Visit to the Old Royal Naval College.
I recently visited the Old Royal Naval College in Greenwich, London. A World Heritage Site, it forms the centrepiece for Maritime Greenwich, with the Queen’s House, the National Maritime Museum, and the Royal Observatory near it.
The ORNC was originally constructed as a hospital, The Royal Hospital for Seamen at Greenwich, in the 17th Century to cater to the wounded sailors returning from the Battle of La Hogue. Constructed by Christopher Wren, the hospital consisted of infirmaries, chapel and the famous Painted Hall, currently undergoing an ambitious restoration project.
The hospital closed in the middle of the 19th Century and was converted in to the Royal Naval College, a training establishment for the Royal Navy, providing advanced training for officers. In the years leading up to the Second World War, the Royal Naval College began admitting women officers, in efforts to expand the Navy. During the War, a German bombing raid led to the bombardment of the building, destroying much of the magnificent courts and the Admiral’s House.
In the years after the War, the size of the Navy began to decrease and it was decided that the Royal Naval College would be decommissioned. Finally in 1998, the Royal Navy left the site and it was transferred to the Greenwich Foundation.
Since its transfer to the Greenwich Foundation, the site has become a must-see location for tourists, and has leased some buildings to the University of Greenwich and the Trinity College of Music, creating an eclectic mix of culture and education.
Much of the English Baroque architecture has been left untouched with constant restoration efforts, helping the site remain an intimidating reminder of the history it has seen and helped create.
My favourite bit of architecture at the site was the Chapel of St. Peter and St. Paul, a neo-classical building by James ‘Athenian’ Stuart and William Newton. Featuring one of the finest 18th Century interiors, it consists of a Samuel Green organ and an altarpiece by Benjamin West. The walls are adorned with beautiful naval motifs such as anchor ropes and fish, reaffirming the original purpose and theme behind the construction of the ORNC.
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