Nicola Lisle explores the story of the Thames at the National Maritime Museum in Greenwich, from its royal connections to its industrial heyday.
A MARITIME museum might not seem the obvious choice for anyone interested in Britain’s inland waterways, but the National Maritime Museum is not just about our seafaring past. There is also a focus on the Thames in London – its pageantry, its industries, its architecture and its people – and how it is inextricably linked to our maritime heritage.
Founded in 1934 and housed in parts of the former Royal Hospital School, the National Maritime Museum – its name suggested by author Rudyard Kipling – was officially opened by George VI on April 27, 1937. At its heart was a collection of maritime prints, drawings and paintings acquired by Scottish shipowner and maritime scholar James Caird (1864-1954), who also bankrolled the conversion of the buildings.
Since then the museum has expanded in both size and scope, its displays vividly capturing the roles played by both river and sea in London’s past and present.
The most eye-catching exhibit is the magnificent royal barge built for Frederick, Prince of Wales (1707-51), the eldest son of George II, in 1731-32.
Inspired by the Thames wherries, the 63ft 4in barge was designed by architect and artist William Kent, who also designed the livery of the 21 oarsmen and bargemaster, and built by local shipwright John Hall.
This luxurious, elaborately decorated vessel was a statement of Prince Frederick’s royal status and his reputation as a fashion icon and patron of the arts.
The royal barge was launched on July 8, 1732 to carry Prince Frederick, Queen Caroline and her five daughters from Chelsea to Somerset House. It remained in use after Frederick’s death in 1751, making its final appearance in October 1849 when Prince Albert attended the opening of the London Coal Exchange.
In 1951, King George VI placed the barge on loan to the National Maritime Museum, and it is now included on the National Historic Fleet register.
Prince Frederick certainly wasn’t the first member of the royal family to enjoy parading on the Thames, and the museum displays emphasise the river’s role as a stage for royal pageantry as well as civic occasions – from celebrations to mourning – the splendour of which demonstrated to the world the nation’s wealth and industrial might.
There are paintings on display that capture this mood – from England’s Pride and Glory by Thomas Davidson (1894), which glorifies Nelson’s heroism after the Battle of Trafalgar, to The Royal Yacht Britannia arriving at Greenwich by Norman Wilkinson (1954), a celebration of what was then the new royal yacht.
In the Maritime London Gallery, you can discover how the river’s links to the sea enabled the city to prosper, expanding into Britain’s largest port that sustained a range of maritime and other industries. Oil paintings from the 18th and 19th centuries illustrate London’s importance as a ship-building centre, including the construction of a warship at Rotherhithe by John Cleveley the Elder, and William Parrott’s depiction of Brunel’s Great Eastern at Millwall in 1858.
There is also a spotlight on the Thames watermen and lightermen, who kept passengers and cargoes moving across the river until the construction of new bridges and enclosed docks from the 1820s onwards rendered their services redundant. In their heyday, the watermen also enjoyed races and regattas on the Thames, the most famous of which is the annual Doggett’s Coat and Badge race, established in 1715.
A well-packed display case features a range of watermen memorabilia, including Doggett’s race badges, licence badges, a porcelain figure of a waterman, models of a ceremonial barge and a waterman’s skiff.
Another section celebrates the architecture that has developed along the banks of the Thames, from palaces and bridges to docks and dockside buildings, all reflecting the changing character of the river, from the ceremonial to the commercial.
A visit to the National Maritime Museum is an opportunity to immerse yourself in the splendour that is London’s river: its history, its character and its significance in our nation’s river and maritime history. And then go and explore the rest of Greenwich!
Visitor information:
Where: National Maritime Museum, Romney Road, Greenwich, London SE10 9NF
Open: 10am-5pm daily
Admission: Free
Getting there: Frequent train and bus services to Greenwich, or via river with Thames Clippers. Full details on website.Note: Due to current roof renovations, some parts of the museum are closed until summer 2025. See the website for details and updates: www.rmg.co.uk
