Blenheim Steps
Preserved but no longer current.
Going to Blenheim Steps meant going to be dissected, or unearthed from one's grave. There was an anatomical school, over which Sir Astley Cooper presided at Blenheim Steps, Bond Street. Here "re- surrectionists" were sure to find a ready mart for their gruesome wares, for which they received sums of money varying from £3 to £10, and sometimes more.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “Blenheim Steps” mean?
Going to Blenheim Steps meant going to be dissected, or unearthed from one's grave. There was an anatomical school, over which Sir Astley Cooper presided at Blenheim Steps, Bond Street. Here "re- surrectionists" were sure to find a ready mart for their gruesome wares, for which they received sums of money varying from £3 to £10, and sometimes more.
Is “Blenheim Steps” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.