The site of the first meeting between Sherlock Holmes and Doctor
John Watson in both Arthur Conan Doyle's original stories and in
the BBC Series, St Bartholomew's Hospital, also known as St Bart's,
is the oldest standing hospital in England. It survived both the
Great Fire of London, and the Blitz in the Second World War. St
Bart's was also the site of the execution of the Scottish patriot
Sir William Wallace, and there is a plaque on the hospital's
exterior wall near the spot. St Bartholomew's Accident and
Emergency Department was closed in 1995, yet the hospital remains
as a centre of research and learning, primarily into cardiac care
and cancer research and treatment.
One of the hospital's many chemical research labs was the site
of the meeting of Holmes and Watson - the interiors for this, and
all subsequent interior scenes, were filmed in Cardiff. However,
the exterior of the building, most notably the publicly inaccesible
roof, were the site of dramatic scenes in Series two.
To reach St Bartholomew's, take the Central Line to St Paul's
Underground station. Upon exiting, walk northwest along Newgate
Street until you reach the crossover with Old Bailey and Giltspur
Street. Head up Giltspur, and eventually you will see the famous
side wall of the Hospital on your right.
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