History

St. Bartholomew’s Hospital, affectionately known as Barts, has provided continuous care to patients for over 900 years on its original site, longer than any other hospital in the United Kingdom.

The hospital was founded in 1123 by a man called Rahere, who fell sick whilst on a religious pilgrimage to Rome. Following his miraculous recovery, Saint Bartholomew appeared to him in a vision and instructed Rahere to build a priory and hospital for the ‘sick poor’ in West Smithfield.

By the 1700s, the hospital’s remaining medieval buildings were outdated, worn, and too small to cope with the needs of London’s rising population. James Gibbs was appointed architect for the new hospital. The hospital was built around a courtyard in four separate blocks. The North Wing was a non-clinical administrative building, and was the first of the four blocks to be built.

For the staircase leading to the Great Hall, the hospital governors wanted something truly impressive. The painter and engraver William Hogarth donated both his skills and time to decorate the grand staircase. The first of Hogarth’s vast canvases depicts a scene from the parable The Good Samaritan, with the second, larger painting depicting Jesus’s Miracle at the Pool of Bethesda. The message in these visually powerful Christian themed artworks is that everybody is deserving of healthcare.

The hospital was supported through donations until the National Health Service was founded in 1948. After this, the Great Hall continued to be used for a variety of hospital events, but the condition of the building slowly deteriorated. Following a long campaign, a new charity, Barts Heritage, was established in 2017 to steward the North Wing and to conserve and repair the fabric of the building.

After an 18 month conservation and restoration project, Barts North Wing is open as a cultural venue, with public opening, public programming, and a targeted creative health programme for hospital staff and patients. The venue is also available for private hire.

Access

Step-free access is available to all public spaces via the main Barts North Wing entrance.

Dogs
Assistance dogs and dogs registered with the Emotional Support Animal Registry are welcome.

Seating
A range of seating is placed throughout the Great Hall.

Access resources
We have large print guides, colour overlays and noise cancelling head-phones for any visitors who may need them, they can be found at our reception desk at the Barts North Wing entrance.

Finding Us

The easiest entrance to Barts North Wing is from West Smithfield and through the Henry VIII Gatehouse. Walk through the Gatehouse and past the church on your left, and Barts North Wing is the building in front of you. Walk under the archway of that building and turn left. The entrance is next to Maggie's.

You can enter also the hospital site via entrances on Giltspur Street and King Edward Street.

More information about visiting us can be found here:
https://bartsnorthwing.org.uk/visit/

Facilities

WCs
There are accessible toilets and gendered toilets in Barts North Wing.

Babies
Baby changing facilities can be found in the West Wing of the hospital, please ask a member of staff for directions during your visit.

We are a nursing friendly venue.

Food and drink
We do not have a picnic area or café and food can’t be consumed in the building. There is a small café in the hospital’s King George V building and cafés nearby, including 21 West, Beppe’s and Half Cup.