St Bartholomew's Hospital

St Bartholomew’s Hospital stands in the City of London on the same ground where it was founded in 1123 by Rahere. The main public entrance is still the gate built for Henry VIII, topped by his statue. Around the central square designed by James Gibbs in the 1730s are three surviving 18th-century wings that once housed wards and now contain the Great Hall. The hospital survived the Great Fire of London and the Blitz, preserving both its original site and later buildings. The hospital is famous for medical advances made within its walls. William Harvey carried out research on the circulatory system here in the 17th century. In the 18th century, Percivall Pott and John Abernethy developed key surgical principles. By the late 19th century, Mrs Bedford Fenwick worked to improve nursing standards. The hospital’s museum explains how patient care has changed since the 12th century. Inside, visitors find the Great Hall with its Baroque style and walls covered by large painted plaques listing benefactors. Two restored canvases by William Hogarth hang on the staircase walls. The hospital’s chapel, St Bartholomew-the-Less, has a 15th-century tower and stained glass from the early 20th century. The Hardwick family, including Philip Hardwick, donated funds and designed parts of the hospital in the 19th century.