Bookable
An Apollonaut travel guide
Moments in a longer story.
Selected milestones in the history of the Painted Hall and the Old Royal Naval College.
On this page
A hospital, a hall and a college
These dates describe the place you can learn about here. They are not a company timeline for Apollonaut.
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1692
A royal hospital
Mary II orders a Royal Hospital for Seamen at Greenwich.
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1696–1712
Wren builds
Christopher Wren designs and builds the hospital.
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1707
Painting begins
James Thornhill begins painting the hall.
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1720
A knighthood
George I knights Thornhill, the first English artist to be knighted.
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1726
Painting ends
Thornhill completes the paintings after 19 years.
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1789
The chapel
The Chapel of St Peter and St Paul is completed.
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1806
Nelson
Lord Nelson lies in state in the Painted Hall.
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1869
The hospital closes
Greenwich Hospital closes.
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1873
The Navy arrives
The buildings become a Royal Navy training establishment.
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1998
The Navy leaves
The Greenwich Foundation takes over the site.
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2019
Reopened
The Painted Hall reopens after a two-year conservation project.
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2026
300 years
The Painted Hall marks its 300th birthday.
Follow the stories behind the dates
A timeline is a beginning. The longer history introduces the people and places; the sources below provide further context.
Read at the source
Sources & further reading
Links lead to the original publishers.