Venture into the West Smithfield area of the City of London, and there’s so much to discover. As well as the cathedral-like Smithfield Market itself, there’s the hauntingly atmospheric church of St Bartholomew the Great, historic St Bart’s hospital with the little church of St Bartholomew the Less, and just minutes away you’ll also find The Charterhouse, the Barbican and Postman’s Park.
If you’re looking for somewhere peaceful in the area to take the weight off and refuel, you’ll find a charming eatery just a short walk away in the newly redeveloped Bartholomew Close, which runs from Little Britain around towards Cloth Fair. The area was originally part of the precinct of St Bartholomew the Great, and thus its rather winding route reflects the somewhat haphazard way the area was developed after the Reformation.
Half Cup occupies a special corner in the central square which is dotted with trees and seating areas. The cafe serves not only great lattes but a welcome brunch menu as well. It’s a wonderfully airy place with floor to ceiling windows.
A sense of unhurried calm descends, and as you tuck into your beautifully presented Full English with locally roasted coffee, and leaf through your guidebook, you might ponder on some of the artists, writers and intellectuals who were connected with the area in the past.
John Milton – Poet
Inhabitants of the Close enjoyed special privileges originally bestowed on the priory by Henry I such as ‘freedom from arrest’, which may explain in part why John Milton, the English poet and author of the epic Paradise Lost found himself in Bartholomew Close during the summer of 1660.
Milton had been a prominent advocate for Oliver Cromwell’s Commonwealth government, writing several anti-monarchist tracts defending the execution of Charles I. So, when Charles II returned to power, Milton, fearing for his life, went into hiding in a friend’s house in Bartholomew Close. Eventually, he was arrested but later released and moved on to lodgings in Aldersgate Street where he wrote Paradise Lost.
William Hogarth – Artist
The artist was born at no 58, a property owned by St Bartholomew’s Hospital and was baptised in St Bartholomew the Great. He is best known for his satirical caricatures including Marriage a la Mode and A Rake’s Progress. On hearing that the hospital had chosen an Italian painter to adorn the great Staircase in the North Wing, he immediately offered his services for free, and his murals The Garden of Bethesda andThe Good Samaritan can be seen there today.
Dr Francis Anthony – Physician and Alchemist
A late 16th century resident of Bartholomew Close was Dr Francis Anthony, physician and alchemist whose name became synonymous with one of the most mysterious and controversial remedies of the time – Aurum Potabile or ‘drinkable gold’ – a liquid solution containing gold particles, which it was claimed could rejuvenate the body, stave off illness, and prolong life itself. The concept was based on the idea that gold’s purity and durability could enhance the body’s vital functions.
What lifted Francis Anthony above the rank of street-corner-snake-oil salesman was his social status and public reputation. He was Cambridge educated, a family man, well connected. Living in Bartholomew Close placed him at the heart of London’s Medical and intellectual community, as well as giving him access to the hospital and its resources.
But the College of Physicians was particularly hostile toward Anthony, accused him of being a quack and had him imprisoned twice for practicing medicine without a licence. Nevertheless, Anthony persisted, bolstered by the testimonies of aristocratic and wealthy clients who claimed to have been healed by his elixir.
He died in 1623 aged 74 and was buried in the church of St. Bartholomew the Great, in the aisle that joins the north side of the chancel, where a monument has been erected to his memory.
Hubert Le Sueur – sculptor
A resident of Barthlomew Close in the 17th century was the French Sculptor Hubert Le Sueur. He arrived in London in 1625 with the retinue of Henrietta Maria, Charles I’s future bride. Le Sueur soon became the King’s favourite sculptor, producing over 50 works for him, the best known being a bronze study of Charles I on horseback which stands today at the edge of Trafalgar Square.
It was originally commissioned in 1633 by the King’s Lord Treasurer for his home in Roehampton. Following the English Civil War the statue was sold to a metalsmith with official orders to destroy it. The metalsmith hid it on his premises and began producing brass handled cutlery which he claimed was made from the remains of the statue.
Following the Restoration the statue was retrieved and placed in its current position, facing along Whitehall and the site of Charles I’s execution.
It has the distinction of being the oldest bronze statue in London, the first Renaissance style statue in England and is sited on the point that all road sign distances into London are measured from – in other words – the centre of London.
Benjamin Franklin – Founding Father of the U.S.A.
Finally, we come to the great American polymath Benjamin Franklin’s association with Bartholomew Close. 2025 marks the 300th anniversary of the year he spent as a journeyman printer, aged just 18, in Samuel Palmer’s Print shop, which was situated in the converted Lady Chapel of St Bartholomew the Great.
He went on to become one of the most influential intellectuals of his time excelling as a writer, scientist, inventor, statesman, diplomat, publisher and political philosopher. He is best known of course as one of the Founding Fathers of the United States – a drafter and signatory of the Declaration of Independence.
His connections with the UK continued over the years, and his studies into electricity led him into a heated debate with King George III in 1764 when the King consulted him on the subject of lightning conductors asking whether they should have sharp or blunt tips! To hear more about that story, book a place on our walk Across the Pond: the London haunts of some famous Americans.
Images:
1 Half Cup Café – photograph © Jane Copland
2 John Milton https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:John_Milton_Christ%27s_College.jpg
3 William Hogarth – public domain
4 Dr Frances Anthony – https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/76/St_Bartholomew_the_Great%2C_West_Smithfield%2C_London_EC1_-_Wall_monument_-_geograph.org.uk_-_1142715.jpg?20100830103743
5 Herbert Le Sueur – https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?search=charles+2+statue&title=Special:MediaSearch&type=image
6 Benjamin Franklin – https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Benjamin_Franklin_by_Joseph_Siffrein_Duplessis.jpg