A revitalised venue at the Old Royal Naval College, Greenwich
Laura Wilkinson
4 September 2007
The Queen Mary Undercroft, set beneath the Chapel at the Old Royal Naval College Greenwich, reopens following a £500,000 refurbishment programme.
Originally designed as a refectory for the Greenwich Pensioners, the Queen Mary Undercroft has provided a venue for dining and entertaining since the 1750s and today the Greenwich Foundation, in its 10th anniversary year, is proud to unveil a refurbished Undercroft following a £500,000 investment.
The refurbishment work has sensitively brought the space alive; the impressive architectural details including a vaulted ceiling and newly-stripped stone columns, are now complemented by light walls, a sleek low key bar, candelabras and light wood flooring. Available during the day and evening the Undercroft provides an elegant entertaining space and can now accommodate up to 400 people for receptions, 180 for dinners and 250 for theatre-style seating. It also provides a unique venue for exhibitions.
Set on the banks of the Thames, the Old Royal Naval College offers a wealth of venues for different events, each one complemented by formal lawns, colonnaded terraces and magnificent views of the river. Along with the Queen Mary Undercroft, the College includes the Painted Hall, one of the finest banqueting halls in Europe, the King William Restaurant and for more intimate occasions, Admiral’s House.
Leith’s, the conference and banqueting specialists of Compass Group, match the surroundings with quality ingredients and imaginative, flexible menus. The events team bring their experience and a personal approach to every occasion, ensuring its success with an unrivalled focus on attention to detail. Customers can choose from a selection of recommended menus, or alternatively, request bespoke dishes to suit their event and match their theme.
- Ends -
Issued 13 August 2007
For further information and images contact:
Laura Wilkinson, Marketing & Events Manager, Greenwich Foundation.
020 8269 4763 / 07890 314499
lwilkinson@greenwichfoundation.org.uk
www.oldroyalnavalcollege.org
For further information about Leith’s, please contact:
Sangeeta Suthar, PR Manager, Compass Group UK & Ireland
01895 554364 / sangeeta.suthar@compass-group.co.uk
Notes to Editors
1. Brief Site History
The Old Royal Naval College began life as Greenwich Hospital, which was established in 1694 by Royal Charter for the relief and support of seamen and their dependants and for the improvement of navigation. Sir Christopher Wren planned the site, described as "one of the most sublime sights English architecture affords", and, during the first half of the eighteenth century, various illustrious architects, such as Hawksmoor and Vanbrugh, completed Wren's grand design.
In June 1705, the first Pensioners arrived and, by 1814, a total of 2,710 lived there. They lived on a diet of bread, beer and boiled meat and smoked their clay pipes or ‘chalks’ in the Chalk Walk, now the Skittle Alley. The Pensioners were given pocket money of 1s a week, which they supplemented by acting as caddies at Blackheath Golf Club and guides for visitors to Greenwich.
For three days in 1806, 5 – 7 January, Admiral Lord Nelson ‘lay-in-state’ in the Painted Hall. The Upper Hall was draped in black and arrayed with symbols of state mourning: banners, armorial escutcheons and sconced candles whilst the Lower Hall windows were draped and barriers erected to channel the expected crowds. Huge crowds were admitted (estimates range from 15,000 to 30,000) in a renewed outpouring of grief since the victory at Trafalgar. On the morning of the 8 January Nelson’s coffin was borne to the River where it was taken in a huge procession up the river to St Paul’s Cathedral for his state funeral.
In 1869 the Hospital was closed, and in 1873 the complex of buildings became the Royal Naval College, where officers from all over the world came to train in the naval sciences. The Navy moved out in 1998 to merge with the RAF and Army at a new Joint Services Staff College in Shrivenham.
With the departure of the Royal Navy from Greenwich, responsibility for the Old Royal Naval College passed to the Greenwich Foundation. The Foundation is a registered charity established to look after, and interpret, the buildings and their grounds for the benefit of the nation.
2. Leith’s, the conference and banqueting specialists of the sport, leisure and hospitality sector within Compass Group, specialises in the provision of foodservice, corporate hospitality sales and venue management services to the UK's premier sporting, social, cultural and corporate events. Today the business specialises in food services to cultural, arts and exhibition locations delivering the finest food remains at the heart of every Leith’s experience to strive for a service that is "Simply Better" every time.
3. 2007 is the 10th anniversary of both the inscription of the Maritime Greenwich World Heritage Site by UNESCO and the setting up of the Greenwich Foundation for the Old Royal Naval College following the departure of the Royal Navy in 1997.
