in Lifestyle

A picnic, bowling and ‘Britain’s Sistine Chapel’ (Oh, and kids go free!)

by Trend Tycoon Team September 3, 2019, 1:50 am 34.8k Views

Last week I had the great fortune of being invited to Old Royal Naval College in Greenwich. They’ve recently introduced Kids Go Free tickets (kids = up to 16!) and so I and a few other mums and dads descended for a delicious sunshine-drenched riverside picnic in their grounds and a very special tour of the stunning grounds and sights to celebrate…

The picnic was delicious and the kids were entertained with their activity packs and colouring in sheets…

Old Royal Naval College is the centrepiece of Maritime Greenwich, a UNESCO World Heritage Site with a long and celebrated 500-year history. The classical buildings that adorn the site today were built as the Royal Hospital for Seamen between 1696 and 1751. Designed by England’s greatest architects, including Sir Christopher Wren, the buildings are considered amongst the finest in Europe, featuring the sumptuous Painted Hall and the neo-classical Chapel – it’s clear to see why Henry VIII loved living here so much.

The Visitor Centre has interactive exhibits for children to explore the rich history of the Old Royal Naval College, from its beginnings as a Tudor Palace to becoming the Royal Hospital for Seamen and providing homes to Greenwich pensioners, and its later use as a training base for Naval Officers… you could see little minds exploding all over the place. They could try on a knight’s helmet, investigate the interesting finds discovered during archaeological digs, and find out what it was like to be an eighteenth-century retired sailor – their interactive packs were stuffed with toys, puzzles and games to keep them interested, excited and on their toes…

The Painted Hall, built as a ceremonial dining room, has the greatest grand-scale decorative painting in England and has been described as ‘Britain’s Sistine Chapel’. The extraordinary scene covers some 4,000 square metres and was designed and executed by Sir James Thornhill between 1707 and 1726. An extensive National Lottery Funded renovation project was completed in 2019. It’s absolutely breathtaking…

After we’d taken in the stunning Painted Hall, we headed to the quirky Victorian Skittle Alley for a few rounds of skittles, played the old fashioned way using practise cannon balls. And of course, all the children loved bowling in the same alley as the Naval Officers and retired sailors who used to live and play here did.