Visit the St Bartholomew’s Hospital Museum and join a walking tour to learn about Britain’s oldest hospital still providing medical services on the site on which it was originally built in 1123.
The archives and museum collections include documents from the 12th to the 21st centuries, and objects reflecting the changes to patient care, teaching and administration at the hospital.
About the museum (free admission)
Situated a stone’s throw from St Paul’s Cathedral, the Museum of London, Barbican and the historic Smithfield market, the museum shows how St Bartholomew’s Hospital has been part of the fabric of London since the twelfth century.
The hospital’s long history is brought to life through the permanent exhibition of original and facsimile archives, objects and works of art, including Rahere’s grant of 1137 – the oldest document in the hospital archives, and the 1546 agreement between Henry VIII and the City of London which refounded the hospital.
About the tour (£7 per adult, £6 concessions; accompanied children are free)
The tour starts at 2pm and is conducted by a member of the City of London Guide Lecturers Association. You’ll visit the church of St Bartholomew the Less; the hospital’s square, North Wing and Great Hall, which were all designed by James Gibbs; as well as Hogarth’s famous biblical paintings. The tour starts promptly at 2pm from Henry VIII gate.