Long before vaccines and antibiotics, London’s first line of defence against epidemic disease was the Pest House. Built beyond the city walls to isolate those suffering from plague, smallpox and other contagious illnesses, these often-overlooked institutions played a vital role in protecting the wider population during some of the capital’s darkest chapters.

In this talk, Alison Wall traces the history of London’s Pest Houses, from their expansion during the Great Plague of 1665 under Charles II to the fever hospitals and isolation units that followed. Along the way, she explores changing medical beliefs, reveals the surprising locations of surviving Pest Houses and considers what these early attempts at quarantine can teach us about our own experience of the COVID-19 pandemic. Join us for a journey through London’s forgotten history of contagion, isolation and survival.

Tickets £12.50 including a delightful Victorian punch and a 20% donation toward a host of restoration projects at Kensal Green Cemetery

ALSION WALL
Alison Wall has a background in nursing and midwifery and holds an MSc in Public Health. She is the author of Plague Houses and Pandemics and has spent many years researching London’s forgotten Pest Houses, tracing the history of quarantine, epidemic disease and public health from the Great Plague to the COVID-19 pandemic.