Medicine Through Time - School History Trips to London | Educational Trips from Rayburn Tours

Guided Walking Tours

Body Snathcer's Tour

The one and a half hour Body Snatcher’s Tour takes students back in time to understand how anatomy was at the heart of medical teaching at hospitals such as Guy’s and St Thomas’s which required human material and tells the many tales of how this material was brought to them fresh from the graves of London.

The Public Health Guided Walking Tour

An alternative to the Body Snatcher's Tour is the Public Health Guided Walking Tour which covers the illnesses faced by society, from peasants through to members of the monarchy. Whilst these tours cover very different topics, they both offer a chance for students to see some of the sites of London and get a glimpse into the gruesome nature of the History of Medicine.

Disease and Infection
The Alexander Fleming Laboratory Museum

This Museum in St. Mary’s Hospital gives your students the chance to see the very laboratory in which Alexander Fleming discovered penicillin. Restored to its original 1928 condition, your students will discover the secrets behind the Nobel Prize winning breakthrough and the chance circumstances which led to the development of one of the most significant steps in medical history.

The Florence Nightingale Museum

Three pavilions illustrate Florence’s story with each representing a key period in her life: The Gilded Cage and Family, The Crimea, and The Health Reformer. This is an essential visit for any pupil studying Medicine Through Time as the legacy of Florence Nightingale, and her influence on hygiene standards in modern day nursing, demonstrates how key individuals affected our modern day health service.

Surgery and Anatomy
The Old Operating Theatre Museum & Herb Garret

During this fascinating visit to the only surviving 19th century operating theatre, museum staff dramatically reconstruct the atmosphere of an operation in the time before the discovery of anaesthesia and antiseptic surgery, providing an insight into the vivid reality of 19th century surgery.

Public Health
The Museum of London

A visit to the museum of London can provide your students with an insight into living conditions in London through the ages, assisting with reasons behind the Public Health Acts of 1848 and 1875.

The Great Ormond Street

For smaller groups, the Great Ormond Street Museum illustrates the importance of the role played by certain individuals in ensuring that the vulnerable members of our society were able to access health care.

General Visits in London

The Science Museum

With 3 different exhibitions dedicated to the history and development of medicine, The Science Museum provides an ideal visit for those studying the Medicine Through Time syllabus.

‘The Science and Art of Medicine’ gives you the chance to view fascinating artefacts from around the world and across the ages. The displays demonstrate the history of medicine from various cultures and the way in which tools from the past have contributed to modern day practices.

‘Glimpses of Medical History’ is a captivating exhibition of 3D snapshots, depicting scenes of medicine in practice and spanning a time period of 10 centuries. The scenes provide a stark contrast between past and present practices and are themed by the rise of preventative medicine, the increasing use of technology and the growth of medical specialisms.

‘Health matters’ offers an insight into the rapidly changing medical technology of the 20th century. Films and displays demonstrate the technological advances which have dramatically changed the way we experience medicine.

The Wellcome Collection

Visit the galleries of the Wellcome Collection to observe a variety of exhibitions including ‘Medicine Man’, an exploration into Henry Wellcome’s studies and artefacts, and ‘Medicine Now’, an examination of medicine through the eyes of artists, scientists and surgeons.

The British Dental Association

From the very first teeth extractors to 19th century dental floss and the earliest sets of braces, discover a timeline of dental surgery and hygiene in this fascinating museum.

• The London Dungeon
• The Tower of London
• Houses of Parliament
• The National Gallery
• The London Eye
• A West End Show
• Open-bus tour of London
• Madame Tussauds Wax Museum
• Natural History Museum

All of our tours are bespoke, therefore the itinerary below is simply an example; the duration, educational visits, leisure excursions and accommodation centre used will be selected to match the requirements of your group. Please contact us to discuss your bespoke itinerary.

Morning visit to the Old Operating Theatre followed by the Public Health Guided Walking Tour
Free time for lunch
Afternoon visit to the Florence Nightingale Museum
Leisure option The London Eye
Arrive back at your school in the evening

All of our tours are bespoke, therefore the itinerary below is simply an example; the duration, educational visits, leisure excursions and accommodation centre used will be selected to match the requirements of your group. Please contact us to discuss your bespoke itinerary.

Day 1

Arriving in London in the early afternoon, the group visited the Alexander Fleming Laboratory Museum followed by the Old Operating Theatre Museum. They enjoyed an evening meal at the Hard Rock Café restaurant and watched an evening theatre show before travelling to their hotel.

Day 2

They checked out of the hotel and departed for a morning visit to the Science Museum. In the early afternoon they began their return journey home.

Clink 261

This hostel is located in central London close to Kings Cross St. Pancras and is within walking distance of the British Museum, Oxford Street, Covent Garden, Madame Tussauds and Regents Park. The décor of Clink 261 is eye catching and modern throughout its dorms, chill-out room and self-catering kitchen.