The Painted Hall and Chapel at the Royal Naval College

Greenwich is the home of the Royal Navy College.  Two of the most beautiful buildings in the area are the Painted Hall and the College Chapel.  The Painted Hall was built by Mary II (of William and Mary fame) after she saw the number of wounded sailors at the battle of La Hogue in 1692.  It was actually part of a hospital complex Mary envisioned to care for those who were left crippled in warfare.  The Painted Hall was intended to be the dining hall.  It turned out to be a rather magnificent one.  The artist for the incredible murals on the ceiling and walls was Sir James Thornhill.  The paintings were huge and created a magnificent building that never really was used for its intended purpose.  It can still be used as a banqueting hall, though.  If you want to rent it out for a wedding, it probably doesn't cost any more than about $75K.




























The college also includes a chapel designed originally by Christopher Wren, but refinished later because of a fire.  The chapel was the site of the "funny wedding" in "Four Weddings and a Funeral".  Rowan Atkinson plays a bumbling priest struggling to do his first wedding.  It's really the only worthwhile thing in the movie.  If you've never seen it, check out the clip on YouTube:

The Wedding


I was really tempted to climb up into the pulpit, but was pretty sure that was a good way to get in trouble.  The organ is at the back of the auditorium.