Old Royal Naval College

The Old Royal Naval College is a group of important buildings in Maritime Greenwich, a special place called a World Heritage Site in Greenwich, London, near the River Thames. It is considered very valuable by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), and is described as the best and most impressive collection of buildings and gardens in the British Isles.

These buildings were first built to be the Royal Navy's Greenwich Hospital. The famous architect Christopher Wren designed them, and people worked on them from 1696 to 1712. Later, the hospital closed in 1869, and from 1873 to 1998, the buildings were used to train sailors at the Royal Naval College, Greenwich.

Today, the site is cared for by the Greenwich Foundation for the Old Royal Naval College. This group was created in 1997 to protect the buildings and turn them into a place for people to visit and learn. Wren also included the older Queen's House in his design, making sure that you can still see the house clearly from the river.

Origins of the site

Main article: Palace of Placentia

This site was once called Bella Court, built by Humphrey, Duke of Gloucester. It was later renamed Palace of Placentia by Queen Margaret after the Crown took control in the 15th century. King Henry VII rebuilt it, and it became known as Greenwich Palace. Important kings and queens, including Henry VIII, Mary I, and Elizabeth I, were born there. The palace was loved most by Henry VIII. During the English Civil War, the palace began to fall apart. Most of it was torn down in 1694, but one building designed by John Webb was finished later and used for a different purpose.

Greenwich Hospital

Main article: Greenwich Hospital, London

In 1692, a special place called the Royal Hospital for Seamen was made in Greenwich. This was because Queen Mary II wanted to help sailors who were hurt in battles, like the Battle of La Hogue. At first, they used part of an old palace called Greenwich Palace and then built more buildings there. Two important parts of these buildings are the Chapel and the Painted Hall. The Painted Hall was beautifully painted by an artist named James Thornhill between 1707 and 1726. The hospital stopped being used in 1869, and later, the remains of many sailors were moved to a park called East Greenwich Pleasaunce.

Royal Naval College, Greenwich

Main article: Royal Naval College, Greenwich

In 1873, just four years after the hospital shut down, these buildings became a place where the Royal Navy trained its sailors. Later, in 1998, the Royal Navy moved away, and the Greenwich Foundation for the Old Royal Naval College took care of the site.

Greenwich Foundation for the Old Royal Naval College

Since 1998, the Old Royal Naval College has been brought back to life with new activities and uses. It is now managed by the Greenwich Foundation. In 1999, parts of the buildings were leased to the University of Greenwich for 150 years, and in 2000, Trinity College of Music began using part of the site. This created a special mix of education and culture.

In 2002, the Foundation opened many parts of the site to visitors, including the Painted Hall, the chapel, and the grounds. Visitors can explore these areas for free, with guided tours available. The site is open to people of all ages and backgrounds. In 2005, a special room called the Nelson Room was opened, featuring a statue of Nelson and other memories of him. The chapel holds a service every Sunday, and there are concerts and events held in the Painted Hall. The area is a busy place for visitors, students, and local people, with cafes, bars, and restaurants all located within the historic buildings.

The site has been used for many films and TV shows, including The Bounty, Patriot Games, Shanghai Knights, Four Weddings and a Funeral, The Madness of King George, The Mummy Returns, The Avengers (1998), Lara Croft: Tomb Raider (2001), and Guy Ritchie's Revolver (2005). More recent films include Spooks, Little Dorrit, Eastern Promises, Northern Lights, The Wolf Man (2009), Amazing Grace, Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows, Now You See Me 2, Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides, The King's Speech, The Dark Knight Rises, the film adaptation of Les Miserables, Thor: The Dark World, The Man from U.N.C.L.E., and the first two seasons of the Netflix series The Diplomat (2023–present).

Painted Hall project

In 2014, the Old Royal Naval College started working on restoring the Painted Hall. Over three years, they cared for 3,700 square metres of beautiful paintings. They let people join special tours to see the work up close. In March 2019, the hall opened again and received awards for the project.