Monthly opening of Barts Great Hall and Hogarth Stair

St Barts Hospital in the Barbican opens its Great Hall and Hogarth Stair to the public on Sunday 1 November, from 10:00am to 4:00pm. It's a monthly open day, so if you can't make this one, there'll be another chance later in the year.

What you're visiting is a nearly 300-year-old interior, recently restored. The Great Hall and the Hogarth Stair sit within the hospital's North Wing, which has also been restored and conserved. The rooms are described as two of England's most important interiors, and they're usually tucked away from public view, so this is one of the few times a year you can actually step inside them.

It's a strange thing to find in the middle of a working hospital, and that's part of the draw. The North Wing is one of the oldest parts of the site, and the restoration has brought back the original character of the spaces. The Hogarth Stair is the real centrepiece here, and the Great Hall is just as much a part of the story. Both are open for the full day, so you can take your time with them rather than rushing through on a tight schedule.

Entry is free, and the doors are open from 10:00am to 4:00pm on Sunday 1 November, inside St Barts Hospital in the Barbican.