Museum of the Order of St John

The Museum at St John’s Gate has been welcoming visitors for over a hundred years. The extensive collections include paintings and illuminated manuscripts, rare armour, a bronze cannon given by Henry VIII, ancient coins, decorative furniture, ceramics, silverware and textiles.

Across St John’s Square from the Gate is the Priory Church, with its twelfth-century Crypt. The Church and Crypt can be viewed by appointment by contacting the Museum. 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.

In September 2009 the Museum of the Order of St John closed to the public to begin a £3.6 million Heritage Lottery Funded redevelopment. Fourteen months later, it reopened with new galleries and visitor facilities, including a dedicated learning space which allows for the provision of various workshops and events for community groups and schools. The re-design has also revealed more of our wonderful Tudor building. Through the use of audio-visual displays everyone will now be able to learn about and enjoy the heritage of the Order of St John.

To learn more about the Museum, see their website: http://museumstjohn.org.uk/

The Order Gallery at the Museum of the Order of St John.  Photograph: Nathan Willock