A medieval moat encircles St John’s Jerusalem. This isn’t just any moat. It whispers stories of knights and crusades.
St John’s Jerusalem in Sutton-at-Hone Kent is more than a pretty picture. It’s a living testament to history. Originally a commandry of the Knights Hospitaller of the Order of Saint John of Jerusalem it dates back to 1199. The chapel and surrounding grounds were primarily built around 1234 using wood from Tonbridge Forest. King Henry III himself ordered the felling of five mighty oak trees for the project. Can you imagine the scale of that operation?
For centuries St John’s Jerusalem served the Knights Hospitaller. It was a place of worship a base of operations and a source of funds for their holy work. But by 1388 it had ceased being used as a preceptory.
After the dissolution of the monasteries the property changed hands many times. Edward Hasted a notable county historian of Kent even lived there. His lavish spending sadly led to bankruptcy and a five-year prison sentence. That’s quite a footnote to his impressive historical works isn’t it?
The building’s seen transformations. A Victorian owner cleverly divided the chapel creating a scullery downstairs and a billiard room upstairs. Today only the upper chamber is accessible to the public. But it’s fascinating to imagine what those lower levels must have been like!
Abraham Hill a naturalist established an orchard in 1670. He introduced Herefordshire and Devon apple and pear varieties. This led to the introduction of the Kentish Pippin a now famous apple.
St John’s Jerusalem now belongs to the National Trust. They maintain the chapel and its beautiful gardens. The grounds still boast a moat a cedar of Lebanon and the remains of a fishpond now marshland. But the moat has faced challenges drying up in 1976 and 1988.
Even today the site holds national importance. It’s a Grade II* listed building and a scheduled monument. The quiet beauty of St John’s Jerusalem belies its rich and complex past. It’s a place where history nature and peaceful reflection blend seamlessly. A true treasure in the heart of Kent.