On Board The Golden Hinde

From the dock, she feels modest at first. But that impression does not last. It is difficult to imagine 70 to 80 people living on board, eating, sleeping and working within a ship that, even now, feels tight.

The wood creaks slightly. The space closes in. The distance between past and present begins to narrow. It stops feeling like an object, and starts to feel inhabited.

As Luke Pereira puts it, “the value of her is how tactile she is.”

You do not need much time on deck to understand what he means. It is physical, immediate, and surprisingly human.

For Angus, Managing Director of The Golden Hinde, that connection runs deeper still. It is something he has grown up with.

“I was giving tours at the age of about six,” he says. “His father bought the ship in 1984, and it has been part of his life ever since.” He adds, “It is something I have never not known. I have been lucky enough to grow up alongside it.”

It is a reminder that The Golden Hinde is not just an object to be preserved, but something that has been lived with, worked on, and carried forward over time.

That sense of continuity extends beyond the ship itself. Education sits at the centre of everything the team does. As Aimee Parnell explains, “the primary mission is education. Everything else is to support that.”

That mission is not theoretical. It runs through school visits, workshops and performances, all designed to bring people into contact with the story in a way that feels immediate rather than distant.

There is a careful balance to strike. The team has recently introduced a digital guide through the Bloomberg Connects app, offering visitors photos, videos and additional context. But the priority remains clear: enhance the experience without pulling attention away from the ship itself.

Accessibility is part of that ongoing conversation. While there are physical limitations to what can be done with an authentic Elizabethan replica, the team are exploring ways to improve access. Proposals for a ramp and shop would allow more visitors to reach the Main Deck, while supporting the continuation of the refit.

Thirty years on from arriving in London, The Golden Hinde continues to evolve. What might appear static from the outside is, in reality, a ship still being repaired, adapted and cared for.

It would be easy to walk past without a second thought. But stepping aboard reveals something far more substantial. Not just history, but something still very much alive.

What stayed with me most was the sincerity of the people behind it. In a city where prices continue to rise and experiences become increasingly curated, there is something quietly powerful about a place that remains committed to keeping its story open, accessible and real.

This is not just something to look at.

It is something to step into.