Old Sessions House at Knotel at Old Sessions House

Nearly 250 years of courtroom history fill this Grade II listed Georgian courthouse on Clerkenwell Green — the same rooms where suffragettes stood trial, where the Kray twins faced charges, and where sentences shaped legal precedent across centuries. Full building exclusive hire puts all of it at your disposal: up to 450 guests across 23 distinct rooms, from the primary Great Room to a rooftop with heated pool and panoramic City views. The Old Sessions House now operates as a Knotel Workclub during the week, but evenings and weekends the building transforms for private events. That dual identity is part of what makes it work — the spaces are maintained to members’ club standards, with professional infrastructure and catering that a purely heritage venue would struggle to provide.

How Old Sessions House Works for Full Building Events

The Great Room is the primary event space — up to 120 seated or 200 standing, with multiple seating configurations from classic banquet rounds to contemporary layouts. It sits at the heart of the building and sets the tone: Georgian proportions, restored architectural detailing, and enough ceiling height to feel ceremonial without overwhelming intimate gatherings. But the real proposition here is the flow between spaces. A full building hire gives access to The Showroom (a blank canvas for up to 60, suited to product showcases and ceremony setups), The Dining Room (an intimate ground-floor space seating 35, ideal for private dinners or speaker events with TV screen and microphone), The Bar (the former courtroom itself — now serving cocktails in the room where sentences were once delivered, with outdoor access), the Billiards Room and Terrace (snooker table, curated vinyl collection, summer party ready), the Library, and the Rooftop. Events can spread across levels, each room offering a different atmosphere. Drinks in the courtroom Bar, dinner in the Great Room, after-party on the Rooftop — the building’s multiple rooms create a multi-zone experience that single-space venues can’t replicate.

The Old Sessions House Rooftop

The rooftop is the building’s surprise — panoramic views across the City of London skyline, a heated pool, and a terrace that hosts summer BBQs, drinks receptions, and celebrations with a backdrop most Central London venues would struggle to match. For warm-weather events, it adds a dimension that transforms the hire from a heritage venue experience into something altogether more dynamic.

Catering and Operations at Knotel Old Sessions House

In-house catering is provided by Blue Strawberry, the preferred caterer. External catering is permitted but carries a kitchen buyout fee, which means most events work with the in-house team — particularly smaller bookings where the additional cost doesn’t make economic sense. The building has lift access from street level to all event floors, accessible toilets, TV screens and microphones available across rooms, and the infrastructure to host simultaneous events in different spaces. The alcohol licence runs until 21:00, with extensions available. Event security is mandatory. Payment follows a 50/50 structure — half on contract signing, half 30 days before the event. A 10% discount applies when booking multiple rooms simultaneously.

Clerkenwell Location and Old Sessions House Events

Farringdon station is the closest connection — Crossrail, Thameslink, and Underground all within walking distance. Clerkenwell Green itself has evolved into one of London’s creative and design hubs, with Clerkenwell Design Week bringing global attention and a concentration of architectural practices, design studios, and independent restaurants shaping the neighbourhood’s character. For brand activations that benefit from a multi-room discovery format, weddings wanting ceremony in The Showroom flowing into dinner in The Great Room and late-night drinks on the Rooftop, corporate away-days using the full building as a self-contained campus, or private celebrations wanting genuine historical atmosphere with contemporary service standards — the Old Sessions House offers 23 rooms of possibilities within a single extraordinary building. The building is licensed for civil ceremonies.