London’s Millennia of Medical Progress Private Historical Tour

1. Bloomsbury
   35m
   We start off in beautiful Bloomsbury famed for its garden squares and creative spirit with a history of philanthropy
2. The Foundling Museum
   5m · Admission ticket not included
   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).
3. 5m
   The world leading children's hospital with its little known connection to Peter Pan.
4. 5m
   This small garden square is where Florence Nightingale set up her pioneering company of nurses before the Crimean War.
5. St Giles-in-the-Fields Church
   10m · Admission ticket included
   Sat in the midst of what was a terrible rookery, these are where the first cases of the Plague were recorded in London.
6. Soho Square
   10m
   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.
7. John Snow Saloon
   5m
   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.
8. Carnaby Street
   10m
   As we transition from one leg of the tour to the next, we will pass through the epitome of 60's London, Carnaby Street.
9. Statue of Edward Jenner
   10m
   We will visit the Edward Jenner statue in the beautiful Italian gardens of Hyde Park and learn about the man who invented vaccines.
10. 15m
    We will walk through Paddington to see the spot where the first Antibiotics were discovered.
11. Old Operating Theatre Museum and Herb Garret
    5m · Admission ticket not included
    The oldest surviving operating theatre in the world is all that remains of this old hospital (Entry included if option booked).
12. London Bridge
    5m
    Get a great view of the City of London as we move towards the next leg of our tour.
13. The Monument to the Great Fire of London
    5m · Admission ticket not included
    We will pass right by this impressive monument to the biggest disasters to ever hit London.
14. St Olave's Church
    5m
    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.
15. 5m
    This old water pump has an infamous history and sparked a major public health crisis in Victorian times. Don't get the hump!
16. Aldgate Square
    5m
    It all looks hunky dory on top now after the recent landscaped gardens but underneath are countless bodies from the plague.
17. Soup Kitchen for the Jewish Poor
    5m · Admission ticket not included
    We will visit the outside of this pioneering old soup kitchen in the heart of the East End of London.
18. Norton Folgate Alms Houses
    5m · Admission ticket not included
    These ancient Alms Houses are still operating and helping those in need just as they have done for centuries.
19. Spitalfields Life
    5m
    These ruins were only found underground a few years ago and once contained the bones of thousands of victims of famine.
20. Old Spitalfields Market
    10m
    It's long been a funky market but centuries ago this whole area was one of medical recuperation.
21. Liverpool Street Station
    5m · Admission ticket included
    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!
22. 10m
    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.
23. Postman's Park
    10m
    On our way to our final destination we will pass through the beautiful and melancholic Postman's Park
24. St Bartholomew's Hospital Museum
    10m
    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.
25. WIlliam Wallace Memorial
    10m
    In this place of executions we will learn of the local body snatchers trade that though highly illegal helped doctors advance medical science.
26. Church Of St. Bartholomew The Great
    10m
    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.

Pickup details

We can usually pick up from any Central London (Zone 1 TFL Map) hotel and travel by Underground to the tour starting point.

• 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