 This cool secluded garden, moated by the
River Darent, is a peaceful haven after the noise and bustle of Dartford. The curious name derives from the Commandery of the Knights
Hospitallers of the Order of Saint John of Jerusalem. This military order, whose
headquarters was in Jerusalem, was given the manor in 1199, probably as pious contribution
to the Crusades.
The original Commandery of the Knights was dissolved at the
Reformation. Only the chapel with its buttressed flint walls and three tall
lancet windows survives.
St John's is approached down a short drive from the village
of Sutton-at-Hone.
The house is first seen across the waters of the moat and
between a magnificent Cedar of Lebanon and a copper beech. The pleasant two-storey
stuccoed house has a steeply pitched roof with dormer windows. It was the creation
of Abraham Hill, one of the founders of the Royal Society.
He acquired St John's in 1665 and lived there until his
death in 1721. The vast cedar was probably planted by Hill in the late 17th century
when the house was built. He also introduced a cider industry from Devon. A
recently established orchard recalls Hill's innovation but no traces remain of the
original cider apples and perry pears he planted here.
Between 1755 and 1776 St John's was the home of Edward
Hasted, the eminent historian of Kent. His additions include the south door, rich
plasterwork in the house and the sash windows. Much of the decoration in the house
is as Hasted left it including the rococo chimneypiece in Mrs Hasted's boudoir. The
expense of these improvements contributed to Edward Hasted's financial ruin.
From the house undulating lawns, planted with a broad
avenue of chestnuts, stretch away to the limes and willows edging the moat. There
are a number of splendid specimen trees here including a descendant of one of the willows
on St Helena under which Napoleon was buried. Spring and summer flower borders are
bright with bulbs and herbaceous plants.
St John's Jerusalem is now in the care of the National
Trust. However, the Knights live on in the name of this delightful property. Only
the chapel and the garden are open to the public. The chapel now houses a display of
early photographs. |
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internet holiday and travel guide to the UK
St John's Jerusalem Garden 
