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Why Visit Cutty Sark in London?

amomentwithfranca · 17 October 2018 · 33 Comments

We love visiting attractions, especially in London which is were we are based. A week ago we visited the Cutty Sark which is located in Greenwich. We have been in Greenwich before and we have passed by this attraction but we have never been inside before. It was a great opportunity to be approached by Royal Museums Greenwich to visit this historic sailing ship for a fun family visit.

Kids love boats, so imagine taking your little ones to explore a massive, historical ship in the middle of London! My girls love exploring new places and boats too so they were super excited to visit Cutty Sark.

CUTTY SARK LOCATION

Cutty Sark for Maritime Greenwich DLR Station

Our journey was very easy to do. We took the tube to Bank station and changed to the DLR and went to the stop, Cutty Sark for Maritime Greenwich which is just a couple of minutes from the ship. It took us about an hour to get there from home as we had to cross London, from West to East.

You can also get to Greenwich by rail or river, it takes no time at all. They are just 8 minutes from central London by rail, 20 minutes by DLR, or you can make the journey part of the fun and arrive by boat. We might do this next time we visit! 😉

For Greenwich town centre, the nearest stations are:

  • Cutty Sark DLR
  • Greenwich rail station and Maze Hill rail station
  • Greenwich Pier

When we arrived at the Cutty Sark, the weather wasn’t on our side at all. It was raining a lot, hence it looks grey in the photo below. But I must say that the weather didn’t stop us enjoying our time there. Of course, on a glorious sunny day it would have been much better!

ABOUT CUTTY SARK

For those that haven’t heard of Cutty Sark, it is a British clipper ship. Built on the River Clyde in 1869 for the Jock Willis Shipping Line, she was one of the last tea clippers to be built and one of the fastest, coming at the end of a long period of design development, which halted as sailing ships gave way to steam propulsion. It was also used as a navy training ship.

Cutty Sark visited nearly every major port in the world during the course of her career and gained fame for her record-breaking passages through the wildest oceans around the globe. Designed to last just 30 years and now nearly five times that age, Cutty Sark has been conserved and lifted by over three metres, allowing you to explore her decks and gaze up underneath her hull in an immersive experience that brings her fascinating history to life.

The reason why it’s so famous is because, since being built in 1869, it’s travelled to destinations all across the world -unscathed through different wars of the last century. It was used for the wool trade, and carried large containers of spirits and wines across the Atlantic to places such as Australia and China. Also the magnitude and size of the ship makes people admire it.

It is split into four levels with interactive displays, exhibits, photos and videos which bring the history to life.

GETTING INSIDE CUTTY SARK – MAIN ENTRANCE

LOWER HOLD – GROUND LEVEL 

Entrance

As soon as you get inside the attraction you arrive at the main entrance where you either collect pre-booked tickets or purchase new ones. It costs £12.15 for an adult ticket and £6.30 for a child ticket. It is open daily from 10 am to 5 pm.

Cutty Sark – The Trader
Here you will learn about the 1870s China tea trade and discover more about the building of the ship and her owner Jock ‘White Hat’ Willis. He was a rich Scottish business man.

Cutty Sark introduced
As soon as you pass the entrance and learn about Jock Willis, you can watch a short film to learn more about the ship and her past. We found out a few interesting facts. See below:

  • 10,000 tea chests were loaded onto the ship each voyage
  • Cuty Sark’s maiden voyage was in 1870
  • Cutty Sark made 8 voyages to China between 1870 and 1878

There was a few activities on this deck, such as using their telephone, play with their tea boxes and before you head up to the next level the girls had to stamp their explorer trail that was given to them at the entrance.

TWEEN DECK – LEVEL 1

We went one level up towards the Tween Deck. This Deck has low ceilings and has no portholes. This space was for storing cargo.  Apart from Tea and wool, Cutty Sark also carried coal, corks, clay, candles, pickles, perfumes, pianos, paper, sugar, shoes, shark bones and screws.

Cutty Sark – The Voyager
We learned all about Richard Woodget who was Cutty Sark’s captain from 1885 to 1895. We also found out about the crew, cargo and ports of call.

Cutty Sark was the fastest ship on the wool trade for ten years. In July 1889 the log of the modern passenger steamship SS Britannia recorded that when steaming at 15–16 knots she was overtaken in the night by a sailing ship doing 17 knots, which proved to be Cutty Sark. Captain Woodget’s fastest passage back from Australia was 73 days in 1885.

They had an interactive steering game for the kids to play. They also had moving seats to demonstrate the feeling of being on board the ship when it was out on the high seas. My girls loved this.

Before we left this level the girls again stamped their explorer trail booklets. This was a fun thing to do for the girls.

MAIN DECK – LEVEL 2

We went another level up towards the Main deck. This area has some open parts therefore due to the rain we couldn’t capture too many moments but we did take a few photos inside the Captain’s cabin and crew quarters. It was super interesting too see how they used to live, work, eat and sleep there.

