A Potted Old Royal Naval College History...
...for Jack, who asks:
I have tried everwhere 4 info about the Greenwich Hospital in Greenwich Park During the war it was used as an air raid shelter by the local residents my wife being 1 of those. Can u help me please.
The Phantom will try...
The reason why you may have had difficulty finding out about Greenwich Hospital is that it changed its name and became The Royal Naval College in the mid 19th Century - it is currently the OLD Royal Naval College. Although that was about 150 years ago, it's likely that the locals never stopped referring to it as the Hospital in the early and mid 20th Century.
I'm guessing you're not from round here - otherwise you'd have visited these fabulous buildings - they are open to the public nowadays and make a wonderful day out.
In many respects it's a case of 'what would you like to know?' I could write an entire blog about this incredible place - not just one post!! (I frequently write about different aspects of it on here, though. The more you find out about it, the more there is to find out.
I'll give you a general overview for now, but I urge you to try to make a visit to see it for yourself.
It's built on the site of at least two old palaces. The first was built by Duke Humphrey of Gloucester, on top of an old priory, which had been granted in a brief moment of piety by Henry V after he won the battle of Agincourt. After Henry's death, his brother Humphrey swapped some land with the monks and built his palace there. Actually, the monks got quite a good deal - they ended up with better land - even if they would only lose it again later under Henry VIII.
Humphrey's palace was called Bella Court, and he also had a tower built on Greenwich Hill - where the Royal Observatory is now. While he was there he founded a library - which was to become the basis for the Bodliean Library at Oxford. It didn't last. Henry VI's ambitious wife, Margeurite of Anjou, had her eye on Humph's palace and, after accusing his wife of witchcraft (it was claimed she had been sticking pins into mannekins of the King,) 'arrested' Humphrey and he rather too conveniently died.
Marguerite moved in and prettied-up the palace, by now called "Placentia." It became the favourite of the Tudor monarchs - both Henry VIII and Elizabeth I were born and held court there. If you care to wander though this blog you can find some stories of those times in there.
It was beginning to get a bit dog-eared by the time that James came to the throne - he started building what is now the Queens House on the site of Katherine of Aragon's garden and the old palace fell into disrepair.
What really did for the old girl was the Commonwealth. Oliver Cromwell sold off all the valuable stuff in the palace, and allowed his men to vandalise the buildings. On the reformation Charles II decided to build anew and created the first of what would be come the buildings of the Royal Hospital.
It was Queen Mary (of WilliamandMary fame) that really founded the Royal Hospital though, She was shocked at the sight of all the old, crippled sailors hanging around with nowhere to go after serving their country. Her husband indulged her and they took on Sir Christopher Wren as architect (working for nothing, by the way.) Hewanted to pull down everything and build a radical new complex, but he was thwarted, just as he was with his grid-plan London after the Great Fire.
Mary insisted she wanted to keep her palace (The Queen's House) and that she wanted a view down to the river. Her husband wouldn't hear of knocking down the King's House. Wren had to work around those two constraints, but what he came up with was extraordinary - today's wonderful - and arresting sight - best viewed from the river, so if you come, do try to get a boat down from London. Mary died suddenly, though, and her broken-hearted husband carried on in her name. The first pensioners moved in in 1704 during the reign of Queen Anne, who did nothing to the palaces, save pinch one of the ceilings for her best friend's house.
There were a lot of wars around that time - and hence, a lot of disabled seamen, but by 1869, there were fewer wars, fewer pensioners and many of them 'lived out,' ayway, and the hospital closed. It was turned instead, into the Royal Naval College, training young naval cadets. It continued as such, with the addition of the National Maritime Museum in 1934, until 1997, when it, too, closed.
Although part of the University of Greenwich and Trinity College of Music occupy two of the buildings today, much of it is open to the public - the best bits being the wonderful chapel and the exquisite Painted Hall, decorated by Sir James Thornhill.
