Guided visit of the Museum, the Priory Church and the Crypt of the Order of St John

Wed 27 Jan, 2021

The Order of St John was established in the 12th century in Jerusalem to care for pilgrims in the Holy Land. After the Muslims forces conquered Jerusalem they moved to Cyprus, Rhodes, Malta and finally to Rome following the expansion of the Ottoman Empire.

In 1140s the Priory of Clerkenwell was set up as its head quarters but the Order was dissolved by King Henry VIII mid 16th century and all its land and property were seized by the Crown.

The Museum at St John’s Gate holds extensive collections include paintings and illuminated manuscripts, rare armour, a bronze cannon given by Henry VIII, ancient coins, decorative furniture, ceramics, silverware and textiles. It has been welcoming visitors for over 400 hundred years and the buildings have been put to a variety of uses: from offices of the Master of the Revels, to a coffee house run by Richard Hogarth, father of William, and even a pub – appropriately named The Old Jerusalem Tavern.

The Church’s Priory Gallery features an exhibition on life in the medieval priory and Clerkenwell through the ages. The Church Cloister Garden provides a tranquil space for members of the public to enjoy, and its range of herbs gives an idea of the medicinal gardens that would have been cultivated by the Knights Hospitaller during Medieval times.

The Friends will visit the recently refurbished museum, the Priory Church, the 12th century Crypt, The Priory Gallery, the Cloister Garden and historical rooms such as The Chapter Hall and the Council Chamber.