The distinctive twin domes of the Old Royal Naval College are instantly recognisable to anyone with a passing acquaintance with Greenwich and its maritime heritage. For more than a century, these magnificent baroque structures lay at the heart of one of the world’s leading training centres for naval officers, widely recognised for its excellence and attracting students not just from Britain but from China, Japan, Russia and former British colonies. Its creation in 1873 came at a pivotal moment in maritime history with the rapid growth in new technology that saw sail power replaced with steam and traditional maritime skills fast disappearing.