I've been trying to think which bits would have been safe for sheltering in in the war, and I can only really think of the crypt - the only part that remains of the old medieval palace. I would be terribly grateful to hear any of your wife's memories about sheltering there. There is a lot of material written about really old history - but very little about the 20th Century. If she wouldn't mind, I'd love to know anything she'd like to tell me.
Do try to get to see The Old Royal Naval Hospital. If you go on one of the guided tours they will take you down to the crypt as part of the tour - it's not open otherwise.
I have tried everwhere 4 info about the Greenwich Hospital in Greenwich Park During the war it was used as an air raid shelter by the local residents my wife being 1 of those. Can u help me please.
The Phantom will try...
The reason why you may have had difficulty finding out about Greenwich Hospital is that it changed its name and became The Royal Naval College in the mid 19th Century - it is currently the OLD Royal Naval College. Although that was about 150 years ago, it's likely that the locals never stopped referring to it as the Hospital in the early and mid 20th Century.
I'm guessing you're not from round here - otherwise you'd have visited these fabulous buildings - they are open to the public nowadays and make a wonderful day out.
In many respects it's a case of 'what would you like to know?' I could write an entire blog about this incredible place - not just one post!! (I frequently write about different aspects of it on here, though. The more you find out about it, the more there is to find out.
I'll give you a general overview for now, but I urge you to try to make a visit to see it for yourself.
It's built on the site of at least two old palaces. The first was built by Duke Humphrey of Gloucester, on top of an old priory, which had been granted in a brief moment of piety by Henry V after he won the battle of Agincourt. After Henry's death, his brother Humphrey swapped some land with the monks and built his palace there. Actually, the monks got quite a good deal - they ended up with better land - even if they would only lose it again later under Henry VIII.
Humphrey's palace was called Bella Court, and he also had a tower built on Greenwich Hill - where the Royal Observatory is now. While he was there he founded a library - which was to become the basis for the Bodliean Library at Oxford. It didn't last. Henry VI's ambitious wife, Margeurite of Anjou, had her eye on Humph's palace and, after accusing his wife of witchcraft (it was claimed she had been sticking pins into mannekins of the King,) 'arrested' Humphrey and he rather too conveniently died.
Marguerite moved in and prettied-up the palace, by now called "Placentia." It became the favourite of the Tudor monarchs - both Henry VIII and Elizabeth I were born and held court there. If you care to wander though this blog you can find some stories of those times in there.
It was beginning to get a bit dog-eared by the time that James came to the throne - he started building what is now the Queens House on the site of Katherine of Aragon's garden and the old palace fell into disrepair.
What really did for the old girl was the Commonwealth. Oliver Cromwell sold off all the valuable stuff in the palace, and allowed his men to vandalise the buildings. On the reformation Charles II decided to build anew and created the first of what would be come the buildings of the Royal Hospital.
It was Queen Mary (of WilliamandMary fame) that really founded the Royal Hospital though, She was shocked at the sight of all the old, crippled sailors hanging around with nowhere to go after serving their country. Her husband indulged her and they took on Sir Christopher Wren as architect (working for nothing, by the way.) Hewanted to pull down everything and build a radical new complex, but he was thwarted, just as he was with his grid-plan London after the Great Fire.
Mary insisted she wanted to keep her palace (The Queen's House) and that she wanted a view down to the river. Her husband wouldn't hear of knocking down the King's House. Wren had to work around those two constraints, but what he came up with was extraordinary - today's wonderful - and arresting sight - best viewed from the river, so if you come, do try to get a boat down from London. Mary died suddenly, though, and her broken-hearted husband carried on in her name. The first pensioners moved in in 1704 during the reign of Queen Anne, who did nothing to the palaces, save pinch one of the ceilings for her best friend's house.
