St. Bartholomew’s Hospital desk-based assessment

We were appointed to carry out a Historic Environment Desk-Based Assessment for a major extension of the North Wing of St. Bartholomew’s Hospital, in the City of London. The Grade I Listed building, constructed in 1730, sits within the Smithfield Conservation Area and a former 12th Century burial ground for the Church of St. Bartholomew the Less.

Our assessment proposed workable solutions to determining the extent of the archaeology, including archaeological monitoring of geotechnical investigations.

The assessment investigated the impact of proposed basement extensions on the surviving archaeological remains. Owing to limited past development, we predicted high potential for archaeological survival, consisting of Roman and medieval cemeteries, along with later medieval and post-medieval structures associated with the development of the hospital.
Our recommendations for further work included archaeological monitoring of geotechnical investigations, to determine the likely extent and depth of remains, followed, where necessary, by excavation of trial trenches to clarify the nature and survival of remains. We advised that an Exhumation Licence from the Ministry of Justice, and Diocesan Faculty would be required for works affecting the Church burial ground.