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Built for charitable public purpose the Old Royal Naval College was established by Royal Charter in 1694 for the relief and support of seamen and their dependants.

Sir Christopher Wren planned the site and during the first half of the eighteenth century various illustrious architects, such as Hawksmoor, Vanbrugh and James ‘Athenian’ Stuart completed the design.

As the nineteenth century wore on, with peace established, numbers of Pensioners declined and the Hospital finally closed in 1869. Soon after this the Royal Naval College moved in heralding a new beginning for the site as a naval training centre for officers from around the world. In 1998 the Royal Navy departed for its new base at Shrivenham and responsibility for the College passed to the newly established Greenwich Foundation. Link