What Is Free
The Old Royal Naval College is one of the most generous heritage sites in London when it comes to free access. The entire grounds are open to the public daily, and you can walk through the grand colonnaded courtyards, enjoy the riverside setting and take in the Baroque architecture without spending anything.
The Chapel of St Peter and St Paul is also free to enter. It is one of the finest neoclassical church interiors in London and well worth visiting. The grounds themselves are a UNESCO World Heritage Site, part of the Maritime Greenwich designation, and the views across to the Thames and the Isle of Dogs are exceptional.
What Has a Charge
The Painted Hall is the one part of the site that charges admission. This is the Baroque masterpiece painted by Sir James Thornhill between 1707 and 1726, with 40,000 square feet of ceiling and wall paintings. The charge is modest and includes an audio guide. Concessions are available, and members of certain heritage organisations may enter free.
The Painted Hall charge was introduced after a major conservation project completed in 2019. The revenue helps fund the ongoing maintenance of the paintings and the building. Given the quality and scale of what you see, it represents excellent value.
The Architecture
The site was designed by Sir Christopher Wren in the 1690s as the Royal Hospital for Seamen, a residential home for retired and injured sailors of the Royal Navy. The commission came from Queen Mary II, who specified that the hospital must not block the river view from the Queen's House, the Inigo Jones building that sits behind the college on the hill.
Wren's solution was to create two symmetrical ranges of buildings flanking a central vista that runs from the Thames straight through to the Queen's House. The result is one of the most carefully composed architectural landscapes in Britain. Nicholas Hawksmoor assisted Wren with the design, and the paired domes of the chapel and Painted Hall buildings create one of Greenwich's most recognisable silhouettes.
A Hospital for Sailors
The hospital opened in 1694 and housed naval pensioners for nearly two centuries. At its peak, around 2,700 retired sailors lived on the site, receiving accommodation, food, clothing and medical care. The hospital closed in 1869, and the buildings were taken over by the Royal Naval College, a training establishment for naval officers that operated until 1998.
The Grounds
The grounds are open from early morning to early evening and make for a pleasant walk at any time of year. The colonnaded walkways provide shelter in poor weather, and the central lawn offers views in every direction. The riverfront is accessible, and from the north side of the site you can watch river traffic and look across to Canary Wharf.
The Visitor Centre near the Pepys Building provides free information, maps and details of any current exhibitions or events. There is also a cafe on site.
Getting There
The Old Royal Naval College is a short walk from the Cutty Sark DLR station or from Greenwich station on National Rail services. The Greenwich foot tunnel connects the site to the Isle of Dogs on the north bank of the Thames. River buses also stop at Greenwich Pier, directly outside the college grounds.
