've started decorating for our Deck the Halls exhibition which begins this weekend. Make sure you book your slot to meet Father Christmas via the links here.

Later dates (selling fast!): https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/events/a8234fff-f720-423b-b12a-7f636423cc71/pages/details

Earlier dates: https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/events/42623fd6-b01e-4b84-b1ec-c577b2d6061a/pages/details

Bonus Monday 23rd slots: https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/events/ff5e9a97-2146-4675-bab9-9bb85b17614d/pages/details

Great news! Demand for our original run of dates to meet Father Christmas was so high we have added some additional date...
01/11/2019

Great news! Demand for our original run of dates to meet Father Christmas was so high we have added some additional dates, including Monday 23rd December!

Ticket includes a meeting with Father Christmas, a gift, and a magical experience through 500 years of Christmas traditions, plus festive arts and crafts with an artist.

Tickets available here for 23rd, 24th, 30th November and 1st December (just added!): https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/events/42623fd6-b01e-4b84-b1ec-c577b2d6061a/pages/details

Tickets available here for 7th, 8th, 14th, 15th, 21st and 22nd December: https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/events/a8234fff-f720-423b-b12a-7f636423cc71/pages/details

Tickets for Monday 23rd December here: https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/events/ff5e9a97-2146-4675-bab9-9bb85b17614d/pages/details

Please note our Father Christmas tickets sell very quickly so make sure you book yours now to avoid disappointment!

A beautiful photo taken by NT staff of Cherelle Sappleton's 'Semblance' exhibition, taking place at Sutton House. Come a...
02/08/2019

A beautiful photo taken by NT staff of Cherelle Sappleton's 'Semblance' exhibition, taking place at Sutton House. Come and explore the house's radical history, with photographs donated by women of colour in Hackney

Very Ripe Apricots - an exhibition of work by Elinor Stanley7-19th JuneBook yourself on a tour, or visit over the weeken...
14/05/2019

Very Ripe Apricots - an exhibition of work by Elinor Stanley
7-19th June

Book yourself on a tour, or visit over the weekend to view.

Elinor Stanley will install a range of her paintings in the Great and Little Chambers of the National Trust’s Sutton House. Responding to the many different periods and histories of the house, and to the layers of domestic and legendary Stanley’s paintings will inhabit the dark, polished rooms with their own glowing imagery in strange and filmic compositions.

The figurative focus shifts in Stanley’s work as a confused gaze might. Elements are emphasised or allowed to slip out of coherence, gestures accentuated or obscured. The paintings configure a weighted, biased gaze: a confused feeling of lurching or vertigo intended for the viewer to share. The works will be in direct dialogue with the paintings of Mary Beale hanging in the Great Chamber, a great feminist and artist of the 17th century, and the title comes from her Observations, the earliest instructional text on painting written by a woman.

Please join us on the evening of the 7th of June, 6-9pm at Sutton House, 2-4 Homerton High St, London E9 6JQ

Elinor Stanley is an artist working in London. Recent shows include; All in Green Went My Love Riding, Giardino del Zuccaro, Venice, The Annotated Reader, Cork Street Galleries, Wild View, Chisenhale Studios, Desire Lines, Light Eye Mind Gallery, Contemporary Exorcism, Whitstable Biennial and the Hal20 Scholarship at House for an Art Lover, Glasgow. She is an alumnus of Glasgow School of Art, Chisenhale Into the Wild and Open School East. She has been selected for the Royal Academy Schools 2019-2022

We are delighted that Queering the Art Classroom is returning this year, featuring works by school children from two Lon...
14/05/2019

We are delighted that Queering the Art Classroom is returning this year, featuring works by school children from two London schools. Check out our What's On page to book your place at the private view, the reading group and the workshop! https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/sutton-house/whats-on

25/02/2019

Just two days left to apply for this exciting role, leading our schools programme!

