Old Operating Theatre Museum and Herb Garret  

 
 
ADDRESS
9a St Thomas Street, Bankside, London SE1 9RY
 
 
TELEPHONE
 
OPENING TIMES
Closed 15 Dec-5 Jan (excl 2 Jan)
 
PRICES
£6.50 (Adults), £5.00 (Concs), £3.50 (Children), £13.90 (Family)
 

Nearby

 

Old Operating Theatre Museum and Herb GarretHidden away in the roof space of the old St Thomas Baroque church, this restored 1821 women's operating theatre is the oldest operating theatre in England. The 19th century Old Operating Theatre is located on the original site of St Thomas' Hospital. The theatre - together with the Herb Garrett that also shares roof space - provides a fascinating glimpse into the past using exhibits to tell the story of surgery and herbal medicine. Functioning before antiseptic and anaesthetic surgery was invented, the theatre?s ominous collection of sawing, cupping, bleeding, trepanning and childbirth instruments appear more implements of torture than healing. The wooden spectator galleries surrounding the operating bed provide a stark reminder of the audiences who would gather, with morbid fixation, in the "theatre" to observe proceedings. In the oak-beamed Herb Garret pharmaceutical jars bursting with excavated plant remains from wormwood to knitbone perch, ready for action, on wooden shelves. Tours, talks, lectures combined with the location, detail and design of this museum make this place one of intrigue and interest - as well extreme squeamishness.

Best for:
Herbs and hospital beds, operations and medicine.

 

Old Operating Theatre Museum and Herb Garret images

Old Operating Theatre Museum and Herb Garret  The Operating Theatre  

   
Old Operating Theatre Museum and Herb Garret - The Operating Theatre

Old Operating Theatre Museum and Herb Garret The Operating Theatre 


LondonTown.com - Old Operating Theatre Museum and Herb Garret Location Map

 
 
 
Underground Stations

Underground Stations

 
London Bridge Tube Station
 
2 minutes walk
 
Borough Tube Station
 
7 minutes walk
 
Railway Stations

Railway Stations

 
London Bridge Railway Station
 
2 minutes walk
 
 
 
Car Parks

Car Parks

 
Snowsfields NCP
 
1 minutes walk
 
Union Car Parks
 
5 minutes walk
 
 
 
 

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Near Old Operating Theatre Museum and Herb Garret
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Holiday Inn London - Whitechapel
London > Hotels > Mid-Range Chain Hotel
5 Cavell Street, E1 | 28 minutes from Old Operating Theatre Museum and Herb Garret
Perfectly located in the heart of the East End, this new generation Holiday Inn offers a quiet retreat away from the hustle and bustle of the ... More
 
 
 
Rosewood London
London > Hotels > Luxury Chain Hotel
252 High Holborn, WC1V | 30 minutes from Old Operating Theatre Museum and Herb Garret
Located in High Holborn, Rosewood London is the most luxurious hotel in the area and is nearby to the capital's main business district and a number ... More
 
 
 
Corinthia Hotel London
London > Hotels > Luxury Chain Hotel
Whitehall Place, SW1A | 30 minutes from Old Operating Theatre Museum and Herb Garret
With 294 bedrooms, multi-level penthouse suites and terraces offering spectacular views of the River Thames, Trafalgar Square and Whitehall - the £300 million restoration of the ... More
 
 
 
 
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Alternative Museums nearest Old Operating Theatre Museum and Herb Garret

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The Clink Prison Museum
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1 Clink Street, Bankside, Bankside, London SE1 | 4 minutes from Old Operating Theatre Museum and Herb Garret
Located on what was once the London estate of the Bishops of Winchester (known as the 'Liberty of the Clink'), the Clink Prison Museum unlocks the ... More
 
 
 
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Dating back to around 1220 Southwark Cathedral is the oldest Gothic church in London. It has a varied and lively history and houses interesting memorials connected ... More
 
 
 
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The Golden Hinde
London > Attractions > Boats and Bridges
St Mary Overie Dock, Cathedral Street, Bankside, London SE1 | 3 minutes from Old Operating Theatre Museum and Herb Garret
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Hunter Penrose
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32 Southwark Street, SE1 | 4 minutes from Old Operating Theatre Museum and Herb Garret
A beautiful old brick factory next to a blue railway bridge just off Southwark Street, this was once the home ... More
 
 
 
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Glaziers Hall, 9 Montague Close Bridge, Bankside, London SE1 | 2 minutes from Old Operating Theatre Museum and Herb Garret
100 people in a room, all armed with a large African drum, banging in unison, until reaching a deafening crescendo - that's the premise of Drum ... More
 
 
 
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Rose Theatre
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56 Park Street, Bankside, London SE1 | 4 minutes from Old Operating Theatre Museum and Herb Garret
The Rose Theatre was built in 1587 but was only discovered in 1989 during excavations for new office buildings. Two-thirds of the original site were discovered, ... More
 
 
 
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Shopping near Old Operating Theatre Museum and Herb Garret

The best shops and markets near Old Operating Theatre Museum and Herb Garret
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Hawes & Curtis
London > Shopping > Menswear
The Shard Arcade, The Place, SE1 | 1 minute from Old Operating Theatre Museum and Herb Garret
Jermyn Street shirtmaker Hawes & Curtis sells good quality shirts, suits and accessories from this store in the Shard Arcade located between London ... More
 
 
 
