Print. Vanbrugh (1664-1726) was a playwright and architect, and was also involved with garden design. He succeeded Sir Christopher Wren as Surveyor of the Royal Hospital for Seamen, Greenwich, and continued its construction to Wren's plan although there is little of his hand visible it it since Hawksmoor (Wren's assistant) remained the effective builder as ongoing clerk of works. Vanbrugh''s main intervention at Greenwich was to build what is now called Vanbrugh Castle as a local house for himself, on Maze Hill, east of Greenwich Park with several others to its east along what is now Westcombe Park Road for members of his family (though these no longer exist).