Our guide to one of Britain’s quirkiest small museums – visiting the Old Operating Theatre London
Sometimes you walk through a doorway and step away from the 21st century into another world, and that’s what visiting the Old Operating Theatre London is like.
The Old Operating Theatre and Herb Garret were part of St Thomas’s Hospital, which was originally founded around 1106. The Hospital remained at its original Southwark site for well over 600 years, before moving westwards to a site across the River Thames from the Houses of Parliament.
The premises of the Hospital extended to St Thomas’s Church, where a herb garret was developed in the tower, and an operating theatre later built next to it. When the Southwark hospital was moved in 1862, the rooms were boarded up and forgotten – only to be rediscovered almost a century later.
The Theatre and Herb Garret were then restored over subsequent years. It’s the only surviving operating theatre from the early 19th century in Europe, and an absolutely enthralling trip 200 years back in time.
In this guide I’ll explain what you see when you visit, as well as the practicalities of opening times and tickets. I’ll also point you in the direction of other things to do in Southwark, the area of London where the Museum is located. I hope you find it useful.
Visiting The Old Operating Theatre London – What To See
The Old Operating Theatre
The Theatre isn’t the first thing you see when you visit – you pass through the Herb Garret before you reach it – but it’s what most people come to see, so I’ll cover it first.
It was built in 1822, and it’s believed that there was a doorway giving direct access to one of the hospital wards.
Raymond Russell found the shell of the theatre intact, with one of the doorways bricked up, a skylight blocked by an accumulation of dirt, a false floor installed and aspects of the theatre still visible, including where the furniture would have stood. The Theatre was rebuilt and restored, based on an inventory from 1862 which itemised everything there when it was closed.
Old Operating Theatre Furnishings, Fixtures and Fittings
The first thing you realise upon entry into the Theatre is that it wasn’t just a place where surgery was performed. The surgery was carried out with an audience – of medical students keen to learn the latest in medical techniques, knowing that they would in future be carrying out such procedures themselves.
The students would stand in rows in a semicircle, looking down on the operating table on the lowest level of the room. The theatres were usually very crowded and noisy – with people constantly telling those in front of them to move their heads out of the way. Hardly a conducive environment for carrying out an amputation, especially without anaesthetic, as was the case for the first 25 years or so that the Operating Theatre was in use.
The Latin inscription ‘Miseratione non mercede’ – which means, ’For compassion, not gain’ – was originally in the male patients’ operating theatre in St Thomas’s. The board below lists the regulations of the theatre, including the seating arrangements. Medical students had to stand in the back rows of the Theatre. The operating table was donated by another London hospital, and the marks on it may well have been made when it was used as a work bench.
Surgical Instruments
Visiting the Old Operating Theatre leaves a great deal to the imagination, and left us with many questions. But one exhibit didn’t do this at all. The bleak sight told it as it was.
The cabinet of medical instruments wouldn’t have looked out of place in an abattoir – especially the large amputation knives. Some of the exhibits (pictured above) are listed s ‘Liston amputation knife’ after pioneering surgeon Robert Liston. Perhaps he may have used them himself, we don’t know for sure.
One of the smaller instruments used was the finger saw, on the right of frame. If you’re squeamish, best move on to the next paragraph!
Anatomical Models
The 19th-century anatomical models give a good indication of the knowledge of physicians in the time the Theatre was operational. One model is a section of the body showing internal organs, showing they had some fundamental knowledge – even if they didn’t have the equipment or skills to do much other than sawing things off.
The skeleton model is one of the few exhibits that visitors can touch, which my son greatly enjoyed. He also enjoyed opening the drawers in the Cabinet of Curiosities, which tell the story of the use of animals in medicine.
The Herb Garret
Herbs have been used for medicinal purposes for centuries, and they are to this day. For a sense of perspective, nature remains a rich source of potential cures. These range from snake venoms to treat cancers to hamsters’ ovaries, the main ingredient in a medicine that has been hugely successful in treating eczema.
Some of the displays consist of labelled jars, often with abbreviations. One of these contained hyoscyamine, a plant-based toxin used to treat gastric and occasionally heart problems. Another is calcium carbonate, which is used to counter gastric acids (and used to make lime for the construction industry!).
The jars, compounds and tinctures are one of my favourite parts of the exhibition as they give you a great insight into how advanced medicine was during these times. There is also a cabinet of poisons, including a dried-up, withered, once-toxic plant.
It’s worth bearing in mind that anaesthetic wasn’t used at first during operations at the Theatre. At first diethyl ether was used, and from 1847 it was replaced by chloroform. Some patients died from overdoses of this, and Dr John Snow worked out a way of giving a lower, controlled dose which was much more successful in treating patients.
19th-Century Medicines
It is also fascinating to see early versions of some medicines which were still in use the best part of a century later during my early years.
I had to smile when I saw a box of Pylitna, a powder used to treat haemorrhoids (also known as piles) which I remember from an elderly uncle’s bathroom when I was only a few years old. Another old uncle swore by Ex-Lax, and there’s a very early tin of this medicine – and chocolate flavour too.
Preventive Medicine And Treatments
Interestingly, there aren’t many references to diet and exercise as ways of keeping healthy during the mid-19thcentury. Perhaps this was down to a lack of awareness and general knowledge, although doctors would surely have been aware of the benefits to one’s health.
