Old Naval College

If you’re in Greenwich make sure you take the time to look around the old naval college
The buildings alone are impressive but in particular check out the painted hall
Words cannot describe how beautiful it is

Gorgeous spaces, beautiful architecture, loads of history and a great little museum. The chapel is stunning as well. Definitely a must-​see if you’re in Greenwich. Not a lot else to say about it. You really must see it to appreciate it all!

If you’re in the area, make sure to stop in this free museum. Inside you’ll learn a bit about the history of the Greenwich area and the naval college. The displays are designed for an array of ages, with hands-​on activities for kids and explanatory signs for adults. My favorite bit was the metal knight’s helmet that you can try on. Until you wear it yourself, it’s hard to appreciate the weight and poor visibility of those helmets!!!

If you are looking for a weekend escape from London without actually leaving London, spending the day in Greenwich, a district of South East London, is a great option. The grounds of the Old Naval College are beautiful and there are several sites to visit which are free of charge. Situated right next to the Cutty Sark ship, visitors can wander around and view The Painted Hall (described as the ‘finest dining hall in Europe’), the Chapel, and several other beautiful buildings surrounded by fine landscaping. You can also visit the National Maritime Museum, Royal Observatory (location of the prime meridian!!!), and Greenwich Park which are all nearby. The lovely town of Greenwich is within easy reach of Central London.

These are lovely grounds to enjoy and walk around. It’s very much removed from the «typical» London sights and in a way that makes it a bit more interesting. The exteriors and interiors of the building are ornate and definitely worth checking out. If you’re in the London area, it is worth it to spend a portion of the afternoon going to Greenwich and seeing this great area.

Unplanned trip here was well deserved!
It was lovely to stroll the campus and I was pleasantly surprised to visit the free museum and chapel located on campus. There was even a noon mass weekday.
Lovely campus and situated in a great location near shops and other points of interest. Very walkable.

The College’s Chapel of St Peter and St Paul was built as an integral part of the sublime Baroque edifice that is the Royal Naval College at Greenwich. Its dome mirrors that of the Painted Hall opposite, and it has a truly magnificent interior. History The Chapel was completed in 1751, and was the last element of the college to be finished. As designed, it had a rather plain interior with a flat, coffered ceiling, an apse at the east end and plain galleries. Destroyed in a fire in 1779, it was rebuilt but the architect James Stuart designed a new interior in the Greek Revival style, for which he was famous. It was reopened in 1789. It is unusual for the fact that the interior is almost entirely unaltered since its rebuilding. The Chapel The exterior is part of Wren’s fine Baroque scheme, with the imposing dome rising from a large broken pediment, itself surmounting the long arcade of paired columns which front the old college buildings. The interior is essentially an oblong box, with narrow galleries supported on brackets which spring from the outer walls. But most striking is Stuart’s Greek revival decorative scheme, executed in plaster in white, pale blue and gold. A mix of classic Greek and Naval motifs decorate the walls, with extensive use of trompe d’oeil painting to add architectural details and statuary. But the most amazing element is the ceiling, which has a perfect neo-​classical design of squares and octagons, with wonderfully ornate central ornaments. Its gentle curve gives the chapel excellent acoustics. Fittings of note include the altarpiece painting by American painter Benjamin West, unusually depicting the wreck of St Paul on Malta; the neo-​classical west gallery, which features the extensive use of artificial Coade stone in its decoration; and the memorial in the vestibule to Sir John Franklin and the crews of the ships Erebus and Terror who lost their lives in search of the North West Passage in Canadian waters. The chapel is open to the public every day and remains an active place of prayer and worship, with a friendly and growing congregation.

Vaut le déplacement si vous êtes de passage à Greenwich car le bâtiment est magnifique.
A l’intérieur, un petit musée retrace l’histoire du dispensaire de Greenwich, où les marins malades venaient se retirer pour mener une existence plus paisible.
Dans le Painted Hall (mur où des tableaux exposent un peu la vie de ces marins), on a même la possibilité d’écouter la petite histoire d’un d’entre eux (en Anglais, sir!).
Petites animations pour petits et grands: on peut essayer des tenues de soldats, d’amiral, de commodore…
Joli musée. Idéal pour faire un tour sur les traces des architectes et autres grands personnages historiques de ce lieu. Entrée gratuite.

One of the best free things in London. The Painted Hall is indeed truly amazing. Ask the yeoman warders about the weird story of when the navy had a ‘secret nuclear reactor’ in this building until they left in the 1990s. They do guided walks of the site (including Painted Hall and Chapel) which are highly recommended as we would have otherwise missed loads of fascinating stories and tit-​bits. In the Chapel, make sure you check out the 3D sculptures which are actually 2D paintings (done to save money when they built the place). Unbeliveable

My trip to the Old Naval College was not one that was planned. A friend and I decided to take a quick day trip to Greenwich and whilst walking there, we were impressed by the beauty of these buildings and just had to check it out!
This is a lovely place to come visit and especially walk around the grounds where the views are amazing!

On the way to The Observatory in Greenwich i popped into the grounds of the Old naval college on the banks of the Thames, The building and its surroundings are fantastic! And the Painted hall with its grand fireplace’s are mesmerising! And the views of this building from the Observatory are amazing! You can get there by ferry or DLR! litterly oposit the station (greenwich /​maritime /​observatory /​cutty sark)!
View my pics of the hall and grounds on my flickr page’s

We went to a wedding in the Painted Hall last summer — wow, what a place, and wow, what a setting for a wedding. The grounds themselves are stunning, affording fantastic views of the Thames and a rare feeling of space in the City. You can almost feel the history of the College throbbing through the walls. The Painted Hall was spectacular and an amazing setting for a wedding. The reception was held in the Painted Hall too, and the food was out of this world — we had some medium-​rare lamb which just melted in the mouth, and the fact that I can remember it 18 months later shows how good it must have been. The only very minor drawback was that it’s quite a long way to the nearest loos, which can be interesting when you have two young children (ours were then aged 2 and 4). But all in all, well worth a visit, whether or not you’re lucky enough to be invited to a wedding there.

I visited the Old Naval College in Greenwich recently with my dad. It was a thoroughly enjoyable and educational way to spend a morning. These beautiful baroque buildings were designed in the 17^th Century by Sir Christopher Wren. Initially conceived as a Royal Hospital for the Navy, it is now host to the University of Greenwich, Trinity College of Music, as well as exhibition halls and galleries.
By far the most visited part of these buildings is The Painted Hall. I had never heard of this room, and was almost overwhelmed by the exquisitness of it. It is vast, a huge, densely decorated ceiling, reported to be one the finest in the Western World. The whole picture tells a rich allegorical story which involves Kings, Queens, cherubs and the Four Seasons. Thankfully their are guided tours to explain the Hall in detail, but I didn’t take the tour — I just asked the helpful staff to give me a potted history.
It is also worth finding out about all the events that are put on here around the year. From concerts to talks, dinners and talks; there are numerous ways in which to enjoy this College.