The Old Operating Theatre, London

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One of the things I absolutely love about London is how many hidden gems there are around every corner. One of my favourites is The Old Operating Theatre and Herb Garret, so today it’s getting a full dedicated post as I love it so much.


  1. Contents
  2. What is The Old Operating Theatre & Herb Garret?
  3. Visitor Information
  4. What to see at The Old Operating Theatre Museum
    1. Herb Garret Apothecary
    2. Apothecary Demonstration
    3. Life at the Hospital exhibits
    4. Surgery
    5. The Operating Theatre
  5. Other things to do nearby
    1. Southwark
    2. South Bank

The Old Operating Theatre is the oldest surviving operating theatre in Europe, and predates times of antiseptic and anaesthesia. It was once part of St Thomas’ Hospital, which dates back to 1215 and was founded in the Southwark area of London. Today only a small tower of the hospital is preserved in Southwark, as the hospital was badly damaged during WW2 and rebuilt on a bigger site in a different area of London. The operating theatre is of course no longer used, and the tower opened as a museum in 1962.

A Garret is a name for an attic, and the Herb Garret was effectively an apothecary in the attic room of the surviving tower during its time as a hospital. It stored all the herbs, remedies and ointments of the times, and was just a short corridor away from the operating theatre. Again, this is now converted to be part of the museum.

Inside the incredible Herb Garret


Museum Opening Times: 10:30am – 5pm (Thursday to Sunday, closed Monday to Wednesday). Last admission 4.15pm.

Entrance Fee:

  • Adult: £10
  • Concessions including students: £7.00
  • Child 6-16 years: £5.50, under 6 free
  • Family (2 adults, 2 children): £20.00, additional child, £1 each

I know, I know, it’s my bug bear. But as you’ll see the definition of what a family is is yet again beneficial to those who fit the stereotypical mould of 2 adults 2 children. Drives me nuts that those with only one child pay more than, and 2 adults pay the same as, a family of four – as both are defined as less of a ‘family’.

Accessibility: The only entry and exit to the museum is up a 52 stair steep spiral staircase. It is controlled via a traffic light system which flashes green if it’s safe to start climbing, and red if someone else is on the stairs to mean do not enter.

The Museum is in the attic space of a 320-year-old church and it is a Grade 2* listed building, meaning even once in the Museum, the space has uneven surfaces.

Time Needed: Probably about 45 minutes, I spent 1hr on my visit.


Now. This museum is so special I’ll even forgive it it’s dodgy definition of a family.

Entering through the small ticket desk and shop, and you’re straight in to the attic room of the Herb Garret Apothecary.

The daily care of the Hospital patients was the responsibility of the apothecary. Throughout most of the 1700s, the apothecary lived and worked here and he was not even allowed to marry. The apothecary’s main role was to produce herbal remedies, poultices or potions as prescribed by a physician. As physicians were expensive many people visited an apothecary shop (a bit like a modern day chemist) to seek a treatment and to purchase medicines.

The incredible surviving counter

Behind the counter, volunteer members of staff give demonstrations – making poultices and demonstrating things of the times. I stopped by to hear the session about leeches, which was very interesting as they were used to cure everything back in the day! I think she said they used to get through 60,000 leeches a week!!! They’re still used widely in reconstructive surgery today!

It’s here you really start to be glad you were born in the modern age. Life in the Hospital was grim. Patients here were generally the working poor and the Hospital maintained its ancient policy to exclude anyone classed as “incurable”: those with a contagious disease, a mental or terminal illness were refused admission on the basis that their condition may pose as a potential threat to others. This also included pregnancy.

Potions

In Victorian times, married women who hadn’t had a baby were classed as ‘hysterical’ rather than being infertile, and were treated with a Macaura Blood Circulator that brought them to orgasm to cure them of their ‘hysterical’ ailments. I had to laugh as that’s probably preferable to my experience of infertility treatment and I imagine cost a lot less too!!

The Hospital treated a limited number of ailments, but one in which is specialised was syphilis. In the 17/1800s, around 1 in 5 patients were diagnosed with it and were treated with a long and painful experience that lasted up to eight weeks to complete. It would involve a mercurial ointment being rubbed into the patients’ body which would eventually cause them to spit up a thick, putrid substance, as much as three pints a day. Lurvely.

