Tour the Golden Hinde

The Golden Hinde was the ship in which Sir Francis Drake made his first circumnavigation of the Globe between 1577 and 1580. The one on the South Bank, in the heart of touristland a short distance from Borough Market, is not the original, but it is a faithful recreation of the original ship.


Thought Elizabeth I decreed that the original ship should be kept at Deptford and opened to the general public, the original had rotted away by the beginning of the 18th century. This Golden Hinde was launched much later, taking to the water in Devon in 1973, has itself circumnavigated the world, and been on various US tours, meaning that it has apparently covered more than 140,000 miles and is better travelled than the original.

It wasn't until 1996 that it was placed in its current place in St Mary Overie Dock, where it remains as a Tudor theme ship. It is open daily from 10am-5pm, and tickets cost £6.

For more information, see http://www.goldenhinde.com/

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