Knotel at Old Sessions House

A Georgian courthouse where suffragettes and the Kray twins once stood trial, now a Knotel members' club with 23 rooms, a rooftop heated pool, and in-house catering by Blue Strawberry. The Old Sessions House on Clerkenwell Green offers full building exclusive hire for up to 450 guests — and the building itself is the event, as much as anything happening inside it.

Knotel at Old Sessions House — History Meets Contemporary Hire

The 1780s construction predates most Georgian building in central London, and the quality of materials reflects the courthouse's civic importance. The restored glass atrium and dome roof, grand mezzanine areas, and original stone exterior have been preserved through a sensitive conversion that added contemporary workspace design without erasing the judicial character.

What makes the Old Sessions House genuinely distinctive as an events venue is the variety contained within a single address. The Great Room handles formal dinners and conferences for up to 200 standing. The Bar — the actual former courtroom, now serving cocktails — provides a conversation piece no other London venue can replicate. The Showroom operates as a flexible blank canvas. The Dining Room seats 35 for intimate events. The Billiards Room comes with a snooker table, curated vinyl, and a terrace for summer. And the Rooftop puts panoramic City views, a heated pool, and BBQ capability above it all.

Multi-Room Events at Old Sessions House

The 23-room layout means events don't occupy a single space — they move through the building. A wedding ceremony in The Showroom flows into dinner in The Great Room, cocktails in the courtroom Bar, and late-night drinks on the Rooftop. A corporate away-day uses The Great Room for main sessions, breakout rooms for workshops, and the Terrace for informal networking. The spaces layer different moods without anyone needing to leave the building.

Blue Strawberry handles in-house catering, ensuring consistency across rooms and event types. The building is licensed for civil ceremonies and has lift access throughout.

Old Sessions House in Clerkenwell

Farringdon station — Crossrail, Thameslink, Underground — puts the Old Sessions House within easy reach of the City, West End, and wider London. Clerkenwell Green's creative and design quarter provides a neighbourhood context that suits brand events, agency parties, and celebrations wanting character over convention. The combination of genuine Georgian courtroom drama, contemporary members' club polish, and a rooftop that changes everything in summer makes this one of London's most layered venue propositions.