Learn more about the history, heritage, people and places in Cheam and the wider London Borough of Sutton!
Several months back, we uploaded a blog post on the six wives of Henry VIII. In this article, we will be exploring his three children, whose lifestyles are as equally interesting and complex. Henry VIII gave birth to several children with his wives and mistresses, but only three legitimate ones survived and took the throne.… Continue reading The Ruling Children of Henry VIII
Back in August, we started a series of posts on important buildings of Cheam. Alongside it will be this series, which will focus on buildings in the London Borough of Sutton as a whole. In our first article in the series, we will be focusing on the history of Carew Manor and some of the important people linked with it.
“It is a world to be here…and see the humours of the place.” Roland Whyte, writing about his experiences of the event. On the 28th September 1599, an astounding event took place at Nonsuch. The Earl of Essex, in an alleged attempt to take power for himself, tried to overthrow Queen Elizabeth I whilst she… Continue reading The Great Essex Coup Plot at Nonsuch!
In our new blog series ‘Buildings of Cheam’ we will be examining the history of Cheam a building at a time. In the first of these, Imogen Easton takes a look at Cheam School – host to royalty and rumours!
Today’s article focuses on two notable figures – William Gilpin (1724-1804), a famed art critic and headteacher at Cheam School from 1752 to 1777, and Dr. Syntax, a fictional satirical character said to have been inspired by him.
“There could be no finer contribution to the Festival of Britain than the Cheam Charter Fair”. Find out more about the history of this wonderful Charter Fair and what to expect this year!
The Tudors were well known for their feasting. But during the time of Lent, it was a different matter entirely. Gone were the feasts and in their place was reflection. Traditionally in Tudor times, Lent consisted of a forty day period of fasting, starting with Ash Wednesday and ending with Easter. It consisted of abstaining… Continue reading The Tudors and Lent
For our last post of the year, we’re delighted to share a piece by Whitehall volunteer Imogen Easton, who reflects on what Christmas might have been like in Tudor times in the court of Henry the VIII. We’d like to take this opportunity to thank Imogen and all our volunteers for their support this year,… Continue reading A Very Merry Whitehall Christmas
Our most recent temporary exhibition at Whitehall is a vibrant display called A Good Yarn by Samia Tossio (SamiArt). Sadly, due to current restrictions, we’ve had to temporarily close our doors at Whitehall, which has meant the exhibition has been cut short. Therefore to ensure our visitors and followers have the opportunity to engage with this exhibition, we’ll be sharing images and snippets of stories from the project over the coming weeks, both here and across our other social media platforms. In addition, we’re also extending the dates for the exhibition so that visitors will still have the opportunity to see the displays in person when we reopen (N.B no confirmed date as yet but watch this space!)
Sutton Cultural Services have launched the Sutton Spotlight blog. Each month staff and volunteers will be sharing what makes their library or heritage house unique and why people should visit. The first edition features Whitehall Historic House. Customer Services Officer Kirsty Wilson and volunteers Joseph Stephens & Suzanne Fitter say what makes Whitehall special. Read… Continue reading Spotlight on Sutton’s Heritage and Culture
Whitehall Historic House 