There were a lot of wars around that time - and hence, a lot of disabled seamen, but by 1869, there were fewer wars, fewer pensioners and many of them 'lived out,' ayway, and the hospital closed. It was turned instead, into the Royal Naval College, training young naval cadets. It continued as such, with the addition of the National Maritime Museum in 1934, until 1997, when it, too, closed.
Although part of the University of Greenwich and Trinity College of Music occupy two of the buildings today, much of it is open to the public - the best bits being the wonderful chapel and the exquisite Painted Hall, decorated by Sir James Thornhill.
I've been trying to think which bits would have been safe for sheltering in in the war, and I can only really think of the crypt - the only part that remains of the old medieval palace. I would be terribly grateful to hear any of your wife's memories about sheltering there. There is a lot of material written about really old history - but very little about the 20th Century. If she wouldn't mind, I'd love to know anything she'd like to tell me.
Do try to get to see The Old Royal Naval Hospital. If you go on one of the guided tours they will take you down to the crypt as part of the tour - it's not open otherwise.
Labels: Mostly-Accurate History, Things to do
posted by The Greenwich Phantom at
08:45
13 Comments:
I think this is one of Greenwich's best kept secrets. Dammit, it's one of London's best kept secrets!
The painted hall is just spectacular and wonderfully beauituful. Think of a smaller version of the Sistine Chapel. If you want to see, it's free on a Sunday :-)
The grounds are also interesting and leafy. I find not as packed as Greenwich park. Not that many people seem to know about the place.
I like very much! Have some great shots of it in the fog that I keep meaning to post up on my site.
Sorry to double post - you can delete this one if it's cluttering your blog comments :-)
I forgot to say thanks. I didn't know they did guided tours! Gonna check that out.
Actually the Old Royal Naval College is free at all times now. The guided tours cost a small sum but are well worth it as you get to see stuff you don't if you're just wandering round.
To be brutally honest, I don't think that The ORNC is one of Greenwich's best-kept secrets - it's right in the middle of the town! What are quite obscure are the bits you don't generally get to see - hence the impressiveness of the guided tours.
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@the Phantom
It just seems to me that there are never that many people at the Old Naval College compared to the packed crush of Greenwich and it's various attractions such as the park and the Cutty Sark. Dunno, maybe it's just my perception :-) Defo will try out the guided tour tho!
It could just be that there's loads of room in there. But I know what you mean - leafy, quiet and amazingly still, considering we're in London...
There was a hospital on this site well into my lifetime. (I was born in 1940, in the shadow of St. Alfege's Church).
It was called The Seamen's Hospital and was located at the King William Walk end of the Naval College.
But I don't believe that is what was meant by 'Greenwich Hospital'.
I believe there is still a charity called' Greenwich Hospital' and as far as I know, it is related to Alms houses on the other side of the college. - I stand to be corrected on this point though.nuueadf
Ah yes, you're talking about Dreadnaught Hospital - which in now the library of the University. It started out on a ship, The Dreadnaught, but was moved into a proper building in the nineteenth century, I believe.
Greenwich Hospital Trust is the naval charity which still owns much of Greenwich.
Yes the ORNC is one of the wonders of London and always looks astonishing in any light and my thanks to the Phantom for the potted history, I did'nt know it went as far back as that. I am always facinated by the two globes atop the gates at College Approach, one is divided from pole to pole the other.....some kind of astrological orbits? Does anyone know, the gate keeper although helpful did'nt know.
One to investigate. I have no idea... They are fab - and have been there a long time. But why, I don't know
Oooh, ooh! I blogged about Greenwich this past weekend. I went there with the other half and had a wander round. Would you believe we sat in the Painted Hall while Samuel Pepys stood at the front and read from his diaries? The guy playing the part was absolutely excellent :) I love getting these little surprises when we just decide to head out somewhere :)
The globes on the West Gate commemorate the voyage of Anson who circumnavigated the world in the 1740s and ended his career as First Sea Lord, the highest rank in the Royal Navy.
Thank you anon
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