The one reference I found was the bowl of oranges exhibit. The fruit was a popular gift in Christmas stockings in the 19th century (I used to have them in the 1970s too!). Full of vitamin C, it was very useful in staving off scurvy, a disease common among long-distance sailors, and it also prevented the build-up of bladder stones.
Other Things To Do In Southwark
The Old Operating Theatre Museum is close to several famous London landmarks, most notably The Shard and Tower Bridge. The Shard is by far the tallest building in the UK, and a trip to the viewing gallery – The View from The Shard – quickly became one of the most popular things to do in London. You can book your View from the Shard tickets here.
The Old Operating Theatre is a very short walk from Borough Market, for a long time one of the best places to shop for or enjoy food in London. It used to be a bit of a locals’ secret, but those days are long gone. There are as many tourists as locals nowadays but the food is mostly great, with cuisines from all around the world represented. It’s somewhere we always stop by.
Southwark Cathedral is one of the finest churches in London. Formerly the priory then parish church of St Mary Overie, it became a Cathedral in 1905, and is possibly the oldest Gothic church in London. Much of it was rebuilt in the 19th century, and there is plenty to see. William Shakespeare’s brother Edmund is buried there in an unmarked grave, and poet John Gower is interred in one of the most beautiful church tombs in England. The Cathedral’s late resident cat, the wonderfully named Doorkins Magnificat, is commemorated with a stone corbel on the north side of the Cathedral.
Just around the corner from the Cathedral, visiting the Golden Hinde is another journey back in time. The ship is a replica of Sir Francis Drake’s famous ship which raided and ransacked many a Spanish ship off the coasts of the Americas before becoming the first English ship to sail around the world in 1580. It’s well worth an hour of your time, especially if you’re visiting London with kids.
You could combine visiting the Clink Museum London with a trip to the Golden Hinde. The two attractions are only a minute’s walk from each other. The Clink shows another side of medieval London – a grotty, grim prison where prisoners had to beg for food or pay over the odds for it. Conditions for poor prisoners were horrendous, and some of the waxwork tableaux amply convey this. Horrible Histories fans will probably love it, but it would scare some kids too.
Heading north from the Old Operating Theatre, it’s a ten-minute walk to a very different historic ship. Visiting HMS Belfast is an amazing experience, exploring nine decks of a warship which fought in the Arctic and participated in the D-Day landings during World War Two.
You can delve into yet another period of history by enjoying a drink or meal at The George Inn, a magnificent medieval pub rebuilt in 1677.
See Also: 12 Best Things To Do In Southwark London
Where Is The Old Operating Theatre Museum and Herb Garret
The Old Operating Theatre Museum is at St Thomas’s Church, at 9a St Thomas’s Street, London SE1 9RY.
How To Get To The Old Operating Theatre
The Old Operating Theatre is very close to London Bridge mainline and Tube stations, and a two-minute walk from The Shard. Take Exit 1 from the station concourse onto St Thomas’s Street, turn right and it’s 150 metres away, past The Shard and shortly before you reach Borough High Street. Entrance is via the red brick tower.
If you’re travelling by bus from across the river, buses 21, 35, 47 and 133 stop at London Bridge stop Y. Alight there and walk down to St. Thomas’s Street, turn left and walk around 100 metres to the Museum entrance.
Old Operating Theatre Opening Times
The Museum is open Thursdays to Sundays from 10.30 am to 5.00pm.
It’s closed Mondays to Wednesdays.
Old Operating Theatre Museum Tickets
Tickets are available direct from the Museum website, or at the door.
Adult tickets cost £10, concessions £8, children 6 to 16 £6.50, and kids 5 and visit for free.
Family tickets (2 adults and 2 kids, or 1 adult and 3 kids) cost £22. Extra kids pay £1 each.
Where To Stay
***** – The LaLit London – fabulous 5-star with an Indian touch a few minutes’ walk from Tower Bridge
**** – London Bridge Hotel – excellent hotel, 4 minutes’ walk from the Old Operating Theatre, also ideal location for The Shard, Borough Market and much more
*** – ibis Styles London Southwark – great mid-range option less than 10 minutes’ walk from Borough Market and the Old Operating Theatre
Visiting the Old Operating Theatre London – Final Thoughts
I hope you’ve enjoyed this article and that it has piqued your curiosity enough to visit the Museum sometime. It’s outstanding – I’d go so far as to say that it’s one of the best small museums in Europe, even perhaps the world. It’s also one of the best hidden gems in London, without a doubt.
As well as the articles to which I’ve linked earlier in the article, I’ve written numerous other articles on London. Here is a selection for you to browse through:
16 Famous Statues In London Not To Miss
34 Famous Streets In London To Explore
16 Old Streets In London – London’s Oldest Streets
25 Most Beautiful Churches in London To Visit
12 Fascinating World War 2 Sites In London To Visit
Visiting The Churchill War Rooms London
Where To Find The Best Red Telephone Boxes In London
Visiting Westminster Abbey – London’s Astounding Royal Church
15 Best Things To Do In West London
Marc Bolan Shrine London – the shrine to the late, great T Rex singer
Visiting The Golden Hinde London – on board Sir Francis Drake’s recreated pirate ship
Visiting the London Museum of Water and Steam – outstanding industrial history, brilliantly presented for kids
Sunrise In London – 10 Best Places To See It
Sunsets In London – The Best 20 Locations