HMS Wellington

HMS Wellington is a Grimsby-class sloop launched in 1934 and now moored on the Victoria Embankment along the River Thames in London. She served in the Royal Navy during the Second World War as a convoy escort in the North Atlantic. The ship carried two 4.7-inch guns, one 3-inch gun, anti-aircraft guns and depth charges. In 1943 she was briefly commanded by Lieutenant Commander John Treasure Jones, later captain of RMS Queen Mary. After the war, the Honourable Company of Master Mariners acquired her to serve as a floating livery hall. The ship became HQS Wellington in 1948, converted at Chatham Dockyard with a grand wooden staircase from the SS Viper and a refitted engine room for dinners and ceremonies. In 1991 she underwent extensive repairs and refurbishment at Sheerness Dockyard, including new toilet facilities, offices and accommodation areas. Displays of marine paintings, artefacts, silver plate, ship models and early 18th-century charts were installed. From 2014 she also served as the London postal address of the Flag Institute. Visitors now find a restored warship open to the public as a floating classroom and event venue. The Wellington Trust maintains the ship and organises guided tours of the decks and interior spaces. Original features include the refitted grand hall and the grand staircase from the SS Viper. The ship remains a recognised venue for events while continuing her role as a floating classroom on the Thames.