Charlton House
| Charlton House | |
|---|---|
London Borough of Greenwich | |
Listed Building – Grade I | |
| Official name | Charlton House |
| Designated | 19 October 1951 |
| Reference no. | 1218593 |
Listed Building – Grade I | |
| Official name | Garden House to NW of Charlton House |
| Designated | 10 October 1951 |
| Reference no. | 1291892 |
  Location of Charlton House in Royal Borough of Greenwich | |
Charlton House is a Jacobean building in Charlton, within the Royal Borough of Greenwich in south-east London. Originally it was a residence for a nobleman associated with the Stuart royal family. It later served as a wartime hospital, then a museum and library, and is now run by Royal Greenwich Heritage Trust.
History
The house was built in 1607–12 of red brick with stone dressing, and has an "H"-plan layout. The interior features contemporary staircases, panelled rooms, ornamental ceilings and chimney pieces.[1]
It was built by the crown to house
The diarist
The garden house, or orangery, which has been converted into a public toilet, is optimistically attributed to Inigo Jones,[4][5] who is not otherwise connected with the house. It is a Grade I listed building.[6] Behind the orangery is a mulberry tree said to be the oldest of its species (Morus nigra) in the country, and has been afforded Great Tree of London status. It is thought to have been planted in 1608[7] at the order of James I.[4] Giacomo Castelvetro, an Italian writer stayed at Charlton and in 1613 wrote a treatise on fruit and vegetables.[8]
Adam Newton died in 1629 and his executors Peter Newton and the Scottish architect
In 1658 the estate was purchased by Sir
During World War I, Charlton House was the divisional headquarters of the Red Cross for Greenwich and Woolwich. At the end of the war London's hospitals couldn't cope with the numbers of wounded, so Sir Spencer and Lady Maryon-Wilson made the entire house available to the Red Cross to serve as an auxiliary hospital; it operated from 14 October 1918 to 30 April 1919, with around 70 beds.[13]
In 1925 Sir Spencer sold the house and grounds to the
The walled gardens and some of the perennial borders were redesigned and re-planted by the landscape designer Andrew Fisher Tomlin in 2003–2004 for the then London, now Royal Borough of Greenwich with perennial meadow planting to the main walled kitchen garden retaining three ancient Prunus app. trees. One of the spaces includes an Amnesty International Peace Garden with planting also designed by Fisher Tomlin.[14] The house is looked after by Royal Greenwich Heritage Trust.[14] The principal rooms are open to the public most days, when not hired for private use. A varied programme of events and activities is also offered.
Film location
In 1996 the house was the main location for the feature film Monarch, released in 2000, produced and directed by local film maker John Walsh.[15]
References
- ^ Historic England. "Charlton House (1218593)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 17 November 2018.
- ^
This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: "Newton, Adam". Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co. 1885–1900.
- ^ Colvin, Howard A Biographical Dictionary of British Architects, 1600–1840. 3rd ed., 1995. N.B. Colvin does not mention Charlton House in connection with Jones or Thorpe.
- ^ a b c d e Palmer, Alan. "Charlton House". Greenwich Guide. Archived from the original on 8 August 2009. Retrieved 21 August 2018.
- ^ Not by Colvin, however, who does not list it among "doubtful" attributions.
- ^ Historic England. "Garden House to the NW of Charlton House (Grade I) (1291892)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 17 July 2022.
- ^ The Charlton House Mulberry, Trees for Cities (Archived page). Accessed: 21 August 2018.
- ^ Joan Thirsk,Food in Early Modern England (London, 2007), pp. 67–68.
- ^ John Burke, A genealogical and heraldic history of the extinct and dormant baronetcies of England (London, 1838), p. 385
- ^ Henry Vane, 'Historical Memoir on Charlton', Gentleman's Magazine (May 1865), pp. 576, 580.
- ^ John Gough Nichols, Autobiography of the Lady Halkett (London, 1875), pp. xx, 102–103.
- ^ "Charlton House Timeline". Royal Greenwich Heritage Trust. Archived from the original on 21 December 2021. Retrieved 25 August 2020.
- ^ "Charlton Manor House". Royal Greenwich Heritage Trust. Archived from the original on 21 December 2021. Retrieved 21 August 2018.
- ^ a b c "Charlton Manor House: Gardens". Royal Greenwich Heritage Trust. Archived from the original on 21 December 2021. Retrieved 17 November 2018.
- ^ Palmer, Jim (29 August 2014). "Critically acclaimed movie Monarch shot in Charlton by Greenwich-based John Walsh set for high definition re-release". News Shopper. Retrieved 21 August 2018.
