Dan Snow's History Hit

Episode: The Origins of the Royal Navy

Release Date: December 15, 2025
Host: Dan Snow
Guest/Guide: Rob Smith (local historian)

Episode Overview

In this immersive episode, Dan Snow embarks on a rainy walking tour of Woolwich Dockyard, the hidden crucible of the Royal Navy, alongside local historian Rob Smith. The episode uncovers the Dockyard's extraordinary role in the rise of British maritime power—from the first purpose-built warships of Henry VIII, through industrial innovation, to the Victorian age of steam. Through candid conversation, site exploration, and lively anecdotes, Dan and Rob bring alive the human stories, technological leaps, and enduring marks (and erasures) of London's maritime heritage.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Setting the Scene: Woolwich Dockyard’s Importance

• [01:51] Dan Snow dreams of visiting Woolwich Dockyard at the height of its power, describing it as “ground zero for the Royal Navy, the most successful military institution ever created.”
• The Dockyard once teemed with shipbuilders, engineers, and naval innovation; now, it’s mostly housing estates and shops, with only subtle historical remnants.

2. Foundations of the Royal Navy under Henry VIII

• [06:11] Deptford and Woolwich were central to the “birth of the Royal Navy,” with Henry VIII establishing not just fleets but also the necessary administrative and industrial infrastructure.
• [07:48] Henry VIII commissioned the Henri Grâce à Dieu—“by the grace of God”—the largest warship of its era, built at Woolwich as a statement of royal and naval ambition:
  • “He wants to prove himself to have the best navy and he wants to build the largest ship in Europe, probably the largest ship in the world at that time.” (Rob Smith, 06:41)
• Introduction of gunports allowed guns to be mounted low on the hull, pioneering new warship designs even if initially plagued with maneuverability issues.

3. Dockyard Innovations: Dry Docks, Workforce, and Industrial Organization

• [13:09] Explanation of dry docks and their critical function in maintenance and new shipbuilding:
  • “Dry docks are probably more important than ships in the birth of a navy, aren’t they?” (Dan Snow, 13:21)
• Workforce detail: Up to 140 people were needed to build a wooden warship, from carpenters to caulkers, coopers, and, in later centuries, women making sails.
• [16:21] The ‘mast pond’ was used to season masts for up to a year, preventing warping.
• Labor conditions were harsh. Workers could be “impressed” (forced to serve) until 1702, and experienced naval discipline, even punishment by lash.

4. Labor Rights, Struggles, and Community

• [17:45] An early form of workers’ protest: wives picketing to have husbands home for breakfast after changes to shift patterns.
• 'Chipping rights' allowed workers to take home wood chips; disputes over 'illegal chips' persisted into the 19th century.
• [33:39] Strikes occurred in 1739, 1742, and 1744, often leading the government to pacify or even threaten strikers, an early sample of London’s labor movements.

5. Elizabethan Expansion and Stuart Intrigue

• [19:27] The Vanguard, first built in Woolwich, played a role against the Spanish Armada and Barbary pirates—setting a tradition for reusing iconic ship names.
• Rob Smith recounts corruption under Robert Mansell, who funneled government contracts to his own glassworks:
  • “There was a sort of expectation there’d be a bit of money went missing and it was just like, don’t go too far. But no one tells you how far is too far.” (Rob Smith, 21:21)
• [28:00] The Pett dynasty dominated shipbuilding in Woolwich, culminating in the extravagant and divisive Sovereign of the Seas, whose cost contributed to the political crisis leading to the English Civil War.

