| UNESCO World Heritage Site | |
|---|---|
 The Chapel is in Queen Mary Court (left) and the Painted Hall is in King William Court (right). The domes are above the entrances. TheQueen's House is in the centre distance. | |
 Interactive map of Maritime Greenwich | |
| Location | London Borough of Greenwich, England |
| Includes |
|
| Criteria | Cultural: (i), (ii), (iv), (vi) |
| Reference | 795 |
| Inscription | 1995 (19thSession) |
| Extensions | 2008 |
| Area | 109.5 hectares (271 acres) |
| Buffer zone | 174.85 hectares (432.1 acres) |
| Website | whc |
| Coordinates | 51°29′1″N0°0′21″W / 51.48361°N 0.00583°W /51.48361; -0.00583 |
  Old Royal Naval College Location in the United Kingdom | |
TheOld Royal Naval College are buildings that serve as the architectural centrepiece ofMaritime Greenwich,[1] aWorld Heritage Site inGreenwich, London on theRiver Thames. Described by theUnited Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) as being of "outstanding universal value" and the site is reckoned to be the "finest and most dramatically sited architectural and landscape ensemble in theBritish Isles".[2] Formerly the site of a royal palace, the old college was originally constructed to serve as theRoyal Navy'sGreenwich Hospital, designed byChristopher Wren, and built between 1696 and 1712.[3][4] The hospital closed in 1869 and so between 1873 and 1998 the buildings were used as a training establishment for theRoyal Naval College, Greenwich.[5] Wren incorporated the olderQueen's House into the layout design, particularly in maintaining the long axial view for the House to the river. The site is now managed by the Greenwich Foundation for the Old Royal Naval College, established in 1997 to conserve the buildings and grounds and convert them into a cultural destination.[6]
This was originally the site of Bella Court, built byHumphrey, Duke of Gloucester, and subsequently renamedPalace of Placentia by QueenMargaret upon its confiscation by the Crown in the 15th century. Rebuilt byHenry VII, it was thenceforth more commonly known as Greenwich Palace. As such, it was the birthplace of Tudor monarchsHenry VIII,Mary I, andElizabeth I, and reputedly the favourite palace of Henry VIII. The palace fell into disrepair during theEnglish Civil War. With the exception of a then incompleteJohn Webb building, the palace was finally demolished in 1694, with the Webb building being completed and converted to use by the hospital.
In 1692 theRoyal Hospital for Seamen at Greenwich was created on the site on the instructions ofMary II, who had been inspired by the sight of wounded sailors returning from theBattle of La Hogue. Initially, the hospital remodeled a wing of the unfinishedGreenwich Palace, and then expanded and remade the design. Architectural highlights included the Chapel and the Painted Hall. The Painted Hall was painted between 1707 and 1726 by SirJames Thornhill.[7] The hospital closed in 1869 and the remains of thousands of sailors and officers were removed from the hospital site in 1875 and reinterred inEast Greenwich Pleasaunce or "Pleasaunce Park".[8]
In 1873, four years after the hospital closed, the buildings were converted to a training establishment for theRoyal Navy. The Royal Navy finally left the college in 1998 when the site passed into the hands of the Greenwich Foundation for the Old Royal Naval College.
Since 1998, the site has had new life breathed into it through a mix of new uses and activities and a revival of the historic old site under the management and control of the Greenwich Foundation. The buildings are Grade Ilisted. In 1999 some parts of Queen Mary and King William, and the whole of Queen Anne and the Dreadnought Building were leased for 150 years by theUniversity of Greenwich. In 2000Trinity College of Music leased the major part of King Charles. This created a unique new educational and cultural mix.
In 2002, the Foundation realised its aim of opening up the whole site to visitors. It opened the Painted Hall, the chapel and the grounds and a visitor centre to the public daily, free of charge, with guided tours available. The Old Royal Naval College became open to students and visitors of all ages and nationalities. AsNathaniel Hawthorne wrote in 1863, "the people are sooner or later the legitimate inheritors of whatever beauty kings and queens create".[9]
In 2005, the room where Nelson's coffin was held prior to his being laid-in-state was opened as the Nelson Room. The little side room contains a statue of Nelson replicating the one in Trafalgar Square, memorabilia, paintings and information. It can be seen on one of the guided tours that also include a visit to the undercrofts, the old skittle alley and crypt. A service is held in the chapel every Sunday at 11 am which is open to all. Public concerts are held here and a variety of business and cultural events are held in the Painted Hall. The area is used by visitors, students, local people and film crews in a traffic-free environment that provides coffee shops, bars and restaurants, all incorporated within the old buildings, as part of an "ancient and modern" blend that support 21st century life in Greenwich.[10]
Trinity College of Music have provided musicians and ensembles on a subsidised commercial basis to play at events throughout East London and beyond, part of their business and community "out-reach" policy encouraged and part-funded by the Higher Education Funding Council.[11]
The site has been used for filming television programmes, television advertisements, and feature films.[12] Productions have includedThe Bounty, where captain William Bligh portrayed by Anthony Hopkins is brought in a Chariot at the start of the film, and judged during subsequent scenes.Patriot Games, where an attack on a fictional royal family member, Lord Holmes, was filmed, as well asShanghai Knights, and a 2006 television advertisement campaign for the British food and clothing retailerMarks & Spencer. Other films includeFour Weddings and a Funeral,The Madness of King George,The Mummy Returns,The Avengers (1998),Lara Croft: Tomb Raider (2001), andGuy Ritchie'sRevolver (2005).[13]
More recent filming has includedBBC television's spy-dramaSpooks and the dramatisation ofLittle Dorrit,David Cronenberg's filmEastern Promises, thefilm adaptation ofPhilip Pullman's novelNorthern Lights andThe Wolf Man (2009). The grounds were used extensively during the filming of 2006'sAmazing Grace, and 2011'sSherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows,Now You See Me 2 andPirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides. Scenes were shot at the grounds forThe King's Speech, where the site doubled forBuckingham Palace, andThe Dark Knight Rises, where it doubled for a cafe in the film's final scenes. In April 2012 the site was used for the iconic barricade scenes in thefilm adaption of the musicalLes Miserables. In October 2012 the college was used for filmingThor: The Dark World. In October 2013 the college was used as a set forThe Man from U.N.C.L.E.. The college was a filming location for the first two seasons of theNetflix seriesThe Diplomat (2023–present).[14]
In 2014, the Old Royal Naval College announced that it was embarking on the next stage of its ambitious plans to restore the Painted Hall. Over three years, 3,700 square metres (40,000 sq ft) of Thornhill's masterpiece was to be conserved. The conservation project focused on the Lower Hall (the Upper Hall having been conserved in 2013).[15] The project included a unique series of public 'ceiling tours' allowing members of the public to get up close to the painted ceiling and see conservators at work.[16] In March 2019, the hall reopened to the public,[17][18] the project winning awards.[19][20]
_-_Panorama_of_the_north_side_01.jpg)
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Geographic | |
| Other | |