I feel sick even thinking about the implements. Before the arrival of anaesthetic, all operations had to be very quick which limited surgeons to only a few procedures, such as amputations. Even if a patient survived the initial shock of limb removal and didn’t bleed to death on the operating table, they were at risk of later dying from infection.

Before the 1860s, there was no understanding about how germs spread, so as a result surgeons did not make an effort to keep themselves, their instruments or the operating theatre clean. Most surgeons washed their hands after the operation rather than before. They also would wear frock coats or aprons that were covered in dried blood from previous operations to show their experience. Needless to say a lot of people died.

This was the female operating theatre of St Thomas’ Hospital, used for major surgery between 1822 – 1862. The layout of the room is typical of operating theatres of that age, with circular seats all around for viewings (hence the term ‘theatres’). The stands would generally accommodate up to 150 male medical students crowded into the space to observe operations being performed. 

In the Operating Theatre

Operations took place once a week on a Friday between 12-1pm only and this operating theatre pre-dates knowledge of germs, antiseptic or anaesthetic. There is no running water here and although there is a box to collect blood under the table, much of the blood would have spilled onto the floor.  Unwashed bandages, unsterilized instruments and lack of protective clothing further increased the risks.

No anaesthetic meant no pain relief. In fact, even alcohol was given after surgery and not before. One of the tasks for the surgeon’s assistants would have been to hold the conscious patient down. 

Truly, If I were born in a different era I’d be long dead (probably from being hooked up to that Macaura Blood Circulator permanently for 10 years – HA!) and I’m incredibly grateful to have the modern medicine we do today!


Full Area Guide: HERE

There’s lots to do in Southwark, including Borough Market, The Shard, Southwark Cathedral and The Tate Modern. It’s easy to spend a day in the area and include The Old Operating Theatre Museum in your plans.

Full Area Guide: HERE

Also close by is the wonderful South Bank, home to some of my favourite attractions in London including The Imperial War Museum and Garden Museum, plus well known attractions like The London Eye.

Strolling the South Bank

So there we have it, what did you think of The Old Operating Theatre and Herb Garret? I absolutely love this museum, and it’s definitely in my top 10 London hidden gems. Thanks for reading – stay safe and happy travelling!

37 responses to “The Old Operating Theatre, London”

  1. Sounds really interesting Hannah – glad I’m not in charge of dusting all of that!!!

    Liked by 2 people

    1. That made me laugh Marie, couldn’t agree more!

      Liked by 1 person

  2. Wow that place is interesting but does give me the jitters!

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Totally agree!

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  3. What a cool museum! I love the old apothecary things…although the surgery items make me VERY grateful for our modern medicine practices

    Liked by 1 person

    1. I know….honestly it was totally awful, I can’t imagine being sawn in to whilst awake. Thank goodness we were born today and not then!

      Liked by 1 person

  4. Fabulous! It makes you REALLY appreciate modern day medicine. Thanks for the insight. Mel

    Liked by 1 person

    1. TOTALLY. My stomach turned on more than one occasion as I was reading all the treatments!

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  5. A smaller museum, but very fascinating! A great way to learn about science and how far we’ve come since then. Thanks for sharing, Han!

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Definitely interesting, and definitely makes one glad to be living in the times we are!! Hope you’re having a great weekend Rebecca.

      Liked by 1 person

  6. I agree that we’re very fortunate not to have lived in that period of time; yikes! It sounds positively gruesome. The apothecary shop sounds really interesting though. Great post Hannah.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Totally gruesome, it really made my stomach churn a few times. It’s still interesting to learn though 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

  7. I would not last long either back in the olden days haha. My dental hygienist numbed my mouth for my last cleaning because I told her I get nervous ha! That is such a neat place to visit and hidden gem.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. That’s so funny – I don’t think we’d cope with being opened up with a saw whilst still awake then! haha!!

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  8. I’m kind of amazed anyone survived any type of medical procedure back in the day. Yikes. I don’t really consider myself squeamish at all, but thinking about how some of these implements and procedures worked makes me shudder.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. I know right, even if you survived the shock, you’d surely be killed from infection given the equipment and people weren’t washed. Madness!! It definitely made my stomach turn thinking about it – but fascinating never the less!

