London’s only public statue of King Henry VIII stands on top of the main entrance gate to St. Bartholomew’s Hospital in West Smithfield. St. Bartholomew’s was founded in 1123 and provided care for the sick, poor and needy in London for several centuries until its actual existence began to suffer when King Henry VIII began to dissolve the monasteries. London’s concerned citizens petitioned their King, and St. Bartholomew’s Hospital was unexpectedly spared. Shortly before his death, Henry VIII granted St. Bartholomew’s Hospital to the City of London in 1546. The statue was installed at a later date in 1702. St. Bartholomew’s Hospital, also known simply as ‘Bart’s’, is the oldest hospital in Britain that still stands on its original site. Visitors can tour the St. Bartholomew’s Hospital Museum and Archives and view the original agreement between Henry VIII and the City of London, complete with the authentic Great Seal of Henry VIII. The museum also tells the history of the hospital and displays surgical instruments such as amputation kits and lunatic restraints.
- St. Bartholomew’s Hospital Museum and Archives
- West Smithfield, London EC1A 7BE
- www.bartsandthelondon.nhs.uk
- Underground: Farringdon