Church · England · Restored

St Bartholomew-the-Great

The Priory Church of St Bartholomew the Great is a medieval Augustinian priory church in Smithfield, London, founded in 1123 and long associated with the adjacent St Bartholomew's Hospital. Largely Norman and later medieval in its surviving fabric, the building now functions as a Church of England parish church and retains monastic components such as a cloister garth and a Lady Chapel.

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Photograph via Wikimedia Commons

First raised

1101

Its prime

1514

Today

Restored

As it stood in 1514

What St Bartholomew-the-Great looked like in its prime.

A compact medieval priory church of stone, with a long aisled nave leading to a crossing and an eastern Lady Chapel; the interior shows massive Norman crossing arches and heavy masonry piers supporting timber roofwork. The east end has 14th-century chapel stonework and traceried windows; a grassed cloister garth and covered stone arcades lie to the south. Inside, carved tomb canopies and medieval stone vaulting and screens punctuate the choir and transepts. The scale is parish-sized rather than cathedral-sized.

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10 places to explore in 1514.

The record describes 10 distinct spots at St Bartholomew-the-Great, including 7 interiors: nave looking east to the crossing, crossing under the norman arches, choir facing east toward the high altar and more. Create your own photoreal reconstruction and explore every one, more scenes means more photos, more angles and more of the immersive experience.

Approach from Cloth Fair to the west entranceNave looking east to the crossingCrossing under the Norman archesChoir facing east toward the high altarRahere monument north of the high altarLady Chapel at the east endCloister garth and covered walkInterior of the north transeptPrior's lodgings and the interior Oriel windowMonastic ranges looking toward the hospital

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