Watch our promotional film to find out more about what it is like to be based at Cutty Sark, Royal Museums Greenwich.

About the museum

Royal Museums Greenwich comprises of four different sites of historical interest: the Cutty Sark, the National Maritime Museum, the Royal Observatory, and the Queen’s House. It is a top-10 visitor attraction in London and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The vessel  

Cutty Sark is the sole surviving example of an extreme clipper of the late 19th century tea trade, and the only vessel in the UK to have been awarded Grade I listed status. Built in 1869 on the Clyde in Dumbarton, she was designed for speed, bringing back fresh tea from China and wool from Australia, during which time she made some legendary fast voyages. Sold to a Portuguese company in 1985, she sailed commercially throughout the First World War up until 1922 when she returned to the UK and was used for sail training. In 1952, the Cutty Sark Preservation Society was formed with the patronage of HRH the Duke of Edinburgh, and she was permanently dry-docked at Greenwich, London where she remains to this day as a popular visitor attraction under the ownership of Royal Museums Greenwich.

SHTP 2 training placement

Trainees are directly involved with implementing ship maintenance activities aboard Cutty Sark. This includes cleaning, painting, recording and assisting with the planning of more specialist tasks. Trainees also have the opportunity to work with staff based at the RMG which is on the same site. This includes time working with archives, artefacts and conservation activities and gaining experience of a busy national museum.  Alongside their placement, trainees also complete the NHS-UK Historic Vessel Conservation course.
Royal Museums Greenwich