Kate Teltscher

A guide to the apothecary’s garden

Clare Hickman takes us on a tour of John Coakley Lettsom’s Grove Hill and uncovers the close links between botany and medicine in 18th-century Britain

John Coakley Lettsom with his family in the garden of Grove Hill, Camberwell. [Wellcome collection/Alamy] 
issue 29 January 2022

On 23 May 1804, two months before his daughter’s wedding, John Coakley Lettsom threw open his estate in Camberwell. Some 800 guests made their way to Grove Hill, with its panoramic views across the Thames to London. A leading doctor and noted philanthropist, a prolific author on matters medical, social and moral, Lettsom was famously convivial.

GIF Image

Disagree with half of it, enjoy reading all of it

TRY 3 MONTHS FOR $5
Our magazine articles are for subscribers only. Start your 3-month trial today for just $5 and subscribe to more than one view

Comments

Join the debate for just £1 a month

Be part of the conversation with other Spectator readers by getting your first three months for £3.

Already a subscriber? Log in