St. John's Jerusalem
Encyclopedia
St. John's Jerusalem is a National Trust
property at Sutton-at-Hone
, Kent
, England
which includes the 13th century chapel of the Knights Hospitaller and a garden moated by the River Darent
. It is open to the public on Wednesday afternoons from April to October.
, the Receiver of the Order at the time of the Dissolution
. The mediaeval sections of the property were predominantly constructed around 1234, when Henry III
procured the felling of five oak trees
from Tonbridge Forest. By 1388, the property had ceased to be used as a preceptory.
Naturalist Abraham Hill established an orchard here in 1670, with apples and pear
s from Herefordshire
and Devon
that were used for making cider
and perry
. Varieties that were introduced into Kent as a result included the Kentish Pippin. From 1755 it was the home of historian Edward Hasted
.
The building was given to the nation in 1943 by Sir Stephen Tallents
, and was open to the public twice a week in the 1950s. The property has been a Grade II* listed building since 1 August 1952 and was scheduled under the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Areas Act 1979
as a site of national importance by the Secretary of State for National Heritage on 5 September 1994. It is now let from the National Trust as a private residence. Public access is to the chapel and garden only. Between 2005 and 2008 visits decreased from 877 per annum to just 133 per annum.
. The moat has, however, suffered from environmental problems. It ran dry in both 1976 and 1988 and was affected by sedimentation and pollution after a recent dredging of the Darent. The dredging was attempted in order to foster the appearance of a 1930s Country Life setting. However, it had to be halted after it was discovered that scheduled monument consent had not been obtained. Although it was subsequently granted, the sustainability
of such techniques has been called into question.
The garden also hosts a former fishpond, now occupied by marshlands
. Before the Dissolution of the Monasteries
, the lawn to the north of the property was used as burial ground
for the chapel, but thereafter as a midden
.
National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty
The National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty, usually known as the National Trust, is a conservation organisation in England, Wales and Northern Ireland...
property at Sutton-at-Hone
Sutton-at-Hone
Sutton-at-Hone is a village south of Dartford in Kent, England. It is part of the Dartford local government district and the civil parish of Sutton-at-Hone and Hawley. It is represented by Dartford Borough Councilors Pat Coleman and Tony Martin....
, Kent
Kent
Kent is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
which includes the 13th century chapel of the Knights Hospitaller and a garden moated by the River Darent
River Darent
The River Darent or River Darenth is a Kentish tributary of the River Thames in England. Its name is believed to be from a Celtic word meaning 'river where oak-trees grow'...
. It is open to the public on Wednesday afternoons from April to October.
History
It was established in 1199 as a Commandry of the Knights Hospitaller of the Order of Saint John of Jerusalem until it was sold to Sir Maurice DenysMaurice Denys
Sir Maurice Denys was an English lawyer in London, a property speculator during the Dissolution of the Monasteries, during which period he served as a "powerful figure at the Court of Augmentations", a Member of Parliament for Malmesbury in Wiltshire, Treasurer of Calais and the builder of Siston...
, the Receiver of the Order at the time of the Dissolution
Dissolution of the Monasteries
The Dissolution of the Monasteries, sometimes referred to as the Suppression of the Monasteries, was the set of administrative and legal processes between 1536 and 1541 by which Henry VIII disbanded monasteries, priories, convents and friaries in England, Wales and Ireland; appropriated their...
. The mediaeval sections of the property were predominantly constructed around 1234, when Henry III
Henry III of England
Henry III was the son and successor of John as King of England, reigning for 56 years from 1216 until his death. His contemporaries knew him as Henry of Winchester. He was the first child king in England since the reign of Æthelred the Unready...
procured the felling of five oak trees
Oak Tree
Oak Tree may refer to:*Oak, the tree*Oak Tree, County Durham, a village in County Durham, England*The Oaktree Foundation, a youth-run aid and development agency*Oak Tree National, golf club in Edmond, Oklahoma...
from Tonbridge Forest. By 1388, the property had ceased to be used as a preceptory.