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Hotel Chocolat
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Ginger Pig
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8 Borough Market, Southwark Street, Bankside, London SE1 | 2 minutes from Old Operating Theatre Museum and Herb Garret
The original Ginger Pig was first established in the late '90s with this butcher's shop for cooks at Borough Market. Since then their farm ... More
 
 
 
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Pret A Manger
London > Restaurants > Cafes and Delis
8 London Bridge Street, Bankside, London SE1 | 1 minute from Old Operating Theatre Museum and Herb Garret
Pret sells up market fast food, hand made from natural ingredients, to take away or eat on site, in its trademark no nonsense chrome interiors. The ... More
 
 
 
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Londinium Restaurant
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Ting Afternoon Tea
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Level 35, The Shard, 32 London Bridge Street, Bankside, London SE1 | 1 minute from Old Operating Theatre Museum and Herb Garret
Two afternoon tea options - a classically English experience and an Asian-inspired alternative - are on offer at the Shangri-La's 35th-floor restaurant, Ting, both complemented by ... More
 
 
 
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Mimo London
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1 Cathedral Street, Borough Market, SE1 | 3 minutes from Old Operating Theatre Museum and Herb Garret
In a historic building next to Borough Market, husband and wife team Jon and Nicole Warren have set up the second branch of Mimo, their cookery ... More
 
 
 
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London College Of Communication
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Elephant & Castle, Elephant and Castle, London SE1 | 18 minutes from Old Operating Theatre Museum and Herb Garret
From a clutch of excellent courses in London, this is the best and among the premier specialist media courses in the world. Formerly London College of ... More
 
 
 
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Courtauld Institute of Art
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Somerset House, Covent Garden, London WC2R | 25 minutes from Old Operating Theatre Museum and Herb Garret
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Floor 52, Shangri-La Hotel at The Shard, Bankside, London SE1 | 1 minute from Old Operating Theatre Museum and Herb Garret
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Snowsfields Wellness
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It's a relief to step into Snowsfields Wellness, with its shelves of carefully selected healthy and organic products. Unlike plenty of other places, each of the ... More
 
 
 
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Marlborough Sports Garden
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27 Union Street, SE1 | 5 minutes from Old Operating Theatre Museum and Herb Garret
Marlborough Sports Garden is an outdoor sports venue located very close to London Bridge in central London. Facilities include an all-weather ... More
 
 
 
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77 Borough High Street, Bankside, London SE1 | 2 minutes from Old Operating Theatre Museum and Herb Garret
Borough High Street was once crammed full of old coaching inns, providing accommodation and refreshment to weary pilgrims, merchants and travellers on their way up from ... More
 
 
 
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Wheatsheaf
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6 Stoney Street, Bankside, London SE1 | 3 minutes from Old Operating Theatre Museum and Herb Garret
Following a three-year closure due to the Thameslink building works, the Wheatsheaf pub next to Borough Market reopened in December 2012. Drinkers who mourned the loss ... More
 
 
 
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The Garrison Public House
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99 - 101 Bermondsey Street, SE1 | 8 minutes from Old Operating Theatre Museum and Herb Garret
Oh how we wish we lived in Bermondsey, then we could call this gem of a pub our local. We'd stop in for a regular drink ... More
 
 
 
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Gong
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31 St Thomas Street, Bankside, London SE1 | 1 minute from Old Operating Theatre Museum and Herb Garret
On level 52 of The Shard Gong is London's highest bar. Part of the Shangri-La Hotel, the tallest hotel in Western Europe, Gong takes its name ... More
 
 
 
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Call Me Mr Lucky
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The Breakfast Club, 11 Southwark Street, Bankside, London SE1 | 3 minutes from Old Operating Theatre Museum and Herb Garret
Not content with leading London's breakfast scene, The Breakfast Club are now also pioneers in cocktail bars. Along with the opening of their café in London ... More
 
 
 
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The Rake
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14 Winchester Walk, Borough, Bankside, London SE1 | 3 minutes from Old Operating Theatre Museum and Herb Garret
Beer is the draw here, over 100 different bottled kinds from all over the world squeezed into the compact space (said to be the smallest bar ... More
 
 
 
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Vinopolis
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London Bridge, Bankside, Bankside, London SE1 | 5 minutes from Old Operating Theatre Museum and Herb Garret
This conference and event venue caters for between 10 and 1250 guests. Ideal for dinners, conferences, exhibitions, meetings, product launches & AGMs. ... More
 
 
 
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Old Billingsgate
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Old Billingsgate Market, 1 Old Billingsgate Walk, City, London EC3R | 7 minutes from Old Operating Theatre Museum and Herb Garret
A magnificent 19th-century market building designed by Sir Horace Jones and entirely renovated in 1988 by acclaimed architect Richard Rogers. At the foot of the City, ... More
 
 
 
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City Hall, The Queen's Walk, Bankside, London SE1 | 8 minutes from Old Operating Theatre Museum and Herb Garret
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Also in St Thomas Street

Our recommendations in the same street as Old Operating Theatre Museum and Herb Garret

 
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Title
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31
Gong Editor's Top Pick - Recommended
 
 

Alternate names and popular misspellings for Old Operating Theatre Museum and Herb Garret

Old Operating Theatre Museum and Herb Garret, Old Operating Theatre Museum and Herb Garet
 
 

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Near Old Operating Theatre Museum And Herb Garret

 
 
 
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