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If you’ve ever walked the stretch of the north bank of the Thames between Blackfriars and Waterloo bridges, you may well have passed a long, sleek, white military ship. You probably didn’t think much about it – but it’s actually one of London’s most famous ships and a one-of-a-kind floating piece of history.
That ship is HMS Wellington and it’s best known for being a convoy escort during the Battle of the Atlantic in World War II. Built in 1934, the 81-metre, 1200-ton ship saved hundreds of lives in the Battle of the Atlantic (1939-1945), and it’s now the battle’s last surviving convoy escort in the UK.
After the war HMS Wellington was bought by the Honourable Company of Master Mariners, and since 2005 it’s been looked after by the Wellington Trust. These days it can be found docked at Temple Stairs on Victoria Embankment, but it’s only opened to the public on a select few occasions.
HMS Wellington has been in the midst of a grand restoration since April 2023 – and now it’s finally ready to welcome visitors. The ship is set to open to the public this weekend, welcoming visitors from Saturday July 19.
From Saturday the ship will be open every Saturday, Sunday and Monday, through to Sunday August 31. The opening hours will be from 10am to 5pm, and tickets will be £20 for the 30-minute wartime VR experience and £32 for both the VR and a guided ship’s tour. You can book either on the official website here or onboard (subject to availability)
Back in January the Wellington Trust revealed that it would be receiving a £225,000 grant from the National Lottery Heritage Fund, and that those funds would be used to open the ship to visitors, continue its education programs and ensure it is preserved for future.
Chairman of the Wellington Trust, Dominic Tweddle commented on the opening: ‘A visit to HMS Wellington gives people a chance to step into our rich maritime history.
‘Our new immersive VR experience is designed to engage visitors with HMS Wellington’s extraordinary wartime stories. We aim to honour the bravery of merchant seafarers and naval personnel, educate new generations, and celebrate this important vessel’s role in national resilience during one of the greatest challenges to our nation – the Second World War.’
Other sites to have received support from the National Lottery Heritage Fund this year include Dalston’s Balls Pond Cemetery and these seven sites splitting £27 million.
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