Church of
St Thomas Apostle
(formerly St Thomas Martyr)
Southwark, SE1
Parish Church of St Thomas 1136-1862
which also served as the
Chapel of St Thomas's Hospital 1215-1862
Rebuilt in 1703 by Thomas Cartwright & Son
(Sometime Master Masons to Christopher Wren)
The roof space was used as the hospital's
Herb Garret
and from 1822 as its
Operating Theatre
Rediscovered by Raymond Russell in 1956, the Herb Garret
and Operating Theatre is now a Museum
supported by
The Lord Brock Memorial Trust
Parish Church of St Thomas, now offices and museum. c1702-03. Used as chapter house for Southwark Cathedral, 1901-80, and part as operating theatre for St Thomas' Hospital. Early craftsmen included Thomas Cartwright, mason and Jonathan Maine, carver. 1901-2 conversion by Arthur Bartlett.
MATERIALS: brown-red brick with stone dressings and slate roof. STYLE: plain Queen Anne style.
PLAN: rectangular plan with advanced, square-plan tower of 4 storeys to south west.
EXTERIOR: main elevation to street has one storey of 4 bays and sunken basement, while north elevation has attic dormers and lower level exposed. Main elevation has 4 round-headed windows with stone architraves and cherub head keystones, leaded lights incorporating stained-glass shields. Rusticated stone quoins and moulded stone cornice with pediment set against brick parapet with stone capping. Tower with rusticated quoins has doors in stone architraves on east and south faces, with segmental pediments and carved tympanum. At 1st-floor level a circular opening with moulded stone architrave on south, east and west faces (one on west blocked up); round-headed, louvred windows in stone architraves with keystones, one at 2nd-floor and one at 3rd-floor levels on each face. Stone bands at 2nd and 3rd floors, and moulded stone cornice surmounted by brick parapet with stone pedestals at angles and in middle of each face. (Altered) North elevation has 4 tall, straight-headed sash windows with glazing bars and red rubbed brick dressings, divided by attached Ionic pilasters with swags supporting modillion cornice. Lower level was formerly open cloister space underneath the north gallery of the church.
INTERIOR: has panelled galleries with oak mouldings to north and west sides, original oak reredos with fluted, Corinthian pilasters under open segmental pediment with Royal Arms in panelled cresting having crown above and supporters either side; and side sections with obelisks over triangular pediments. Finely moulded modillion cornice with interspersed paterae over egg-and-dart moulding. Staircase with turned balusters to gallery. Wainscoting renewed c1900-01. Restored clock of 1757 by William Parr. In attic, and now approached by tower staircase, is the old operating theatre of St Thomas's Hospital (1822-62), rediscovered in 1957 and furnished with reproduction gallery and appurtenances of surgeons' trade. Recently opened, along with the former herb garret, as a museum.
HISTORICAL NOTE: church built as part of rebuilding scheme for old St Thomas's Hospital between 1680 and 1732, of which only it, and No.9 adjacent (qv) remain. Continued as a parish church until 1898. 1901-2 reordered inside for use as chapter house. North elevation is treated in same way as that of adjoining No.9 (qv) which was rebuilt for hospital at same time. Together they form one of the more important survivals of Queen Anne architecture in London).