It was amazing to be able to experience what life was really like at sea for the crew and the captain in his saloon. My girls were fascinated here. They marvelled at the towering masts and miles of rigging above them, took the helm at the ship’s wheel, and enjoyed fabulous views of the river from there. It was lovely.

The girls discovered a few sailors secrets here such as:

  • It took 8 months to sail from London to China and back again
  • Sailors worked in shifts called “watches’
  • If you fell asleep on watch, you had to sit on top of the mast
  • Ships’ toilets are called “heads’ because originally they were at the front of the ship.

Within the Main Deck you can see the following:

  • Ship’s wheel
  • Captain’s cabin
  • Crew accommodation: you can see where the crew slept, ate and worked
  • Cutty Sark – The Sailing Ship: you can explore the captain’s and crew’s quarters on the main deck, marvel at the masts and rigging and stand behind the ship’s wheel

LOWER GROUND – THE DOCK

After exploring the Main Deck, we took the stairs down to the lower ground. We noticed they had lifts there which I thought was very good.

At this level we were able to walk right underneath this huge 963-ton ship which was mesmerising. We loved its gleaming hull. We were able to touch it but we didn’t do that. Hopefully next time.

You can also see at this level, the Sammy Ofer Gallery, the Star of India Memorial, the figureheads and The Even Keel Café. They have the world’s largest collection of merchant-ship figureheads which are wooden carvings of characters that originally decorated the prows of ships.

Cutty Sark’s figurehead is a depiction of Nannie. Nannie can be seen holding out a horse’s tail at the centre of the ship’s figureheads collection under the ship’s hull. The original figurehead carved by Fredrick Hellyer lost its head and an arm in a storm in the late 19th century.

Nannie is wearing a Cutty Sark which means short shirt in Scots. Nannie was a witch from scottish poem ‘Tam o’ Shanter’. Sailors love their figureheads. They were fixed to the front of ships and were believed to be Lucky, guiding them across the water.

CUTTY SARK FOR THE FAMILY 

They have lots of activities for the little ones. They are currently running an October Half Term Storytelling Festival. They can brace themselves for tales of adventure, mermaids and storms in a teacup. Perfect for the half term holidays. They can also meet a character from the past, follow a trail or get creative in family workshops over the first weekend of each month and school holidays.

As I mentioned before, there is also a free explorer trail where they have to go around the ship finding clues and collecting stamps. Apparently you can also ask for a backpack with toys and stories. We didn’t know that so better to ask about it when you arrive. We will definitely try to do this next time we visit.

GIFT SHOP

Before you leave the ship, you pass trough the gift shop where you can buy lots of lovely souvenirs. I love going around these shops. You can always find nice gifts for friends and family.

OUR THOUGHTS

We had a great time at Cutty Sark. As I said the weather was awful but we enjoyed it regardless. The girls loved running around and exploring all the decks. They really liked the interactive activities around the ship as well as following the explorer trail. It is a short visit but you and your family will definitely have a lot of fun and you can then wonder around Greenwich where there are lots of other fantastic places to visit whilst in the area. Kids love boats so it is definitely an attraction to consider visiting during half-term.

For more information about visiting Cutty Sark, please check their website HERE. Have you visited Cutty Sark before? Are you now interested in visiting it again or for the first time?

*Disclosure: We were invited by the Royal Museums Greenwich to visit Cutty Sark for the purpose of this review post. This is a sponsored post and therefore we have been compensated. However, all thoughts and opinions are my own. 

Thanks for stopping by,

Love you all ❤️

Franca  💋

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Filed Under: Collaborative Posts, Days Out, Family, Family Days Out, London, Review, Reviews, Travel

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Deanie Gillies says

    18 October 2018 at

    We have never visited.I will be now though. It looks like a really good day out with plenty of opportunity to learn also.

    Reply
  2. Bryony shaw says

    27 October 2018 at

    Looks like a nice place for a trip out #kcaols

    Reply
  3. Veronica Lee says

    28 October 2018 at

    Looks like you all had a great time at Cutty Sark. I’d love to visit the place some day.

    #kcacols

    Reply
  4. Lana says

    28 October 2018 at

    Well, this makes me jealous and definitely makes me want to take a trip to London. LOL. This looks like such a blast! My boys would love this. Your pictures are incredible! Thanks for sharing. #KCACOLS

    Reply
  5. Carol Cameleon says

    28 October 2018 at

    I love the look of this and it’s a very reasonable entry price, especially for London! What a history! Thanks for hosting #kcacols

    Reply
  6. Malin - Sensational Learning with Penguin says

    29 October 2018 at

    I haven’t visited the Cutty Sark, but have an interest in history and would love to go there sometime. Thank you for a very informative review!
    If for any reason you’d ever go to Stockholm (Sweden), you should visit the Vasa Museum! The Vasa is an old ship too, and it’s fascinating to experience close-up. She was built in the early 17th Century, and tragically sank on her maiden voyage! She sat at the bottom of the sea for almost 350 years before being brought to the surface again, and is remarkably well preserved x
    #KCACOLS

    Reply
  7. Carol Thomas says

    30 October 2018 at

    Gosh! I had forgotten about The Cutty Sark as an experience I am sure we visited as a child. It is certainly an experience I will bank for the grandchildren

    Reply
    • amomentwithfranca says

      30 October 2018 at

      Oh yes! It would be fun to go back! 🙂

      Reply
  8. Nicola | Mummy to Dex says

    31 October 2018 at

    I bet Dex would love to visit this as much as your family enjoyed it. Great review.

