St Christopher's Hospice

St Christopher’s Hospice stands in the London Borough of Bromley, a place built for care at the end of life. Cicely Saunders founded it in 1967, and her ideas shaped today’s hospice movement. The building sits among trees and lawns, calm and unhurried. It was the first modern hospice of its kind in the world. Saunders herself worked here until she died in 2005. The hospice is worth the journey because it changed how dying people are treated. Saunders’ team included nurse Barbara McNulty, GP Mary Baines and Florence Wald, who spread the model to America. Robert Twycross joined in 1971 and proved that morphine and similar drugs could control pain simply and reliably. Their research still guides doctors worldwide. A Polish sculptor, Witold Gracjan Kawalec, left a small gallery of his works here. Visitors find quiet gardens and light-filled rooms arranged for comfort. The exhibition room shows Kawalec’s sculptures in wood and stone. Staff speak quietly with families in sitting areas designed for ease. Outside, wide paths wind through grass and flower beds, offering space to walk or sit alone. The whole place feels like a pause from hurry, where care and thought are given freely.