HQS Wellington, London

Today’s post is all about my visit to the HQS Wellington, the floating London headquarters of the Honorable Company of Master Mariners. A former naval ship which evidences centuries of maritime trade, the HMS Wellington is imbued with a long history of British seafaring.

Is That HQS, Or HMS Wellington?

I have been interested in the Wellington since I walked past it on one of my lockdown walks. I learned then that it was the only floating Livery Hall. It makes sense to have a boat, as the Wellington is home to the Honorable Company of Master Mariners. But is it the HMS Wellington, or the HQS?

Well it has been both, but today it is the HQS. HMS is a designation for ships of the Royal Navy, which stands for Her/His Majesty’s Ship. The HMS Wellington was indeed a ship of the Royal Navy between 1934 and 1947. In the immediate post-war period there was a surfeit of such ships, so the Admiralty made the HMS Wellington available for sale. The Honorable Company of Master Mariners had been looking for a headquarters, and purchased her. HQS stands for Headquarters Ship, so is a way for the Wellington to stay almost true to her roots in her post-naval life.

After being purchased by the Master Mariners and fitted out as an HQS, the HQS Wellington has been moored at Victoria Embankment more or less continuously since 1948. In 2005 ownership transferred to the Wellington Trust, who care for her today. Now that it’s possible to visit the HQS Wellington once more post-Covid, you have a choice between guided tours on a Sunday, or visits without a tour on a Monday, during open season.

We chose the former option, and enjoyed a guided visit. Our guide was the welcoming and knowledgeable Captain John Pollard. His experience at sea from the late 1950s until large container ships began to change the life of a Merchant Navy sailor was extremely interesting to hear firsthand.

The Merchant Navy

We all know what a navy is, but what exactly is a merchant navy? The term was actually a British one to begin with, so let’s start there. A merchant navy is a fleet of merchant vessels from a particular country. Over half of world trade is still carried by ship, so these merchant fleets are vital. During WWI, Britain’s merchant vessels were more vital than ever. They had to carry military and civilian supplies through dangerous conditions, including the new threat of submarines. For this crucial and courageous work, King George V bestowed the title of ‘Merchant Navy’ on the fleet after the war.

This positive sentiment continued after the war. The Honorable Company of Master Mariners formed in 1926. In 1932 it became a Livery Company of the City of London, the first new one since 1746. All Livery Companies have headquarters/halls, where they meet for ceremonies and social gatherings. The Master Mariners have the HQS Wellington for this purpose: it is filled with a pleasant blend of ship’s models, ceremonial silverware and artwork depicting life at sea.

The tour takes you all over the ship, from the former engine room which is now a ceremonial chamber, to the reclaimed teak staircase, around the exhibition spaces, and up on deck to see the views and try your hand at an augmented reality game in the ‘monkey island‘. We learned about the merchant navy in general, as well as from our guide’s direct experience. The original photos and objects really help to bring these tales to life. Among other tidbits, I found out that Joseph Conrad’s only sea-going command was on the Otago, coincidentally the name of the region I hail from in New Zealand.

Worth A Visit?

I found a visit to the HQS Wellington to be a very nice Sunday activity. Captain Pollard’s warm welcome was matched by that of the rest of the staff. It was a leisurely pace, where we felt free to ask as many questions as we liked. And we visited on a nice sunny day, with the breezy deck a lovely spot to look at the views of central London.

One peculiarity of this tour is that this Merchant Navy headquarters was never actually a Merchant Navy vessel. So inevitably part of the tour ends up being about the service of the HMS Wellington in the Royal Navy. This isn’t a negative, in fact we were lucky to visit alongside a family whose grandfather had served on board, so we got a very personal view of what life was like on the Wellington during WWII. It just means that the tour experience is a little about life at sea in all its different forms.

This is also the only Livery Hall I’ve ever visited. I think the lens of multiple identities is the best way to enjoy a trip to the HQS Wellington. Where else can you visit a London curiosity, Livery Company, WWII naval sloop, and headquarters of the Merchant Navy, all in a couple of hours? The HMS Wellington also has temporary exhibitions and is available to rent for events, so keep an eye out for even more ways to visit.

Salterton Arts Review’s rating: 3/5