    #KCACOLS

    Reply
    • amomentwithfranca says

      1 November 2018 at

      Thank you lovely! I bet he will! Just hipe you have a better weather than us! 😉 x

      Reply
  9. Sarah | Digital Motherhood says

    31 October 2018 at

    I don’t think I’ve ever been to the Cutty Sark before, it looks like a really interesting day out #KCACOLS

    Reply
    • amomentwithfranca says

      1 November 2018 at

      Yes it was for sure a great experience despite the rain! 🙂 x

      Reply
  10. Rebecca Whatmore (@0zzyhog) says

    2 November 2018 at

    Have never been but it looks a really good educational family day out.

    Reply
    • amomentwithfranca says

      2 November 2018 at

      Yes it is good fun! 🙂

      Reply
  11. Rachael Sexey says

    2 November 2018 at

    This looks like a fab place to have a day trip

    Reply
    • amomentwithfranca says

      2 November 2018 at

      Yes it was different!

      Reply
  12. Denise walton says

    2 November 2018 at

    I visited there a few years ago it’s a great place for kids and adults

    Reply
  13. Lynn Neal says

    2 November 2018 at

    Wow it’s huge I really didn’t realise the size of it! Looks like a worthwhile visit though!

    Reply
    • amomentwithfranca says

      2 November 2018 at

      Yes it is massive! Really impressive!

      Reply
  14. Lydia C. Lee says

    2 November 2018 at

    We had a great day in Greenwich – we just checked out the Cutty Sark from the outside. My dad made a model of it (over years!) thus the interest. Looks like a proper visit would have been fun. #KCACOLS

    Reply
    • amomentwithfranca says

      2 November 2018 at

      Ah that is interesting!

      Reply
  15. Becky @ Becka's bubble says

    3 November 2018 at

    Wow it looks really impressive. Lucas nags to go to London all the time and I’d really like to arrange to take him next year so it’s good to have a range of ideas of things to do while we are there. #KCACOLS

    Reply
  16. Madeline (This Glorious Life) says

    3 November 2018 at

    Sounds like such a great day out. I love places like this that are educational but still fun and interactive for the children. #KCACOLS

    Reply
  17. Ali Duke says

    8 November 2018 at

    I have never been there, it looks like a very intersting day out.
    #KCACOLS

    Reply
  18. Rob (Lucky Ladder) says

    8 November 2018 at

    One of those attractions that I always intend to visit, but have never get around to for whatever reason. Never knew you could go under the ship. Looks great! #KCACOLS

    Reply
  19. Peachy and Clementine says

    9 November 2018 at

    This looks amazing! We would love to see it. It’s a bit far for us but if we ever happen to be in the area I’ll make sure it ends up on our itinerary.

    Thanks for letting me co-host #KCACOLS. It’s been a blast as always.

    Reply
    • amomentwithfranca says

      11 November 2018 at

      Yes it is worth making a note of it! Kids love big boats and this one is even more special because of its history behind! 🙂 x

      Reply
  20. Tim says

    10 November 2018 at

    I’m glad you’ve posted this. Our kids would love Cutty Sark and we haven’t taken them there yet so I’m definitely adding it to our list. I have a vague memory of visiting it as a 5 or 6-year-old, so I’m long overdue a return! #KCACOLS

    Reply
    • amomentwithfranca says

      11 November 2018 at

      Your kids will have a great time! They have so many activities to do for them! Best if you go on a sunny day to appreciate the boat from the outside! 🙂

      Reply
  21. Crummy Mummy says

    10 November 2018 at

    I loved visiting this when I was little but have never taken my own – you have reminded me! #KCACOLS

    Reply
    • amomentwithfranca says

      11 November 2018 at

      Take them when you have a chance! They will love it! The ship is impressive! 🙂

      Reply
  22. Maria says

    10 November 2018 at

    You still managed to have a great day even
    with the bad weather. My boy’s loved it there too. #KCACOLS

    Reply
    • amomentwithfranca says

      11 November 2018 at

      Yes it was great despite the rain but I would love to go back on a sunny day next time! 😉 x

      Reply

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Hi, I'm Franca, a lawyer mum of 2 gorgeous girls married to my best friend, living in London. Award nominated parenting & lifestyle blogger. Read More…

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