6. The Rise and Transformation of Industrial Woolwich

• [38:07] The shift to iron, steam, and industrial shipbuilding in the 19th century brought new skills and workers.
• Rob describes the surviving Victorian boiler-making factory and its unique multi-flue chimney:
  • “It had six different flues running into the base of the chimney, which would then let all the smoke go out of one chimney. So you only have to pay to maintain one chimney.” (Rob Smith, 40:08)

7. Legendary Ships & Famous Voyages

• [34:54] HMS Beagle, built at Woolwich, became Charles Darwin’s vessel for his groundbreaking voyage:
  • “He brings along this young scientist called Charles Darwin, heard of him... The famous voyage of the Beagle leads to Darwin’s work on the Origin of Species.” (Rob Smith, 35:54)
• [41:14] The Agamemnon (a hybrid sail/steam ship) participated in the Crimean War and in laying the first transatlantic telegraph cable—though early cable-laying failed due to mismatched components!
  • “One wound clockwise and one anti-clockwise... and it sank to the bottom of the Atlantic. So they had to come back again two years later and do it once more.” (Rob Smith, 41:29)

8. Decline, Legacy, and What Remains

• Woolwich’s limited river access and crowding led to Chatham’s rise as the main dockyard; most original structures were demolished post-WWII.
• [44:53] The Dockyard became an army supply depot, with narrow-gauge railways and repurposed buildings.
• “These symbols of London’s role in maintaining its navy is such a big part of keeping the British Empire together.” (Rob Smith, 46:00)
• Despite the obscurity, Rob finds beauty in Woolwich’s surviving chimneys, tunnels, docks, and echoes of history.

Notable Quotes and Memorable Moments

• Dan Snow [01:51]:
  “This really was ground zero for the Royal Navy, the most successful military institution ever created. Yes, come at me.”

• Rob Smith [06:41]:
  “He wants to build the largest ship in Europe, probably the largest ship in the world at that time, which was constructed here at Woolwich.”

• Dan Snow [13:21]:
  “Dry docks are probably more important than ships in the birth of a navy, aren’t they?”

• Rob Smith [17:45]:
  “A lot of the wives of Woolwich came down to the dockyard to protest and had a camp outside the gate, saying that they wanted their husbands back for breakfast.”

• Rob Smith [21:21]:
  “During Elizabeth First’s Navy, there was an expectation there’d be a bit of money went missing... but no one tells you how far is too far.”

• Dan Snow [23:45]:
  “It’s a remnant of that Georgian architecture surrounded by this 1950s building. Yeah, it’s a great think about what it must have looked like here.”

• Rob Smith [35:54]:
  “He brings along this young scientist called Charles Darwin, heard of him… the famous voyage of the Beagle leads to Darwin’s work on the Origin of Species.”

Timeline of Key Moments (Timestamps)

• 01:51 – Dan describes his historical time-travel fantasy to Woolwich Dockyard.
• 04:24 – Dan meets Rob Smith on location, setting out on their tour.
• 06:11-07:59 – Discussion of Henry VIII, the inception of the Royal Navy, and building of the Henri Grâce à Dieu.
• 13:09-13:45 – The role and innovation of dry docks.
• 16:21 – Mast ponds and ship masts discussed.
• 17:45 – Labor unrest: workers’ rights, strikes, and innovative community traditions.
• 19:27-20:38 – Elizabethan Woolwich, the Vanguard, early corruption.
• 28:00-29:43 – The Petts, the Sovereign of the Seas, and tax revolts.
• 33:39-34:45 – 18th-century professionalization, strikes, and early steam revolution.
• 34:54-36:46 – The Beagle and Charles Darwin’s seminal voyage.
• 38:07-40:08 – Victorian industry, the steam/iron transition, factory chimneys.
• 41:14 – Laying the transatlantic cable with the Agamemnon and Great Eastern.
• 44:53-46:38 – Dockyard’s decline, military reuses, and surviving structures.
• 46:38–47:05 – Conclusion and how to join Rob’s walking tours.

Episode Tone

The episode is lively, curious, and peppered with both humor and awe at the city’s layered past. Dan’s irreverence (“I screamed incoherently into a microphone about the Royal Navy”) meets Rob’s storytelling charm and deep expertise.

How to Explore More

• For tours with Rob Smith: Footprints of London (footprintslondon.com)
• For more on Woolwich's hidden history, consider re-listening to Dan’s back catalogue or visiting London's lesser-known heritage sites.

Summary compiled for listeners and history enthusiasts who want a comprehensive yet engaging look at this formative chapter of Britain's maritime story.