In the middle of Hackney, where Homerton High Street becomes Urswick Road, stands Sutton House, a red-brick Tudor manor. It’s hard to believe that a building like this exists in one of London’s most built-up boroughs, but in the 16th century, Hackney was more of a rural retreat: a village, so to speak, dotted with grand houses belonging to the noblemen of the city.
Sutton House, or ‘Bryk Place’ as it was then known, was built in 1535 by Ralph Sadleir, a protégé of Thomas Cromwell and, in due course, a highly successful courtier. Since then, the building has undergone several renovations, but if you step out into the central courtyard, you’ll see that a Tudor window and some of the original bricks still survive today.
Back inside, the rooms have distinctly different decorative styles. This is to give visitors an idea of how the house would have looked at each stage in its history. After all, it’s seen a long line of occupants over the years: merchants, silk weavers, schoolmistresses, fire wardens, and in the 1980s, a group of squatters, one of whom was invited back to recreate his old room.
Nowadays, Sutton House is owned by the National Trust and is open to the public three days a week. Visitors can choose either to explore at their own leisure or to book onto a guided tour at no extra cost. Those who go for the second option will be entertained with quirky anecdotes and, if they’re lucky, ghost stories!
Sutton House
Adult ticket:
£
8.50
Find your way with 276 Insider Tips from our Local Spotters
Loved this Spot?Join your international community. Share your favs and become part of our international community!
A must try for me at Paradise Soho are the gigantic grilled ceylonese prawns - tender and smokey from the charring & the cashew curry along with a hopper.
by
As an independent wine bar their focus is on stocking wines from smaller producers, lesser known regions and grape varieties, and also female winemakers.
by
The team at the Penny Drop are real coffee geeks in the best possible sense of the word and go to great lengths sourcing the best coffee beans out there.
by
If you arrive in the morning you’ll find their popular morning buns with a variety of fillings, sticky buns, beignets, and more!
by
Rondo La Cave is a hip wine bar situated in the basement of the Hoxton hotel and has a charming rustic interior with dim lighting.
by
Quiet yet somehow buzzing, classy yet unpretentious, central yet hidden. What impresses me most is the concentration of great spots in such a small area.
by
The menu has all the brunch classics you’d expect and also some more unusual offerings as well as weekend specials that change regularly...
by
The Bloomsbury farmers market is a small market for fresh produce and lots of different food stalls held every Thursday on Bloomsbury square.
by
Southwark Brewing company has a range of traditional beers such as ales, IPAs, porter, and bitter - all really fresh and available on draft or bottle.
by
Museum Lates is a concept that is essentially a late-night opening when you can explore the exhibitions without the day-trip crowds getting in your way.
by
Stir Coffee Brixton is a lovely neighbourhood coffee shop located on the corner of Brixton Hill and Arodene Road which has a very chilled vibe.
by
It was set up in 2009 by Highbury resident and cat enthusiast Doreen Rolph, as a place to raise funds for local animal welfare organisations.
by
276 Insider Tips from our local Spotters
Authentic Stories by Real People
Escape the Crowd & Travel Slow 🐌
✓ 0 Insider Tips from our local Spotters
✓ 276 Insider Tips