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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 www.flickr.com/top_gun_1uk
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 17th 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.
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.
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.
When the weather is nice, this is a great place to spend an afternoon. It's a good idea to start off in the visitor's center, which is really well done and gives you a good overview of the history. I joined one of their free tours that leave from the visitor's center and it was great. The guide was knowledgable and it was nice to have someone point out all the areas of interest. The chapel here is stunning. It's absolutely beautiful and you must stop in. The Painted Room was closed for renovation when I was there, but I am looking forward to going back once it is open. Pack a picnic lunch and enjoy it on the grounds. If you are lucky, you will be able to hear the students at the Trinity College of Music practice in the buildings as you are wandering around. It makes for a great backdrop for a picnic lunch! read more
Two things I recommend to travelers to London: Schedule one low-key day and head out to Greenwich. See the Prime Meridian, see the Cutty Sark, shop in the Greenwich Market, and, of course, visit to Old Royal Naval College. On my first visit, I went on the Painted Hall Ceiling Tours. The second time, I was going with a tour group and we had much less time. The good news is we happened across a WWII Movie being filmed there, making it another great trip. The ORNC is visually stunning, inside and out. read more
Beautiful. Just beautiful. Go look at the Painted Room. It has one of the biggest canvas paintings in the world (if not the biggest). They have Victorian ten pin bowling if they have enough staff in the Painted Room (they need 4 or more). The view to the Thames is breathtaking. Well worth the visit. read more
18 years ago
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 www.flickr.com/top_gun_1uk read more
11 years ago
18 years ago
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 17th 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. read more
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. read more
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. read more
17 years ago
18 years ago
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. read more
11 years ago
11 years ago
17 years ago
