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Offered languages
- English
Nowhere in the world has been quite so important in the field of medicine than London. Historically, if only for its long history filled with disasters and diseases, but in the last few centuries it has also been the home of science and some of the most incredible jumps in medicine and healthcare anywhere on Earth.
This tour will visit plenty of sites that have helped change the world as well as visiting some of the spots that were home to some of the countless medical and social problems in history. In many ways, this tour isn’t just a Medical History Tour but also a fabulous alternative tour of London.
We will see where vaccines and medicines were invented, visit the first operating theatres, orphanages, social care, mental institutions and hospitals in the western world. Follow in the footsteps of medical pioneers and visit the sights of some of the biggest healthcare disasters and underhand medical events as we go from the herbal medicine & crusaders to COVID-19 & the modern day.
What's Included
Meeting and pickup
We can usually pick up from any Central London (Zone 1 TFL Map) hotel and travel by Underground to the tour starting point.
We meet at the Russel Square
We end at the oldest hospital in the Western World with great onward connections by London Underground or bus.
Itinerary
-
1Bloomsbury
We start off in beautiful Bloomsbury famed for its garden squares and creative spirit with a history of philanthropy
35 minutes • Admission ticket free -
2The Foundling Museum
Learn the incredible story of how this pioneering children's facility was created by a hardened Yorkshire sailor. (Entry availability able if you pick the relevant option).
5 minutes • Admission ticket not included -
3
The world leading children's hospital with its little known connection to Peter Pan.
5 minutes • Admission ticket free -
4
This small garden square is where Florence Nightingale set up her pioneering company of nurses before the Crimean War.
5 minutes • Admission ticket free -
5St Giles-in-the-Fields Church
Sat in the midst of what was a terrible rookery, these are where the first cases of the Plague were recorded in London.
10 minutes • Admission ticket included -
6Soho Square
Whilst also the home of big names such as Paul McCartney and various showbiz offices it is here we will find the home of Mary Seacole.
10 minutes • Admission ticket free -
7John Snow Saloon
This wonderful old pub is named after the doctor who deduced how bacteria and germs were spreading through the water supply. His famous water pump survives in the street.
5 minutes • Admission ticket free -
8Carnaby Street
As we transition from one leg of the tour to the next, we will pass through the epitome of 60's London, Carnaby Street.
10 minutes • Admission ticket free -
9
We will visit the Edward Jenner statue in the beautiful Italian gardens of Hyde Park and learn about the man who invented vaccines.
10 minutes • Admission ticket free -
10Paddington
We will walk through Paddington to see the spot where the first Antibiotics were discovered.
15 minutes • Admission ticket free -
11Old Operating Theatre Museum and Herb Garret
The oldest surviving operating theatre in the world is all that remains of this old hospital (Entry included if option booked).
5 minutes • Admission ticket not included -
12London Bridge
Get a great view of the City of London as we move towards the next leg of our tour.
5 minutes • Admission ticket free -
13The Monument to the Great Fire of London
We will pass right by this impressive monument to the biggest disasters to ever hit London.
5 minutes • Admission ticket not included -
14St Olave's Church
This church has an incredible history and was in a plague hotspot. The beautifully kept garden inside is full of old medicinal herbs that would have been used in the days before modern hospitals.
5 minutes • Admission ticket free -
15Aldgate Pump
This old water pump has an infamous history and sparked a major public health crisis in Victorian times. Don't get the hump!
5 minutes • Admission ticket free -
16Aldgate Square
It all looks hunky dory on top now after the recent landscaped gardens but underneath are countless bodies from the plague.
5 minutes • Admission ticket free -
17Soup Kitchen for the Jewish Poor
We will visit the outside of this pioneering old soup kitchen in the heart of the East End of London.
5 minutes • Admission ticket not included -
18Norton Folgate Alms Houses
These ancient Alms Houses are still operating and helping those in need just as they have done for centuries.
5 minutes • Admission ticket not included -
19Spitalfields Life
These ruins were only found underground a few years ago and once contained the bones of thousands of victims of famine.
5 minutes • Admission ticket free -
20Old Spitalfields Market
It's long been a funky market but centuries ago this whole area was one of medical recuperation.
10 minutes • Admission ticket free -
21Liverpool Street Station
Before we pop on the tube to our final leg of the tour we will visit the spot of the first hospital for those suffering from mental health issues. It's bedlam!
5 minutes • Admission ticket included -
22
Cripplegate is a place where the infirm would gather as it was believed that they would be healed by divine powers. We will see the Tower Of St Elsyng Spital, the ruins of an early medieval hospital.
10 minutes • Admission ticket free -
23Postman's Park
On our way to our final destination we will pass through the beautiful and melancholic Postman's Park
10 minutes • Admission ticket free -
24Saint Bartholomew's Hospital Museum
We will visit parts of the oldest hospital in the Western World and if you book the optional entry at booking (only open some days) then we can look in this fascinating old hospital museum.
10 minutes • Admission ticket free -
25WIlliam Wallace Memorial
In this place of executions we will learn of the local body snatchers trade that though highly illegal helped doctors advance medical science.
10 minutes • Admission ticket free -
26Church of St. Bartholomew the Great
We end this tour inside the truly ancient and magnificent Church of St Bartholomew the Great and visit the tomb of Rahere, the man who having almost died on his travels, had a vision of Saint Bartholomew and keeping to the promise he made to the Saint, returned to London to found not just this beautiful church but our first hospital which will be 900 years old in 2023.
10 minutes • Admission ticket free
Additional info
- Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
- Service animals allowed
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness
Tags
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Show more
Cancellation Policy
- For a full refund, you must cancel at least 24 hours before the experience’s start time.
- If you cancel less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time, the amount you paid will not be refunded.
- Any changes made less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time will not be accepted.
Rating
You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.
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