Bart's nearly 300 year old Great Hall opens to the public for free visits

"After several years of careful restoration, one of the City of London's grandest historic interiors has opened for regular public visits. The nearly 300-year-old north wing building inside Barts Hospital wasn't built for patients, but rather as an administrative building and reception room for the many wealthy donors who contributed to the hospital's construction. Previously open only on special tours, the building has been closed for several years for major conservation work."

"The ground-floor staircase was designed to impress potential donors, its walls adorned with two vast murals by William Hogarth. Depicting The Pool of Bethesda and The Good Samaritan, the paintings serve as moral reminders of charity and compassion. Best viewed from the top landing, the staircase alone is worth the visit - and for many years, it was all that most people were allowed to see."

"The space is awe-inspiring - a lofty chamber lined not with wallpaper or panelling, but with names. So much space has been covered in inscriptions honouring those who contributed to the hospital's work. Some names get more space not because they gave more money, but because they had more gravitas. So Prince Albert, who gave £50 gets a huge plaque all to himself, while larger donors who gave far more money end up sharing a nameboard with other donors."

After several years of conservation, the nearly 300-year-old North Wing at Barts Hospital has reopened for regular public visits without booking. Visitors enter via the King Henry VIII gatehouse and can access the North Wing and climb the ground-floor staircase. The staircase features two vast William Hogarth murals, The Pool of Bethesda and The Good Samaritan, intended as moral reminders of charity and compassion. The restored route leads into the Great Hall, a lofty chamber lined with inscriptions honouring donors, where names are displayed according to stature as well as contribution. Contemporary nameboards record recent individuals and organisations who supported the restoration.

Read at ianVisits