The Priory Church of St Bartholomew the Great was founded in 1123 by a Prebendary of St Paul’s Cathedral called Rahere. He had a dream when he was in Italy that he should found a church in Smithfield in London. He explained his dream to King Henry I who granted the land for him to construct his church. The Priory became well known for its miracles in healing the sick and many visitors to the church hospital claimed to be cured after a visit. Both the hospital and the church still exist today, and Saint Bartholomew’s – or St Barts – is famous throughout the UK as a foremost teaching hospital. The church is clearly visible in Wyngaerde’s Panorama of London in 1543.
The church is known as Saint Bartholomew the Great to distinguish it from St Bartholomew the Less which is the hospital’s parish church next door. The two parishes were united in 2012 under one benefice. Both of these churches survive the Great Fire of London in 1666 as they are situated in the western part of the city. In the 1720s Benjamin Franklin worked there as a typesetter in the print shop.
Saint Bartholomew the Great gradually fell into disrepair in the 18th century and was restored by Aston Webb in 1893. It was lucky enough to escape damage during the Blitz in World War II and has since become a favoured location for movies as its interior still is largely mediaeval. The church was the location for the fourth wedding in Four Weddings and a Funeral and also featured in Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves, Shakespeare in Love, Avengers: Age of Ultron and Transformers: the Last Knight.
You can find a parish boundary marker for St Bartholomew the Great in Long Lane near Smithfield Market as shown in the photo below. For more details on St Bartholomew the Great see this Wikipedia page or here on the Parish Clerks website
