WELLINGTON – Thames Blog (One)
Moored at Temple Pier on Victoria Embankment, London just downstream of Waterloo Bridge and not far from the Savoy Hotel, is a white ship from another era. Sporting the name WELLINGTON, the historic ship has been moored on the Thames since 1948.
WELLINGTON is the last survivor of the Grimsby Class of sloops which served in World War Two. The 1256 ton HMS WELLINGTON was built for Britian’s Royal Navy at Devonport Dockyard in 1934. She was one of thirteen such warships built for service in the Commonwealth and Dependencies. HMS WELLINGTON patrolled the Pacific region around New Zealand (hence the name) from 1936 until recalled to UK waters in 1939.
After war broke out in 1939 the ship began a six-year patrol as convoy escort in the Atlantic. She was fitted with two 4.7 inch and one three inch guns. Additionally, anti-aircraft guns were fitted for self defense. Depth charges for use against submarines were also carried. One of the smallest ships engaged in this risky operation, HMS WELLINGTON steamed over 240,000 miles and rescued over 450 Merchant Navy seamen, evacuated troops at Dunkirk, participated in the North African landings and shared the credit for sinking a U Boat.
By 1946 HMS WELLINGTON was laid up with other surplus warships at Pembroke Dock in South West Wales. In 1947 she was bought by the Honourable Company of Master Mariners to serve as their Livery Hall and Headquarters. The Company aids nautical schools and promotes nautical research. WELLINGTON was converted to Head Quarters Ship Wellington at Chatham Dockyard. The cost was met by an appeal to which Lloyd’s, Shipping Companies, Livery Companies and many other benefactors generously contributed
(The Honourable Company of Master Mariners was formed in 1926; it was made a Livery Company by the City of London in 1932, making it the first new Livery Company to be formed in over a century. While the other Livery Companies are entitled to the style Worshipful, the Master Mariners are styled Honourable, King George V having granted them that honour in 1928. A livery company is most basically described as a trade association)
HQS WELLINGTON’s engine and boiler rooms were transformed into a rooms for meetings, conferences, dining and receptions. Office space for the management of the company, its charitable trusts and its huge library were included along with public spaces to display an impressive collection of marine paintings, ship models, silver and other artefacts of maritime significance.
In 2005 the ownership of the vessel transferred to the Wellington Trust – a charitable trust established to ensure the preservation of the historic ship.
Since 2009 the ship has been running an educational program for local primary schools, sessions consist of a facilitated exploration of life onboard ship – followed by a discovery trail encompassing a visit to the bridge and other parts of the ship.
WELLINGTON has always been a well loved ship with during her Royal Navy service was known with great affection as “The Welly”.
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Such a nice post. I love Wallington so much. Please post some pictures of its luxury. I will be waiting for your updated next post.
If they can do this sort of thing in the UK, why can’t we in America do more of it to preserve and protect our maritime history? While not an island nation like Britain, we have depended on the sea to provide us with goods, produce and necessary items from abroad. Is there no sense of history left in America? Our maritime triumph, the SS United States, the true holder of the Hales Trophy, was the crowninig achievement in commerce at sea. And we almost lost her to the dismantlers! We have a rich heritage…let us protect it for generations to come.
I agree with how important it is to preserve what we can of maritime heritage, that is in part what this site is about.
Thank Dubai, my time was short and restricted to dash down the Thames on on of the fast cats. I had been curious about a number of vessels often see when I lived there, so this was my way to explore.
I read that the WELLY was taken for dry docking in 1992. Moments like that can be the end for an old ship, but somehow there was money for that need maintenance.
Thanks for the comments – Martin
Nicely written and researched. I often wondered about the history of the various ships along the river in London. Sadly missing now is the original QUEEN MARY. I sailed that steamer in Scotland in 1977, then visited and dined aboard her when she too was moored along the embankment. Does anyone have any updates on the current status of that ship?
This is a vague comment, about laid up ships, more explicitely, the Ghost fleet in Virginia.
Our local TV station, WTKR, channel 3, hosted a visit by our local senior news anchor, Curt Williams, a show which aired last night, June 14, on the Ghost Fleet, whereby, he and the camera crew were allowed to board one of the ghost hip, Very interersting, and worth a visit to WTKR’s site.
Try www/wtkr/com
Shawn – Queen Mary is still at Tilbury dock (20 months on) and the French project appears to have stalled. Our Queen Mary website (see link) is still keeping everyone up-to-date with the latest.
Joe – The USA does not appear as bad as you think from the UK side of the pond – and the UK is definitely not good at preservation of ships. Apart from a few very high profile ships, it is a disaster area until you get dowen to the size of ship which a private individual might own. There is no statutory protection for ships – nothing like the national Historic Monuments designation or such like. Almost all ships are owned/run by charitable trusts which rely on ever decreasing donations from the public and struggle. From here it look like the USA has an extraordinary number of preserved/heritage ships -and you have all those in the MARAD reserve fleets as well !
There is NO chance of anything like SSUS being preserved here !
Thanks Shawn. When I lived in London I had often wondered about this white vessel of a certain age, but until now, I had not looked in to her interesting past.
I read that the former Clyde steamer QUEEN MARY was to be towed to La Rochelle, and thanks to Gordon’s message, she did not go that far.
More Thames ships to follow.
Great pics, Martin. I saw the Queen Mary a couple of years ago but only in passing from the road. It’s nice there are some ‘hidden’ gems around the place.
Meanwhile Shieldhall is laid up in Southampton berth 103 short of about half a million needed to make her seaworthy. But her whistle was heard again today as she saluted Grand Princess who reciprocated the gesture.
I’m wondering why it is that Wellington was chosen for preservation as there were some many ships deserving of the honour. My grandfather served as Chief on a Flower-class corvette (HMS Marguerite) in the Atlantic and Indian Oceans during WW2. The class was reputed to ‘roll on wet grass’ and yet had to survive the same storms during escort duty as bigger ships like the Wellington. Fortunately the Canadians – who built some of the class – have a fully restored Flower (HMCS Sackville) at the Maritime Museum in Halifax N.S.
museum.gov.ns.ca/mma
Love seeing this old girl in the morning when I go to work. Shame about the Queen Mary but the last time I went on her she was looking very rough, with little regard for upkeep and virtually no original features from what I could see. And terrible beer.
@Mike – No idea why she in particular was chosen from the Grimsby class. Often these choices reflect condition, but many other unknown factors play in to it. Of the survivors of the First group of Grimsby class she was one of four which could potentially have been saved (all laid up around the same time), the others were mostly scrapped in the 30s – navy ships are not my strong suit, but any older vessel preserved in some way today always has my interest.
Thanks for the note about your grandfather and SACKVILLE
When I said the sisters were broken in the 30’s I was of course talking out of my late night hat! Late 40’s mostly 1948.
We had a wonderful tour round the Wellington on an open day on July 9th. It was not only a pleasure ,but an honour to visit the old lady.The tour guides who are retired captains were both courteous and knowledgeable.After walking past the ship on many trips to London we finally paid a visit,the ship is steeped in history and contains many interesting and unique maritime artefacts.A special thanks to The Honourable Company of Master Mariners the visit was the highlight of the day.
Thanks Peter for your comments, I have only the pleasure of sailing passed her, on another visit I would like to go aboard.