If you’re visiting London, it’s worth taking a trip up the river to see the Old Royal Naval College at Greenwich and in particular the Painted Hall and the Chapel which are free to visit.

The Painted Hall was originally designed as a dining hall for the old and injured sailors who were housed at the Royal Naval College. The hall is richly painted with murals on the walls and ceiling by the artist, Sir James Thornhill who also decorated the Dome of St Paul’s Cathedral and you can enjoy portraits of the royal family, the monarchs King William and Queen Anne and their family as well as figures from classical mythology such as the gods of Earth, Fire, Air and Water.

On the raised section at the end of the hall, you’ll see a plaque on the floor to mark the spot where the celebrated naval commander, Lord Nelson’s body lay in state after it was brought back to Greenwich after the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805. For three days, the London public filed past his coffin to pay their respects, so reverred was he.

Once the Painted Hall was completed, it was considered far too grand for the pensioners to eat in and so it became an art gallery and then a dining hall for Royal Naval Officers until it was opened to the public in 1998. Having looked at the wonderful paintings, I can understand why they thought it was too grand, but it’s rather sad that the old sailors didn’t get the benefit just because they weren’t important enough.

Opposite the Painted Hall, is the building in it’s mirror image, housing the Chapel of St Peter and Paul, which is also free to enter and beautifully decorated with pastel colours and gilding.

The staff at both the Painted Hall and Chapel of St Peter and Paul are extremely helpful and knowledgeable and can answer your questions. Printed guides are available in several languages, and you can also download a PDF guide for both the Painter Hall and the Chapel from the Old Royal Naval College Website.

Photos by Heatheronhertravels