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A replica of the Tudor Warship in which Sir Francis Drake sailed around the world in 1577
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Essential Facts

Originally Launched 1577
Armament 22 Guns
Beam 18 feet (2.7m)
Crew 80 - 85
Length 120 feet (37m)
Speed 8 knots (15km/h)
Replica Launched 1973
The Golden Hinde is a replica of the Tudor Warship that Sir Francis Drake sailed around the world in, in 1577. Drake’s journey around the world was legendary – and it took 3 years and thousands of miles to be completed. He had a dream of himself and his crew becoming the first English sailors to have travelled all the way around the globe.
Queen Elizabeth I actually gave him a charter when he left, that granted him permission to attack and plunder any ships belonging to England’s enemies. At the time, England’s enemies were the Spanish, who still regard Francis Drake as an outlaw pirate to this day. On his return, Queen Elizabeth visited the original Golden Hinde, and Drake was knighted on deck.

The replica Golden Hinde is in St Mary Overie Dock and open to visitors
Photo Ruth L

Did You Know?

Drake captured many ships during his voyage, the most famous being the Spanish ship Cacafuego. The treasure stored on this ship was so immense that Drake’s men emptied the Golden Hinde’s ballast and stored the booty in the bilge (under the hold) for the remainder of the voyage.

Sir Francis Drake, who travelled around the world in the original Golden Hinde in 1577
Source WikiMedia (PD)
After this Queen Elizabeth commissioned the Golden Hinde as Britain’s first ship open to the public like a museum. People could go and visit the ship, in celebration of the trip’s success, which incidentally brought huge monetary profits to the crown. Unfortunately the original ship became unusable due to rot in the late 1600s.

The bow of the ship
Photo psd
Although the Golden Hinde is now a replica, it is fully working, and was launched in Devon 1973. She too then sailed around the world – for 140,000 miles, which is many more miles than Francis Drake ever did! Its first port of call was San Francisco, where it re-enacted the ‘claiming of California’ by Drake for Queen Elizabeth I. After that, in 1979 it began to retrace Francis Drake’s route around the world. Since then she has also sailed around the British Isles and the Caribbean, to Canada, Washington, Oregon, Texas and the Gulf of Mexico. 

Did You Know?

To this day, the Spanish government still regard Sir Francis Drake as a pirate. However, Queen Elizabeth I gave Drake a charter granting him permission to attack and loot ships belonging to England’s enemies.

Inside Drake's Cabin
Photo The Golden Hinde
She is now docked in Southwark in London, and receives thousands of visitor’s every year. Children can dress up as Tudor sailors, and receive history lessons about Elizabethan Naval History – some of the greatest naval history in Britain’s long years to setting to sea.

One of the ships cannons
Photo The Golden Hinde

A children's pirate fun day, hosted inside the ship
Photo The Golden Hinde
Visitor Information
You can view the ship externally for FREE. Internally, the ship is open to visitors daily, 10am to 5.30pm; opening times may vary depending on events. Entry costs £6 for adults, £4.50 child/concessions. Tel: 08700 11 8700

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