Apothecaries, Plants and People: A Potted History of the Apothecaries and the Chelsea Physic Garden

In this full-day event, discover the collections and archives related to Chelsea Physic Garden, London’s oldest botanic garden founded by the Society of Apothecaries in 1673.

About the event

You will spend a morning at Apothecaries’ Hall in Blackfriars, the oldest extant Livery Hall in the City of London. Attendees will engage with displays and short talks on botanical illustrations, herbals and manuscripts and learn more about the people and plants that link the two organisations. Participants will also enjoy a lecture led by Medical Herbalist, Frances Watkins, which draws on the history and collections of the Chelsea Physic Garden and the Apothecaries.

The morning session will include refreshments and time for discussion before participants travel to the Chelsea Physic Garden where a hot lunch (included in the fee) is provided. Travel between the locations is not included but information will be provided on public transport options.

The afternoon session will include a specialised tour of the Chelsea Physic Garden connected to the archival material you explored at Apothecaries’ Hall. This will be followed by a lecture led by Eve Barro, former Assistant Project Curator for the 350 Defining Plants Project which ran during the Garden’s 350th anniversary in 2023. Eve will guide you through some of the defining plants and archives of Chelsea Physic Garden, offering a unique opportunity to view rarely shown items, including editions of Philip Miller’s The Gardener’s Dictionary.

Additional information

• Tickets: £130 (Early Bird until 28 February) and £140 (Standard)
• The morning session will be hosted at the Apothecaries’ Hall, Black Friars Lane, London EC4V6EJ. You will travel to Chelsea Physic Garden for the afternoon session at approximately 12:15pm, where you will have a hot lunch and spend the afternoon at the Garden.
• No discount for Friends of the Garden.
• Please note the afternoon session will be hosted in Chelsea Physic Garden’s Gallery, which is only accessible via stairs.

This event is in partnership with Centre For Health Studies Apothecaries’ Hall.

About the speakers

Frances Watkins is herbal practitioner, tutor and independent researcher of early medieval wound healing formulations. Frances’ work explores the contribution of tacit knowledge behind the production and storage of herbal preparations. They a practising member of both the National Institute of Medical Herbalists (NIMH) and the College of Practitioners of Phytotherapy (CPP).

Eve Barro (she/they) is a decolonial feminist researcher and curator based in London, currently pursuing a PhD at the Natural History Museum. Their work amplifies marginalized narratives through archival practices, focusing on environmental care and colonial histories of conservation. Eve has curated exhibitions, facilitated workshops, and worked as an assistant project curator at Chelsea Physic Garden.