Secret Studio, London - Escape from the Golden Hinde (London)

 

Hi all

After checking out Borough Market, the next escape room venue that we checked out on our Europe trip in January 2023 was Escape from the Golden Hinde.  This was a really unique room, as it is located on a ship in dry dock in London. The room is run by Secret Studio.  By day, The Golden Hinde can be viewed by the public – it is effectively a museum piece; by night, at least on some nights, Secret Studio rents out the ship for its escape rooms. 

The Golden Hinde is a replica of the ship of the same name which was launched in 1577.  The replica ship, which was built in 1973, has circumnavigated the globe and has travelled more than 230,000km before being berthed in London as an educational museum.  The replica ship is where the escape room fun is had. Here is what we thought:

The Golden Hinde – Room 279 (London)

The Golden Hinde was an excellent experience (and by far our favourite room in London)! This room was perfect for families, as the game masters ensured that everyone was involved.  

The Golden Hinde is as much an escape room as it is an interactive experience. During out adventure, we crossed paths with at least 4 different actors throughout the experience, each of whom played their roles very well. This was also one of the few rooms where we enjoyed alcoholic (and non-alcoholic) drinks during the experience.  We really liked that the storyline was educational and kept true to the story of Sir Francis Drake (or perhaps the real story of Sit Francis Drake, who we met during our journey). The puzzles were all excellent and the theming was simply off the charts. 

There are some dark areas of the ship, but this was still a family-friendly experience. Players are provided with beanies (ie helmets) to wear throughout the experience, as there are many low-hanging beams overhead. I found the helmet annoying to wear (as well as a lot of crouching), but that was the only downside at all to the experience. The actors are great (and especially great in engaging with children) and the puzzles were first rate too.

 

Where:                        St Mary Overie Dock, Cathedral Street, London

Duration:                    60 minutes

Themes:                      2 themes

Cost:                           £48 per person

Overall Rating:           Brilliant themed, highly interactive piratey goodness

More details:              https://www.escapeintime.co.uk/goldenhinde/