king johns house & heritage centre
What we now know as King John’s House and the adjoining Tudor Cottage were once
a small part of Church Court in Romsey and are Church Court’s only surviving
buildings. By the turn of the 19th and 20th century, the Court had been reduced
to little more than a densely populated slum housing among the most impoverished
of Romsey’s residents. At this time you would find no mention of King John’s
House on any map or in any book as it was just a run-down building in a run-down
part of Romsey. In modern times we know that the House was once a very high
status building and part of a major medieval complex although its exact purpose
is not completely understood. You can see many early features dating from this
time, including fine stone masonry, ancient roof timbers and graffiti cut into
medieval plaster. The Museum features aspects of Romsey life during the
Victorian and Edwardian period. The 'old gun shop' has been reconstructed
upstairs, using original fixtures, fittings and display items, while William
Moody and his sister wait to greet you in the recreated parlour in the room
behind. When you visit the House and Museum you can discover how and when King
John became associated with the House, how it descended from high status
medieval building to slum over 800 year of continuous occupation and use and why
the Moody family are so important to the history of King John’s House. King
John’s House and Museum are in the custodianship of a registered charity,
dedicated to preserving King John’s House for future generations. Donations in
support of this work are always appreciated. The charity is kindly supported by
Test Valley Borough Council who work in partnership to share this important
heritage property TripAdvisor