Naturalist Abraham Hill established an orchard here in 1670, with apples and pear
Pear
The pear is any of several tree species of genus Pyrus and also the name of the pomaceous fruit of these trees. Several species of pear are valued by humans for their edible fruit, but the fruit of other species is small, hard, and astringent....
s from Herefordshire
Herefordshire
Herefordshire is a historic and ceremonial county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes it is a NUTS 3 region and is one of three counties that comprise the "Herefordshire, Worcestershire and Gloucestershire" NUTS 2 region. It also forms a unitary district known as the...
and Devon
Devon
Devon is a large county in southwestern England. The county is sometimes referred to as Devonshire, although the term is rarely used inside the county itself as the county has never been officially "shired", it often indicates a traditional or historical context.The county shares borders with...
that were used for making cider
Cider
Cider or cyder is a fermented alcoholic beverage made from apple juice. Cider varies in alcohol content from 2% abv to 8.5% abv or more in traditional English ciders. In some regions, such as Germany and America, cider may be termed "apple wine"...
and perry
Perry
Perry is an alcoholic beverage made from fermented pears. Perry has been common for centuries in Britain, particularly in the Three Counties of Gloucestershire, Herefordshire and Worcestershire, and in parts of south Wales; and France, especially Normandy and Anjou.In more recent years, commercial...
. Varieties that were introduced into Kent as a result included the Kentish Pippin. From 1755 it was the home of historian Edward Hasted
Edward Hasted
Edward Hasted was the author of a major county history, The History and Topographical Survey of the County of Kent .-Life:...
.
The building was given to the nation in 1943 by Sir Stephen Tallents
Stephen Tallents
Sir Stephen George Tallents was a British civil servant and public relations expert.Educated at Harrow and Balliol, he served as an officer in the Irish Guards in World War I until severely wounded at Festubert. He then worked at the Ministry of Munitions, transferring in 1916 to the Ministry of...
, and was open to the public twice a week in the 1950s. The property has been a Grade II* listed building since 1 August 1952 and was scheduled under the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Areas Act 1979
Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Areas Act 1979
The Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Areas Act 1979 or AMAAA was a law passed by the British government, the latest in a series of Ancient Monument Acts legislating to protect the archaeological heritage of Great Britain. Northern Ireland has its own legislation.Section 61 defines sites that...
as a site of national importance by the Secretary of State for National Heritage on 5 September 1994. It is now let from the National Trust as a private residence. Public access is to the chapel and garden only. Between 2005 and 2008 visits decreased from 877 per annum to just 133 per annum.
Grounds
The moat dates from the 13th century, and surrounds an artificial island of 22,200m2. The moat is bridged three times, including by a Grade II listed 19th century brick footbridge. The grounds contain a Cedar of Lebanon. Only the south-western section of the moat is part of the River DarentRiver Darent
The River Darent or River Darenth is a Kentish tributary of the River Thames in England. Its name is believed to be from a Celtic word meaning 'river where oak-trees grow'...
. The moat has, however, suffered from environmental problems. It ran dry in both 1976 and 1988 and was affected by sedimentation and pollution after a recent dredging of the Darent. The dredging was attempted in order to foster the appearance of a 1930s Country Life setting. However, it had to be halted after it was discovered that scheduled monument consent had not been obtained. Although it was subsequently granted, the sustainability
Sustainability
Sustainability is the capacity to endure. For humans, sustainability is the long-term maintenance of well being, which has environmental, economic, and social dimensions, and encompasses the concept of union, an interdependent relationship and mutual responsible position with all living and non...
of such techniques has been called into question.
The garden also hosts a former fishpond, now occupied by marshlands
Marsh
In geography, a marsh, or morass, is a type of wetland that is subject to frequent or continuous flood. Typically the water is shallow and features grasses, rushes, reeds, typhas, sedges, other herbaceous plants, and moss....
. Before the Dissolution of the Monasteries
Dissolution of the Monasteries
The Dissolution of the Monasteries, sometimes referred to as the Suppression of the Monasteries, was the set of administrative and legal processes between 1536 and 1541 by which Henry VIII disbanded monasteries, priories, convents and friaries in England, Wales and Ireland; appropriated their...
, the lawn to the north of the property was used as burial ground
Burial Ground
Burial Ground is the ninth studio album by Swedish death metal band Grave, released in June 2010.-Track listing:# "Liberation" - 3:40# "Semblance In Black" - 7:50# "Dismembered Mind" - 6:10# "Ridden With Belief" - 7:57# "Conquerer" - 4:44...
for the chapel, but thereafter as a midden
Midden
A midden, is an old dump for domestic waste which may consist of animal bone, human excrement, botanical material, vermin, shells, sherds, lithics , and other artifacts and ecofacts associated with past human occupation...
.
External links
- www.nationaltrust.org.uk - official website