Bethlehem, Bedlam and Bethlem: England’s First Asylum and the history of mental healthcare

Join David Luck, Archivist at Bethlem Museum of the Mind, as he explores the history of mental health care in the United Kingdom through the changing form of Bethlem Royal Hospital.

Dating back to 1247, Bethlem, also known as the infamous ‘Bedlam’, has moved from a place of confinement for so-called ‘pauper lunatics’ to a modern-day NHS psychiatric hospital in its current fourth site in Beckenham. Over the course of nearly eight hundred years, it has followed (and sometimes influenced) how society as a whole treats people with severe mental health issues, from the Georgian ‘madhouses’ to the Victorian asylums and on to today’s care in the community.

David will introduce the Museum and talk about some of the challenges of curating and explaining this history, which is featured at the current Hospital.

Tickets are £7 per person. The talk will be held in-person at Bell House.

Refunds

Please note, we are unfortunately unable to offer refunds for this event.

Reduced ticket prices

We’d like as many people as possible to be able to access and enjoy Bell House. We offer a limited number of income-based concession tickets at half price, which can be booked directly - if you would not be able to attend at the full price due to financial considerations, then this concession option is available.