Naval History in London

The seat of power for the greatest sea and naval empire the world has ever seen, you'd expect a fairly impressive amount of naval sights and places to visit in London - the capital city of England will not disappoint.

Maritime Museum

This is the most important of the naval sights to come check out for me. The site is a mix of the Greenwich Royal Observatory (built in 1685), the museum itself, Queen's House (a former royal residence) and finally the Cutty Sark exhibit.

The museum itself is normally completely free (although some more intensive temporary exhibits charge a fee), and is set on wide open green plains. One of the most famous pieces inside the museum is Horatio Nelson's coat, the very one that he was wearing when he was shot and killed at the Battle of Trafalgar. To be able to get up close and personal with a piece of history like that is amazing!

Renovation and Fires!

The Cutty Sark has had a rather difficult time in its current position, just outside of the large area that houses the naval museum and the observatory. There was a huge fire in 2007 that damaged a massive amount of the ship, and another in 2014. However the damage from both has been repaired and now the beautiful and shining ship has been lifted three metres above the dock, and underneath a viewing gallery and museum has been created. The Cutty Sark is a fantastic opportunity to see a ship from the height of British imperial power, in its entirety. Visitors can walk around and under it, and appreciate all the different shapes and features!