The Church of St Bartholomew the Less ~ LONDON
Those of you who have been following this site will know that we have produced a study of the Church of St Bartholomew The Great. LINK HERE. Move on a year and I had an appointment at St Bartholomew Hospital which is close to the mighty church and also Cloth Fair where we stayed.
I had expected to find a large hospital building but it is so much more than this. It is a series of related buildings within a complex sharing a wide range of medical disciplines and teaching along with an ancient church. This is a worthwhile link. https://bartsheritage.org.uk/restoring-historic-barts/buildings/
Just inside the Henry V111 Gate of St Barts hospital is the hospital’s church of St Bartholomew the Less. There has been a Priory and Hospital on this site since 1123 – yes 900 years – a fact which has called for great celebrations. The Priory was lost in the dissolution of the monasteries by Henry V111 (the Priory Church of St Bartholomew the Great is all that now remains) and the hospital too was threatened with closure.
and for those of you who like the geeky bits click HERE
The WINDOW DEDICATED TO THE
PHYSICIANS AND SURGEONS
The WINDOW DEDICATED TO THE
NURSES
View from outside the Barts Complex from the road at Smithfield
View from inside the Barts Estate
Evidence of war damage as seen from the street.
A sign showing how to reach the senior church - just 200m away.
An unimposing entrance
An interior steeped in history
In earlier centuries attendance at church was compulsory for hospital staff and patients who were expected to attend every Sunday unless they were too weak to do so.
The altar with magnificent stained glass features one showing St Luke, the Virgin and child and the founder of the site, Raheer with
St Bartholemew
I was interested to learn that after the widespread dissolution of the Monasteries of which this church was no exception, Henry V111 was persuaded to re-found the hospital and grant it to the city of London in 1546.
The mediaeval brethren had built no less than five chapels within the old hospital. But the new charter stated that only one chapel should remain and become the parish church of the hospital.
The pink marble pulpit created with carved panels of biblical scenes
I have enjoyed putting these photos together and hope that it will tempt you to follow in my footsteps and visit these 2 churches under the
St Bartholomew title, one inside and the other outside
the City of London walls.