Evelina Hospital Nursery Rhyme Tiles

Walk through the long corridor at St. Thomas’ Hospital in London and you’ll find a stunning collection of Doulton tiles painted with scenes from nursery rhymes and fairy tales. The tiles were originally commissioned around 1900 for the Evelina Children’s Hospital, now located on the same site as St Thomas’ Hospital.

Text from the information panel alongside the tiles

Collection of Doulton Tile Panels c. 1900

The collection of nursery rhyme and fairy tale panels which are all displayed along this route to the Evelina Children’s Hospital were all originally in ‘Lilian’ and ‘Seymour’ wards, opened in 1901 and 1903 respectively. They were produced by Doultons of Lambeth (now known as Royal Doulton) by designers Margaret Thompson and William Rowe and John H McLennan. Each of the panels is hand painted and you can see that a number of different artistic styles and palettes have evolved during production.

The panels were produced in response to the extensive hospital building and improvement schemes which commenced in the late 1870’s. The creation of special children’s hospitals and wards and the recognition that tiles were hygienic and that the nursery rhymes and fairy tales could be used to amuse and cheer young patients led to a number of hospital commissions. More than a century later the principle of using art to improve the environment is one which Guy’s and St Thomas’ Charity is committed to.

Maintained by Guy’s and St Thomas’ Charity


Dick Whittington and His Cat

Dick Whittington entrusts his cat to the captain

Turn again Whittington
Thrice honoured citizen

Sir Richard Whittington
Lord Mayor of London
Wikipedia


Cinderella

Cindella and her Fairy Godmother

Twelve o’clock strikes!

Trying on the slipper
Wikipedia


The Babes In The Wood

Wikipedia

Sleeping Beauty

Wikipedia


Puss In Boots

Wikipedia

Little Bo Peep

Wikipedia


Little Bo Peep

Little Bo-Peep
She lost her sheep,
And did’nt know
where to find them
has lost her sheep.
Let them alone, and
they’ll come home,
And bringing their tails
behind them.
Wikipedia


Little Red Riding Hood

The gift of Charles Hunt

“Good morning Red Riding Hood” said the Wolf.
“Where are you going?”

Pull the bobbin and the latch will go up

The gift of Benjamin I Greenwood

The rescue of little Red Riding Hood and death of the Wolf.
Wikipedia


Little Boy Blue

Little Jack Horner

Little Miss Muffet

Old King Cole

Little Boy Blue,
Come blow your horn.
The sheep’s in the meadow,
The cow’s in the corn.
Where is the boy
Who looks after the sheep?
He’s under the haystack,
Fast asleep.
Will you wake him?
No, not I,
For if I do,
He’ll sure to cry.
Wikipedia

Little Jack Horner
Sat in the corner,
Eating his Christmas pie;
He put in his thumb,
And pulled out a plum,
And said, “What a good boy am I!” Wikipedia

Little Miss Muffet Sat on a tuffet,
Eating her curds and whey;
There came a big spider,
Who sat down beside her
And frightened Miss Muffet away. Wikipedia

Old King Cole was a merry old soul,
And a merry old soul was he;
He called for his pipe, and he called for his bowl,
And he called for his fiddlers three.
Every fiddler he had a fiddle,
And a very fine fiddle had he;
Oh, there’s none so rare, as can compare,
With King Cole and his fiddlers three. Wikipedia


Jack and the Beanstalk

Jack climbers the beanstalk
Wikipedia

Jack arrives at the Giant’s Castle

Jack runs away with the Golden Harp

Jack the Giant Killer


Jack and Jill

Jack and Jill
Went up the hill
To fetch a pail of water.
Jack fell down
And Broke his crown
And Jill came tumbling after.
Wikipedia


Link Corridor

In the corridor leading from behind Accident & Emergency to the Evelina Children’s Hospital, there are more tiles of a different style. Some have the animals painted normally and some with human features such as the hen with an umbrella under her wing.


Located at Guys’ Hospital

On the third floor of the Southwark Wing next to audiology, there are more tiles on display in the waiting area.

Little Bo-Peep

Little Miss Muffet

Little Boy Blue

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