Eight ships of the Royal Navy have been named HMS Dryad, after the tree nymphs of Greek mythology.
HMS Dryad was a 36-gun fifth rate launched in 1795, sent to harbour service in 1832, and broken up in 1860.HMS Dryad was a screw frigate laid down in 1860 but cancelled in 1864.HMS Dryad was a wooden screw sloop launched in 1866 and broken up twenty years later.HMS Dryad was a Dryad-class torpedo gunboat launched in 1893 and renamed HMS Hamadryad in 1918 before being sold for scrapping in 1920.HMS Dryad was planned to be a light cruiser that was ordered in 1918. However, she was cancelled later that year before she had been launched.Three navigation schoolships have been temporarily renamed Dryad:HMS Drudge was renamed HMS Dryad from 26 January 1919 until later in the same year.HMS Rattler was renamed HMS Dryad between September 1919 and 1924.HMS Carstairs was renamed HMS Dryad from 4 January 1924 until 15 August 1924.The last HMS Dryad was a stone frigate and home to the Royal Navy's Maritime Warfare School.