The millionth visitor to the Old Royal Naval College this year is expected over the weekend of 12 – 14 November 2010. They will be greeted by a fanfare of crumhorns, hurdy-gurdies, lutes and harps sounding their part in the Greenwich International Festival of Early Music, taking place at the Old Royal Naval College.
The Festival is one of the activities that has helped the World Heritage Site break a million visits in a year and as a result become one of the top visitor attractions in the UK.
Following the departure of the Royal Navy in 1997 from the site, the Old Royal Naval College has focused on developing sustainable commercial and tourism models to increase visitor numbers, public benefit and restore the buildings to their former glory. Entrance to the site remains free.
Initiatives developed by the Old Royal Naval College include:
• Commercial partnerships. Examples include the Meantime Brewing Company, bringing the Royal Hospital’s Old Brewery back into use after 140 years. The site that once brewed and piped beer directly to the Pensioners’ Dining Room, as a 'restorative drink’ (each man had a ration of three pints a day) is now a restaurant, bar and café containing a micro-brewery which creates historic and modern beers
• Discover Greenwich: The new £6 million visitor centre, microbrewery and restaurant opened in March this year, and provides the new gateway for understanding Maritime Greenwich and the World Heritage Site. The venue has attracted 600,000 visitors since opening has been shortlisted in the Visit London Awards 2010 for the Best New Tourism Experience Award. The winner will be announced on 8 December.
• Festivals and onsite cultural events: The Greenwich International Early Music Festival – the largest festival of its kind in the UK – is the final event in an action packed season at the Old Royal Naval College. The sounds of spinets and sackbuts conclude a season of five festivals including Beer and Jazz, the Summer Sessions festivals featuring artists such as Jools Holland, Fun Lovin’ Criminals and Seth Lakeman, London’s biggest Comedy Festival which included Bill Bailey, Ed Byrnes and Stephen K Amos.
• Onsite filming: Johnny Depp joined other stars at the Old Royal Naval College last month for the on site shoot of Pirates Of The Caribbean: On Stranger Tides. Using the magnificent backdrops, and inspiring interiors of the Old Royal Naval College for filming increases awareness of the site and encourages visitors from across the world. Other big-screen blockbusters shot at the Old Royal Naval College in recent years include The Golden Compass (2007), The Queen (2006) and The Mummy (1999).
The Old Royal Naval College approach has made significant contributions to tourism and the local economy, with almost 40 extra people employed on site since 2009. The ongoing building repair programmes have had an equally important impact in the local construction and craft skills sectors, providing learning and development training.
Duncan Wilson OBE, Chief Executive of the Greenwich Foundation for the Old Royal Naval College, says: “We are delighted to have reached one million visits. Since taking over the care of the Old Royal Naval College we have focused on forging commercial partnerships and developing sustainable tourism. This approach enables us to protect and care for the Word Heritage Site while creating an international tourism destination. Combining our commercial income with Government funding has enabled us to restore the magnificent buildings of the Old Royal Naval College to their former glory and reach out to a wider audience.”
“The range and depth of activities taking place at the Old Royal Naval College is also increasing. From music festivals to theatre and film locations, we are continually enhancing our offer as an international tourism destination and a valued location for Londoners. We look forward to 2011 and the build up to London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games.”
A new design led retail outlet, Shop @ Discover Greenwich, opens on 24 November. Showcasing the very best British design and crafts, Shop @ Discover Greenwich, will be a one stop shop for the discerning shopper seeking unusual and inspiring gifts.
The Old Royal Naval College has received the silver level award from Green Business Tourism. Green Tourism for London is the first independently audited green accreditation scheme for the tourism industry in London. The award recognises the steps the Old Royal Naval College has put in place to have the best environmental practice.
The Greenwich International Early Music Festival: 12 – 14 November
The Festival features a diverse programme of performance from acclaimed musicians and includes the world’s largest and most prestigious early music exhibitors fair, featuring over 100 international instrument makers. Among the highlights of this year’s programme is Quartet New Generation (QNG), a female recorder collective juxtaposing contemporary and early music, hailed as ‘recorder virtuosos’ by The New York Times and ‘mind-blowing’ by the Los Angeles Times. Performing on over 30 different recorders of varying sizes and shapes during the course of a typical performance, QNG transports the listener into new sonic worlds (Fri 12 Nov, 5.45pm, St Alfege Church).
The festival is run by the Early Music Shop and Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music (Trinity Laban). Tickets start from £8 and can be purchased from www.ticketweb.co.uk
