EVENT REVIEW: Escape From The Golden Hinde - St Mary Overie Dock, London.

 

Being a Londoner who embraces all things London, I have walked past the Golden Hinde Ship hundreds of times, set on a corner of the Southbank walk from London Bridge. It sits next to Southwark Cathedral with a backdrop of the Thames. Although the Ship is a replica, with its building completed in 1971 largely on information and documents from the Tudor period, it feels like you are stepping onto the gangplank of the original. No actual records exist of the Golden Hinde which was put in dry dock locally down the river at Deptford a few hundred years back, but subsequently disappeared from existence. This replica has been built from traditional woods that would have existed in that period sourced from the forests of England. The Golden Hinde is so much smaller in person, so it’s hard to believe that the original ship and this replica have both survived the high seas and successfully circumnavigated the globe. You know from how low the decks are inside, that those Tudor sailors were much smaller than the crew I took with me. The Golden Hinde became famous as it was once captained by the notorious Sir Francis Drake, on his rampage of treasure and lands for Queen Elizabeth I.

Do not expect this to be your typical historic maritime trip, this is an escape room experience. Designed by David Young and the creative director Tice Oakfield; it is treasure chests, maps and confined spaces. When booking, look for the evening and weekend experiences as the ship is open for educational purposes and visits during weekdays. I can’t praise it enough, we had so much fun and it was a great bonding family experience. My crew, Eyeball Paul, Small Grace and myself Pegleg Pen were not sure what to expect. I decided not to investigate beforehand, as I wanted it to be a surprise experience for us all. I would highly recommend that you choose your crew names before you get there and be willing to join in to get the most out of it.

So, we start our search for the elusive Drake. We pledge to save the captain. If you play along, during the adventure, you will definitely have a lot of fun. The whole experience takes about an hour, and we were pleased with our escape taking only 53 minutes. The tipple of rum along the way certainly helped! We are quite competitive and really like problem solving and puzzles, so at first it is a bit daunting as to what you are required to do, but once we engaged our brains and used the magic compass, we were off. I wouldn’t recommend this to anyone who is afraid of the dark and/or claustrophobic as the spaces are small and you are at risk of bumping your head. Eyeball Paul being over six foot didn’t bang his head, but said it was tough on his back with all the bending over. Being the shortest of our crew, I still managed to get a little bump. Hard hats disguised as pirate headscarves are provided. You will need to be fit and mobile to take part as there are ropes to pull, hatches to go up and down, plenty of bending over. Help is at hand if you are struggling; the real crew come and check on you from time to time. At this point I would like to thank the crew (actors) who kept us on our toes and played their parts so well. Also, to mention how well the costumes were appropriate for the theme. So, the questions exist; Drake, friend or foe? Buccaneer or explorer? Chancer, navigator, thief, pirate?

If you are interested in a bit of Tudor history or light-hearted fun, then this is for you. Take your crew and go rescue the captain! Groups of up to 6 people per escape and only your group will be in one area a time – so make sure your crew get along before being holed up together. I would recommend it to all age groups, except those under 8 years of age. It really is ideal for a family and/or friends outing and for visitors to London. The Golden Hinde is in such a great setting, right on the River Thames and after your experience you can toast the Captain in The Anchor pub next door.

Prices are around £44 per person but look online and you could save some money with discounted tickets. David and Tice also have another similar experience in Brick Lane, east London with Secret studio where you are locked in an old Film Studio.

Reviewer - Penny Curran
on - 3.9.23

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(20 % discount, can’t be combined with any other or discount, expires 15^th November 2023)