King William Dome - Discover Greenwich Visitor Centre, London, UK
N 51° 28.977 W 000° 00.524
30U E 707688 N 5707776
This 1702 model of the King William Dome is to be found in the Discover Greenwich Visitor Centre in the grounds of the Old Royal Naval College close to the Cutty Sark. The original is a short walk to the east above the entrance to the Painted Hall.
Waymark Code: WMN7GV
Location: London, United Kingdom
Date Posted: 01/12/2015
Views: 1
The model is made from wood and was created in 1702 by carpenter James Groves to designs by Nicholas Hawksmoor from an idea by Christopher Wren.
The display text, next to the model, tells us:
The idea of twin domes over the King William and Queen Mary Courts was Sir Christopher Wren's, but it was Nicholas Hawksmoor who was responsible for drawing up detailed plans. The dome is approximately nine metres (29 feet) in diameter and incorporates 221 metres (726 feet) of iron chain that stops the stonework spreading from the weight of the dome. The same technique is used in the inner dome of St Paul's Cathedral, which has a diameter of 31 metres (102 feet). It was originally topped by a copper sea lion, but this was proved to be too heavy and was later replaced by a wind vane.