Our exhibition remembering when trade union leader Clive Jenkins and the Association of Scientific, Technical and Manage...
01/02/2019

Our exhibition remembering when trade union leader Clive Jenkins and the Association of Scientific, Technical and Managerial Staffs (ASTMS) had their offices at Sutton House (1953-1982) is now open for booking. We launched the exhibition by inviting former ASTMS staff members to view it, and were touched to hear the Right Honorable Lord Doug Hoyle (former president of ASTMS) and Roger Lyons (General Secretary of MSF union) share their memories with us.

The exhibition marks the beginning of a project to research and document this fascinating period in our history, and the exhibition runs until the 2nd June.

https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/sutton-house-and-breakers-yard/features/clive-jenkins-exhibition-at-sutton-house

Pictures by Adrian Tauss

Today we celebrated our volunteer Catherine and all of her hard work helping with our Recycled Teenagers community group...
30/11/2018

Today we celebrated our volunteer Catherine and all of her hard work helping with our Recycled Teenagers community group, here's to many more years! Here she is with our volunteer Manager Katy and our Community Learning Manager Sean 🍾

they don't make 'em like they used to! We're travelling back in time decorating the Tudor, Georgian, Victorian and 1980s...
20/11/2018

they don't make 'em like they used to! We're travelling back in time decorating the Tudor, Georgian, Victorian and 1980s rooms this week. We love these Victorian Christmas cards that we'll be displaying in our Victorian Study.

We begin our Deck The Halls Christmas exhibition this weekend, tickets to meet Father Christmas for the later dates in December are selling very quickly, you can beat the crowds by booking a slot for this Saturday or Sunday here: 🎅

https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/sutton-house-and-breakers-yard/features/deck-the-halls-at-sutton-house-this-christmas

We’re proud to share this stunning film by @Kayzarose and @CampbellX https://bit.ly/2Dr3IOH They asked a range of people...
17/11/2018
New film for Sutton House: ‘Inclusion’ a community collaboration

We’re proud to share this stunning film by @Kayzarose and @CampbellX https://bit.ly/2Dr3IOH They asked a range of people who volunteer at Sutton House to say how they felt before they came see us, and what they discovered when they arrived. We hope it will inspire you to get involved in our work in some way too.

New recruitment films for Sutton House: ‘Inclusion’ a community collaboration

1980s Christmas Fact time! During the 1980s, three Christmas Number 1s lasted for 5 weeks at the top of the charts; Band...
15/11/2018

1980s Christmas Fact time!

During the 1980s, three Christmas Number 1s lasted for 5 weeks at the top of the charts; Band Aid's 'Do they know it's christmas', The Flying Picket's 'Only you' and the Human League's Don't You Want Me Baby. 'There's No One Quite Like Grandma' by St Winifred's School Choir managed just two weeks :(

Tickets to meet Father Christmas at our #DeckTheHalls exhibition are selling quickly, especially those for the later dates- get in there early and avoid disappointment by booking here: https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/sutton-house-and-breakers-yard/features/deck-the-halls-at-sutton-house-this-christmas

Historic Christmas Fact of the Day!Turkeys were a luxury all the way up until the 1950s, when more homes had fridges. In...
10/11/2018

Historic Christmas Fact of the Day!

Turkeys were a luxury all the way up until the 1950s, when more homes had fridges. In Tudor times turkeys used to be walked in large flocks to London from Norfolk, Suffolk or Cambridgeshire, setting off as early as August to meet demands

If your appetite for more christmas history has been whet- make sure you book your tickets to our Deck the Halls Christmas experience here: https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/sutton-house-and-breakers-yard/features/deck-the-halls-at-sutton-house-this-christmas

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2 Homerton High Street
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E9 6JQ

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020 8986 2264

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Our Recycled Teenagers are joined by the Three Plonkers today for a singalong 🎶

Introducing Natalie - Queen of the Disco. Our Recycled Teenagers are certainly bringing our Great Chamber to life this afternoon!

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