St Bartholomew's Hospital
History
St. Bartholomew's Hospital, also simply called Barts, is the oldest hospital in Great Britain and hence, it has a very colourful history. As early as in 1123, it was founded by Rahere, who was a former courtier of King Henry I. A few centuries later, in 1877, the School of Nursing, which still exists today, was founded and the first student nurses entered Barts. These are only the most important events in the hospital's history. For more information, you can visit Barts' webpage.
Barts today
Today, St Bartholomew's Hospital is mainly a teaching hospital and is internationally renowned in that field. For visitors, the Hospital Museum has been established. You can find there original and facsimilie including a copy of Rahere's grant from 1137. Apart from that, you can see surgical and medical equipment that was once used in the hospital as well as several works of art. Additionally, admission is totally free.
Connection to Sherlock Holmes
Barts is also well-known for being John Watson's alma mater. Being aware of that fact, is not surprising that Holmes' and Watson's first meeting took place in one of the chemical laboratories at Barts in A Study in Scarlet. In the BBC series "Sherlock", Holmes can be found quite often in one of Barts' laboratories examining pieces of evidence. Furthermore, St Bartholomew's Hospital is also the site where Sherlock's fake suicide in the TV series took place. Image source