To celebrate Wren300, the Royal Hospital Chelsea along with partners Diocese of London, The Georgian Group, The Old Royal Naval College Greenwich and RIBA have curated a special programme of concerts, tours, lectures, children’s events and more which will be running over the course of this year.
“Sir Christopher Wren (1632-1723) is Britain’s greatest architect. St Paul’s Cathedral in London is his masterpiece of design. It took 35 years to build. He was Surveyor-General to six English monarchs. His most famous buildings are at the centre of national life and ceremonials. They include Royal palaces, the Royal Hospital Chelsea, and 52 churches built after the Great Fire of London in 1666.
Christopher Wren was a child prodigy. He entered Oxford University at 17 years of age in 1649/50 during the English civil wars. He was already famous as an astronomer, mathematician and inventor before he took up architecture in his thirties. He taught himself architecture with the assistance of books.
Wren was a polymath and a practical intellectual. He is sometimes referred to as ‘the British Leonardo’. He excelled in many disciplines, including physiology, geometry, meteorology and drawing. As a child he made sundials; as a student he dissected human bodies; as an astronomer, he identified the rings of Saturn.
Wren’s legacy for us today is not only measured in the national heritage of wonderful buildings he designed but also as an extraordinary example of what a combined education in science and the humanities can offer.
The Wren 300 UK national festival in 2023 marks the 300th anniversary of his death at the age of 91 in 1723.
Wren 300 is a showcase for independent events and initiatives and a source of general knowledge about Sir Christopher Wren’s life and career
Wren 300 aims to educate and inform a global audience about Christopher Wren’s astonishing achievements across a wide range of practical subjects and intellectual disciplines.”
(credit: Rory Coonan, Wren lecturer City of London 2022, Honorary Fellow, Royal Institute of British Architects)
As part of the celebrations enjoy an Architectural Tour of the Royal Hospital Chelsea:
Presided over by a ‘Merry Monarch’ eager to enjoy himself after years of exile, England after 1660 is typically known for reacting against the austerities of Puritan rule. The reign of Charles II bore witness to the Great Fire of London, the Great Plague, the first women on the stage, as well as the First Anglo-Dutch trade wars. By contrast, the Restoration Court was famed throughout Europe for its hedonistic pursuits and notorious personalities, including the manifold royal mistresses.
However, amongst the frivolities of Court life, the King became a fervent patron of the arts and sciences, founding the Royal Society, as well as favouring the work of architect Sir Christopher Wren. It was Wren he chose to bring to life his vision of a home for veteran soldiers ‘broken by age or war’: the Royal Hospital Chelsea, a monument that would stand the test of time.
Join the iconic Chelsea Pensioners for this lively 1.5 hour visit, where you may meet some of history’s most notable figures along the way…
Suitable for adults, this tour includes a visit to the Great Hall, Wren Chapel, and the magnificent Figure Court. Please note that some of the tour takes place outside and visitors should come prepared for bad weather. The tour is wheelchair accessible, but please let us know in advance if you require the use of our lifts.
This event forms part of the 2023 Chelsea History Festival:
Price
£8.00 per child; accompanying adults go free. Book via: https://www.chelsea-pensioners.co.uk/tours
When
30 Sep 2023
10.00-11.00 and 14.00-15.00
Alternatively experience a Family Tour of the Royal Hospital Chelsea:
Experience the Royal Hospital through the eyes of the men who built it! This lively one-hour visit will be conducted by the iconic Chelsea Pensioners, with the opportunity to meet Sir Christopher Wren and King Charles II as they lead you on a journey through over 300 years of British history.
Stand in the presence of the ‘Merry Monarch’ and find out why he appointed Sir Christopher Wren to rebuild London after the Great Fire, or ask Wren himself how he designed the Royal Hospital to care for those ‘broken by age or war’, creating a monument that would stand the test of time.
This fun-packed family tour includes a visit to the Great Hall, Wren Chapel and the magnificent Figure Court. Please note that some of the tour takes place outside and visitors should come prepared for bad weather. The tour is wheelchair accessible, but please let us know in advance if you require the use of our lifts.
This event forms part of the 2023 Chelsea History Festival:
When
26 Sep 2023
10.00 – 11.30am
Book via: https://www.chelsea-pensioners.co.uk/tours
For further information and a full schedule of events please visit: https://wren300.org/