Old Royal Naval College Greenwich

Prior to the building’s construction, the site was home to Greenwich Palace (King Henry VIII’s favoured residence) and visitors are able to see part of the excavated palace.

The Royal Hospital was built between 1696 and 1751 and operated until the 1860s. The complex was then converted for use as the Royal Naval College, which operated between 1873 and 1997. After the Naval College moved out, the baroque buildings were restored and the site is now open to the public.

What to see at the Old Royal Naval College Greenwich

The Old Royal Naval College is quite a large complex with several sights that are worth a visit. The main sights include the chapel and the Painted Hall and the exhibition in the undercroft (below the Painted Hall) is also worth a look.

Chapel of St Peter and St Paul

The neoclassical Chapel of St Peter and St Paul is regarded as one of Britain’s finest 18th-century interiors. It was designed by James ‘Athenian’ Stuart and William Newton and it is noted for its Samuel Green organ and its altarpiece that was painted by Benjamin West.

The chapel was built as a place of worship for the Royal Hospital for Seamen and its decoration features nautical motifs and its ceiling, designed by John Papworth, has a geometric neoclassical design with a Wedgwood-inspired light blue and cream colour scheme.

The Painted Hall

The Painted Hall is the highlight of a visit to The Royal Naval College and its ornate ceiling painting is one of northern Europe’s largest and it has been referred to as the ‘Sistine Chapel of the UK’.

The Painted Hall was opened in 1705 and was designed by Sir Christopher Wren as a ceremonial dining room for the then newly opened Royal Hospital for Seamen. However, the painting was not started until 1707 and it took Sir James Thornhill, the first British artist to be knighted, 19 years to complete the painting. The paintings celebrate England’s naval power and prosperity at the start of the 18th century.

The Painted Hall reopened in March 2019 after a £8.5 million restoration project that took two years. The newly reopened gallery now features a series of oak benches that allow visitors to sit (or lie down) in comfort as they experience the Painted Hall.

The restoration has also seen the reopening of the King William Undercroft, the large basement area below the Painted Hall that now houses a cafe, gift shop and The Sackler Gallery.

The Sackler Gallery

The Sackler Gallery features interpretive displays where visitors can learn more about the history and significance of the ceiling painting with displays showing how Thornhill created his masterpiece. The gallery also features an exhibit showing part of Greenwich Palace, which was uncovered during the recent conservation works.

Visiting the Old Royal Naval College Greenwich

The Old Royal Naval College Greenwich is in the heart of Maritime Greenwich in London’s southeastern suburbs. It is located between Greenwich and Maze Hill railway stations, although it is a little closer to Maze Hill (an eight-minute walk) compared to Greenwich (around an 11-minute walk away). Cutty Sark is the closest DLR station, which is only a 3–4 minute walk away.

Despite the suburban location, there is a lot to see in the immediate neighbourhood with a lot of interesting sights no more than a five-minute walk away. These include the Cutty Sark, the Fan Museum, Greenwich Market, the National Maritime Museum and Queen’s House. The Royal Observatory, Greenwich is a little farther away but it is still no more than a 10-minute walk from the Naval College. With so much nearby, it is easy to spend a full day in Greenwich.

It is free to visit the grounds of the Old Royal Naval College but there is a £16.50 charge to go inside the buildings and entry only costs £8.25 if you have the National Art Pass. The first Wednesday of each month is ‘Pay as you wish Wednesday’ when you can pay whatever you want to visit the Naval College.

The building is open 10am–5pm daily and the grounds are open every day from 8am to 11pm.

Visitors have the option of either exploring the building themselves or taking a guided tour of the site. The tour is included in your entry fee and covers the Water Gate, Grand Square and Chapel and the Skittle Alley (an area not normally accessible to the public). The tour ends at the Sackler Gallery and here you can look at the exhibits and pick up the audio tour for the Painted Gallery upstairs.

If you’re visiting independently (that is, you’re not taking the free guided tour) then the Sackler Gallery is a great place to start as this area features exhibits about the site with a particular emphasis on the Painted Gallery upstairs. Here you can pick up an audio tour (also included in your entry fee) that has an hour of content about the Painted Hall.

There is also a programme of live talks in the Painted Hall that provide in-depth explanations on the artwork with background information about the history of the building and the painting’s significance.

The Painted Hall Cafe and a gift shop are both located in the undercroft below the Painted Hall and the Naval College also has its own pub, the Old Brewery, which serves locally-brewed beer and a menu of seasonal British food. During summer there are also seasonal pop-up stalls on the grounds that sell coffee, ice cream and other snacks.

There is a map available at the entrance that shows step-free access throughout the site. Generally, most of the site is wheelchair accessible although there are steps inside the Painted Hall (from the Lower Hall to the Upper Hall) and wheelchair access to the chapel is via a ‘Stairmate’, which must be used by a qualified operator.

Most visitors spend between one and two hours visiting the Old Royal Naval College although you could easily spend longer, especially if you take the guided tour and follow the full audio tour.