Home of the Chelsea Pensioners

By Camster2 - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0,

Trip ref. CP

The Royal Hospital Chelsea was established over 300 years ago, during the reign of King Charles II, to provide a home for soldiers "broken by age and war." In 1682, the King commissioned Sir Christopher Wren, one of Britain’s most celebrated architects, to design this sanctuary for veteran soldiers. The site chosen was in Chelsea, adjacent to the River Thames. In 1692, the Royal Hospital opened its doors, welcoming the first 99 Chelsea Pensioners, and by the end of that year, several hundred veterans had made this their home. It is also the yearly venue for the RHS Chelsea Flower Show.

We arrive with plenty of time to buy a light lunch at the cafe and start our guided tour of the site, led by a Chelsea Pensioner, at 2.15pm. The tour lasts approx. 1.5-2 hours.

Accessibility: There are a few seating areas on the tour, wheelchairs and walking/sitting aids most welcome. They do have 1 wheelchair on site if needed.

The coach will leave Walton Excel Leisure centre at 11.30am prompt. We leave Chelsea at 5pm, to be back around 6.30pm.

Cost: £38.75 to include coach, tip for driver and guided tour.

Please follow the booking instructions using the ref. CP.