      Liked by 1 person

  9. I like the traffic light system – it should take the “family of four” a while to get to the top. Indeed … hospitalisation ‘back in the days’ was certainly not a pleasant experience. Yet … I’m sure I’ve seen a few bottles in your photos that are very similar to those of a Jägermeister bottle. Maybe that was the pain relief remedy!

    Liked by 1 person

    1. LOL that made me laugh, I get an irrational level of annoyance with these family definitions!! Maybe…I feel like it’s the least you’d need if you were about to be sawed in to by a surgeon who hadn’t washed!!

      Liked by 1 person

  10. Oh wow, I love these types of places! I saved it to my list immediately as I am absolutely certain that I will love it! Thank you for sharing!

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Ahh so glad you like the look of it Juliette, it’s definitely a London hidden gem!

      Liked by 1 person

  11. Geez. All the pain and suffering that went on in that operating theater. I wonder why the apothecary wasn’t allowed to marry. Super cool museum. I’d definitely visit! Thanks for the tour and fun (if horrifying) facts.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. I think it was because he had to be on call at all time, and if he was married he might be ‘distracted’. It’s a great place, if indeed utterly horrifying.

      Liked by 1 person

  12. What a cool spot! I love all the old medicines but the operating theatre itself gives me anxiety- imagine being fully conscious for a surgery and over one HUNDRED strangers were watching you? Crazy!

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Yeah it’s horrific isn’t it, I am incredibly grateful for how far medicine has come. Imagine what it will be like in another 100 years!!

      Liked by 1 person

  13. A very interesting array of herbal remedies and historical information in this vintage museum post you’ve shared, Hannah 🙂 Seeing a doctor enter the operating theater back in the day, with a saw in hand, would’ve been too much – yikes!

    Liked by 1 person

    1. It really would wouldn’t it….I’d have run out and taken my chances!!! Thanks for reading and taking the time to comment Phil 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

  14. What a fascinating museum! The surgical instruments made me wince though, I can’t believe they didn’t use to wash them! I lived in London for seven years and have never come across the museum before. I will definitely be adding it to my list of places to visit on future trips to London. Thanks for the introduction 🙂

    Liked by 2 people

    1. It’s an amazing little place. I know, I was shocked – to not even wash, it’s madness in today’s understanding of germs and hygiene. It’s well worth a visit though, and I hope you make it to see it for yourself one day 🙂

      Liked by 2 people

  15. I’m so glad medicine has come a long way. I don’t think I could handle leeches or how surgery was done back in the day. I got a good laugh from hearing about the treatment of hysterical ailments too.

    Liked by 2 people

    1. Oh I know!!! Interestingly, leeches are still used today as treatment for reconstructive surgery across England!!! I know, I had to laugh, honestly!

      Liked by 2 people

  16. I love visiting museums that can offer a unique insight into the history of medicine and surgery. But I have to say that sanitised reenactments are just as gruesome as the operating tools that look like torture implements! Thanks for sharing, and have a good day 🙂 Aiva xx

    Liked by 2 people

    1. Totally gruesome, I am so very grateful to have been born now rather than back then – it really would have been torture to endure any sort of operation!! xx

      Liked by 2 people

  17. This was fascinating, and a bit terrifying! So glad to have been born in the modern day. No anaesthetic of any kind during surgery, and the poor guy wasn’t even allowed to marry or have a life, I suspect. Your photos are great, especially the opening one and the operating theatre.

    Liked by 2 people

    1. Absolutely terrifying isn’t it – I’m SO glad to have been born today and not back then, absolutely horrific what patients had to endure! Thanks for reading and I’m glad you found the post interesting.

      Liked by 2 people

  18. I love the Old Operating Theatre and its museum – had great fun writing up a visit myself some years ago. you have certainly done it justice, Han – wow! Your photos are great too – I struggle taking decent photos of displays.

    Liked by 2 people

    1. I read your review before I visited and it inspired me to go 🙂 It’s such an amazing place isn’t it!

      Liked by 2 people

      1. Gosh – I’m really flattered, thank you! Actually, there’s something about that part of London – so many interesting features.

        Liked by 2 people

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About the author

Hi! My name is Hannah, I’m a travel blogger from the UK who fits travel around a full time (and full on) job. In this blog I share my adventures around the world and hopefully help you to find some inspiration for destinations, things to do or places to stay. Thanks for stopping by – stay safe and happy travelling.

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