The Secrets Of Sutton House: The Oldest House In Hackney

Not many people know that tucked just off a busy road in Hackney is one of the last surviving Tudor houses in London. 

Sutton House has lived many lives over the centuries, going from a grand Tudor abode, to a school, to a trade union office and even becoming a squat in the 1980s.

The building today has plenty of original Tudor features but, also, each of its eras and stories is written into the fabric of the building, making it a fascinating and atmospheric place to explore and soak up the history. 

Sutton House can be found here:

Cromwell’s Right-Hand Man

Sutton House was built in 1535 by Ralph Sadler (1507-1587). Fans of Hilary Mantel’s Wolf Hall will be familiar with him as the right-hand man of Thomas Cromwell, Henry VIII’s chief minister.

Ralph grew up in the small village of Hackney and was placed in the Cromwell household as a boy. He received a very good education, learning languages and skills he would later employ in his political career.

He proved himself to be a great asset and became Cromwell’s secretary. As Cromwell’s star rose, Sadler’s did also, eventually becoming Principal Secretary of the State to King Henry VIII.

Ralph managed to survive Cromwell’s downfall in 1540 and ended up working for four monarchs over a long and illustrious career. 

He died at the ripe old age of 79, and is said to have been the ‘richest commoner in England’. 

A Grand Tudor Abode

By 1535 he had built Sutton House, originally known as ‘the bryk place’ due to the fact it was the only building in the area built from brick, an expensive building material for the period.

The house would have originally sat mostly amongst fields and farmland, with large orchards and gardens. Hackney was a small prosperous village, a few miles outside of London, you can see a model below.

The building acquired its current name in 1953 after it was misattributed to Thomas Sutton, another fascinating character who I have written about before in my blog on the Charterhouse. Sutton actually lived next door in a building that is no longer there. 

Let’s now have a look around the house and at some of its later uses along the way. 

The Linenfold Chamber

The name for the Linenfold Chamber comes from its amazing wood panelling, carved to look like draped cloth. Wood panelling was very expensive and a symbol of wealth and status. In fact, people would have taken their panelling with them when they moved. 

This room on the ground floor was probably where Sadler conducted his business, so you can just imagine some of the conversations that possibly took place here.

The panels were actually stolen in the 1980s by thieves who entered the house pretending to be from the council, checking for asbestos. Thankfully a quick thinking antique dealer recognised the panels at a sale and they were restored to the house. 

The panels can also be opened on hinges to see the fabric of the building behind. There are lots of examples of this throughout the house, hatches can be lifted, panels opened, so that you get a great sense of the building’s layers.

The Courtyard

In the centre you will find this beautiful courtyard where you can admire the original Tudor window pictured above. It is also a good spot to look at some of the irregular Tudor brickwork on the outside of the building. 

The house was originally H-shaped and there would have been a herb garden where the courtyard now sits. 

The Cellar

The cellar would have traditionally been used to store food, beer and wine. Today it has information on how the house was built and the use of brick in the period. 

Hilary Mantel visited the house while writing her Wolf Hall trilogy and down in the cellar she saw a brick with a paw print on it.

This simple but evocative detail transported her back in time and fired up her imagination. You can hear her talking about it here. 

The Little Chamber

The Little Chamber was probably used by the lady of the house, so initially Ralph Sadler’s wife Helen Barre. Here she would have slept and entertained guests.

The Great Chamber

The most impressive room in the house is the Great Chamber.

This is where parties and celebrations would have been held. Dining would generally have taken place in the Great Hall downstairs and distinguished guests would then be invited up to the Great Chamber for a second course of sweetmeats. 

In the 17th century and again the 19th century the house was used as a school and the Great Chamber was utilised as an assembly hall.

Witch Marks and Strange Carvings

There are plenty of other amazing details to look out for at Sutton House. For example, there are witch marks on the 16th century fireplace surround in the ‘Georgian Parlour’.

These carved joined V’s were thought, in the 16th century, to ward off evil spirits.

There is also a strange carving of a man with a hunched back holding what appears to be a grid-iron, enclosed in a circle, exactly 7 inches in diameter.

Grid-irons were used to cook meat but also were used in medieval torture. Perhaps it is a symbol to ward off the devil? 

Kitchen

You can also visit the original Tudor kitchen with its hearty fireplace and examples of some of the foodstuffs they would have been consumed in this period. 

The Staircase

In 1627 the house was purchased by a silk merchant called Captain John Milward. He was on the governing body of the East India Company and filled the house with imported silks and furnishings.

Milward was probably responsible for the ‘trompe l’oeil’ paintings that can still be seen today on the staircase.

The Chapel

In 1891 the house was taken over by the St John’s Church Institute that provided young men with a social space and place to learn skills and pastimes. 

In 1914 part of the cellar was converted into a chapel for the use of the St John’s Institute. It was also used as an air raid shelter during World War Two. 

The Squatter’s Room

In the mid 1980s, after the house sitting empty for a few years, squatters moved in.

They sent a note to local residents saying: ‘Hello, as you have probably noticed, something is happening at Sutton House- several of us have moved in and are hoping to turn it into a kind of community centre.’

The squatters opened a cafe, hosted gigs and led arts and crafts workshops in the house. After a few years the squatters were served an eviction notice by the National Trust who wanted to sell it to become 5 luxury flats. Thankfully a local Save Sutton House campaign convinced the National Trust to restore the house and open it to the public. 

This room has been laid out as a recreation of how it may have looked in this period. 

How To Visit

Sutton House is cared for today by the National Trust and is open Fridays and Sundays 11am-4pm.

Find out more on their website here.

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