Visit Barts North Wing: A Free Art Landmark in the City of London
- Barts North Wing in London’s Square Mile has emerged as a contender for the Toast the City Awards following a year-long renovation project.
- Tucked away near St Bartholomew the Great—recognized as London's oldest parish church—the venue is not a place visitors typically discover by accident.
- Inside the North Wing, Gibbs created a carved staircase leading upward to the Great Hall.
Barts North Wing in London’s Square Mile has emerged as a contender for the Toast the City Awards following a year-long renovation project. The historic landmark, which houses the restored Hogarth Stair and Great Hall, is nominated for both the Best Art or Culture Experience and Best New Opening categories.
Public voting for the Toast the City Awards has concluded, and judges are visiting shortlisted venues across the City of London to select winners across multiple hospitality and cultural categories. The head judge recently toured Barts North Wing during the evaluation process, noting it was their first visit in nearly 17 years of working in the area.
Location and History of Barts North Wing
Tucked away near St Bartholomew the Great—recognized as London’s oldest parish church—the venue is not a place visitors typically discover by accident. The route to the hospital courtyard runs past the William Wallace Memorial and St Bartholomew the Less, a smaller church where visitors can hear organ music, such as Bach’s Toccata and Fugue in D minor, playing during visits.
A grand yet unassuming green door in the courtyard grants entry to the North Wing, constructed in 1732. Architect James Gibbs designed the space, drawing influence from Italian Renaissance architect Palladio and Sir Christopher Wren. The structure was originally built for the benefit of wealthy patrons in an era before the National Health Service, designed to persuade affluent benefactors to donate funds to the hospital.
The Hogarth Stair and Great Hall Restoration
Inside the North Wing, Gibbs created a carved staircase leading upward to the Great Hall. The focal point of the hall is a vast mural by William Hogarth depicting the Good Samaritan. Hogarth incorporated the likenesses of real-life hospital patients, including their medical conditions, directly into the biblical scene.
Recent painstaking restoration work has returned the mural to its original vibrancy. Despite its location attached to a working hospital, the North Wing remains entirely free for the public to visit. Opening times and access details are available through the Barts North Wing website as judges finalize their decisions for the Toast the City Awards.
