Three Plans of Greenwich Hospital and School

Three lithographic printed coloured plans all bearing the title 'Greenwich Hospital Schools' and then respectively (1) 'Ground Plan', dated 1884, (2) 'First Floor Plan', dated 1884, with substantial repaired damage to the lower left side of the sheet and (3) 'Basement Plan', dated 1886. All were originated by the Works Department of the Admiralty and other copies exist, including in the the National Archives whose ground-floor plan is dated 1875, so updates were done. (Note that TNA does not have the first-floor plan but does have a grounds plan excluding all detail inside the building outlines, and there is also another copy of the basement plan in the Greenwich local history collection.)

They show the layout of the buildings which now comprise the National Maritime Museum, including parts demolished in the 1930s museum conversion such as the School swimming pool, the service buildings formerly in the Museum car park on the Park Row side, the drill ship 'Fame' (1872-73), the central gate lodges on Romney Road, the old 'Neptune's Hall' (later Neptune Hall, dem. 1996) and the adjacent St Mary's Church (1823-25, dem. 1935/6).

They also show William Newton's Greenwich Hospital School building of 1783 (far right) before its north end was removed to make the rest a rear wing of Devonport House (completed 1935). After the original GH School absorbed the larger Royal Naval Asylum (est. from 1806 in the Queen's House and adjoining wings) in 1821-25, the younger Asylum element became the 'Lower School' and the GH older element the 'Upper School'. Adoption of the formal title of 'Upper and Lower Schools of the Royal Hospital' and abandonment of the name 'Royal Naval Asylum' was by Hospital board minute of 17 September 1825, this situation continuing until Queen Victoria granted it the title of 'Royal Hospital School' in 1892. From the 1820s amalgamation, Newton's 1782-84 Hospital School building thereafter became the combined establishment's Infirmary for its remaining years at Greenwich. The staff residential use of the Queen's House shown on the plans is particularly significant. Note also the presence of a School 'Museum' (founded from 1851 by the Revd George Fisher, Chaplain and Headmaster) which by 1875 occupied one of the former rooms in the roadway under the House and by the early 20th century had expanded into the Great Hall. The oval shape against the Hall's east wall is the outline of a cast-iron stove, formerly in that position from before 1875. The plans also show houses built by the Admiralty at the Park Row/ Park Vista corner as School and/or Royal Naval College accommodation. [PvdM 3/12, amended 12/14, 7/18]

Record Details

Item reference: CMP/20; MS1980/143 MS1981/182
Catalogue Section: Manuscript documents acquired singly by the Museum
Level: SERIES
Date made: 1884 and 1886; 1884-01-01 - 1886-12-31 1884 - 86
Creator: Works Department, Admiralty
Credit: National Maritime Museum, Greenwich, London
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