Sutton House, Hackney, London

---

Sutton House

Originally known as Bryck Place, Sutton House was built in 1535 by Sir Ralph Sadler, Principal Secretary of State to Henry VIII, and is the oldest residential building in Hackney.

The House was initially built as a gabled house with mullioned windows. There are some rough shaped bricks and diamond patterns shown on the north facade of the house.

The House became home to successive merchants, sea captains, Huguenot silk weavers, Victorian schoolmistresses, and Edwardian Clergy, and was re-designed, remodelled, and enlarged by the residents in line with the trend of the periods.

Sutton House was bought by the National Trust in the 1930s with the proceeds of a bequest, and was used as a Fire Warden Centre during the World War II.

During the 1960s, the house was tenanted by the ASTMS Union, led by its charismatic general secretary, Clive Jenkins.

By the mid 1980s, it was identified that the historic houses condition continued to decline. An active local campaign was mounted by the Sutton House Society to rescue and open the building to the public.

After the three year restoration work, the house was fully opened to the public.There weren't any pieces of furniture, porcelain, and treasures left when National Trust entered in 1991. National Trust Staff carefully studied the history of the house with references found in the local library and fragments and traces identified during the excavation period. They bought Tudor, Georgian, and Victorian furniture and porcelain and re-decorated the showrooms and built the models of the Hackney Village in the Tudor period and panels of the comprehensive history of Sutton house.

The house possesses the superb Tudor room with oak "Linenfold" panellings, 16th century staircase, Tudor style Chamber rooms with portraits of Sir Ralph Sadler and Lady Sadler, Victorian Study, Georgian Parlour with Worcester China collection, and the old kitchen with several surviving features, e.g. bread oven etc. Moreover, visitors can stroll through the Art Gallery on the first floor and they can look at paintings, craftwork, and photographs completed by local school, potential artists, and professional photographers.

Standing in the heart of the Hackney, Sutton House serves as a lively cultural and social centre for the community. Sutton House has strong links with education and local schools. There are various exhibitions and activities organised for school children, and they illustrate the history of the property and its former occupants throughout the year. These events attract children, families, and adults from a variety of backgrounds.

Furthermore, there are numerous attractive events, e.g. music concerts, family day displaying historical costumes, armoury collection, civil weddings, and Christmas Carol.

---