Search results
Bethlem Royal Hospital, also known as St Mary Bethlehem, Bethlehem Hospital and Bedlam, is a psychiatric hospital in Bromley, London. Its famous history has inspired several horror books, films, and TV series, most notably Bedlam, a 1946 film with Boris Karloff. The hospital is part of the South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust.
When it was rebuilt in 1676, London’s Bethlem Hospital was the most opulent mental asylum the world had ever seen – from the outside. Inside, it was another matter entirely.
Bethlem Royal Hospital was England’s first asylum for the treatment of mental illness, and for many years a place of inhumane conditions, the nickname of which – Bedlam – became a byword for mayhem or madness. It was also a popular London attraction for the morbidly entertained.
May 12, 2022 · Bethlem Royal Hospital has since been relocated several times. Happily, its current incarnation, a state-of-the-art psychiatric hospital in Beckenham, is an impressive illustration of just how far mental health care has come since the dark days of Bedlam.
Nov 10, 2021 · Rebuilt in the 1600s and designed with Louis XIV’s Tuileries Palace in Paris in mind, Bethlem Royal Hospital featured sprawling, tree-lined gardens and walkways. But even though it was referred to as a palace, it quickly became known for the less than marvelous goings-on inside.
Sep 1, 2020 · Bedlam was an honest-to-goodness place. Ostensibly a hospital, in reality it was a mental asylum and sanatorium, built in 1676, less than 10 years after Milton released Paradise Lost. Bedlam was a place far more insane and chilling even than the most brutally savage fiction.
Oct 2, 2016 · The word “Bedlam” conjures up scenes of wild chaos and confusion but, in the 13th century, it was linked to one specific place: The Bethlehem Royal Hospital in London. This was the first asylum...
Jul 29, 2021 · Bethlem Royal Hospital or St. Mary Bethlehem was the first psychiatric hospital in England. For many years, it was known for its inhumane conditions which earned it the nickname of “Bedlam”, meaning madness or mayhem. Its history is the inspiration for many horror books, movies, and TV shows.
This section explains the origins of the 'Bethlem', England's first hospital for the mentally ill. With its somewhat scandalous history it came to represent all institutions of its kind in the public imagination.
Bethlem Royal Hospital (1247 -) Location: St. George's Fields, London, England. The priory of St Mary of Bethlehem was founded in Bishopsgate (near the present site of Liverpool Street Station) in 1247 by Simon Fitzmary, an alderman and former sheriff of the City of London.
