Greenwich
 Royal Britain |
Nearest Tube: Greenwich Cutty Sark, Docklands Light Railway (DLR), alternative: Greenwich DLR. The DLR can be picked up from Canary Wharf, Heron Quays, Canning Town and Stratford on the Jubilee Line and Central Lines, Shawell on the East London Line, Bank on the Central, Northern, District, Circle and Waterloo and City Lines, and Tower Gateway on the District and Circle Lines. Olympic Equestrian Events Venue 2012.
Downstream from the City, where the Thames begins to widen in a loop, Greenwich lies on the southside of the river, a part of London intimately connected with British sea-power. It is one of the few places in south-east London to draw large crowds of visitors, and should be high on the list of every tourists itinerary. Heralded by the delicate rigging of the Cutty Sark, Greenwich presents one of the capital's finest architectural set-pieces, a group of buildings that include the former Royal Naval College, the National Maritime Museum and the Old Royal Observatory. Just to the west of this complex is Greenwich town centre, originally designed in the 1820's it incorporates a number of Nash-style terraces. The most striking piece of old architecture here is Nicholas Hawksmoor's St Alfege's Church, built between 1712-18 on Greenwich Church Street.
This is one of Hawksmoor's six great London churches, here dedicated to Alfege, an archbishop martyred by the Danes in 1012. Badly damaged in the Blitz, the church has received painstaking restoration to return it to its former glory.
Near the old pier and preserved in a dry dock, is the famous Cutty Sark, the world's last surviving tea clipper. Launched in 1869, it was one of the last and fastest of the clipper ships to bring tea to England from China in the 19th century. Interestingly, the ship's fame arose when it made a return trip to Australia in just 72 days, laden with wool. Below decks is a collection of ships' figureheads, along with paintings and prints of the sea. The Cutty Sark remains an object of great beauty and treading its decks is quite a thrill. Berthed nearby is Gipsy Moth IV, the ship in which Sir Francis Chichester single-handedly circumnavigated the world in 1966-7.
The Old Royal Naval College is a beautifully symmetrical complex of superb Baroque buildings, largely designed by Sir Christopher Wren and opened in 1705. Initially conceived as part of a new palace for Charles II (1660-85), it later became the Greenwich Hospital for disabled seamen; in 1873 it was converted again, this time to house the Royal Naval College until in 1998 it finally became home to Greenwich University and Trinity College of Music. Beneath the ornate twin domes the two grandest rooms are open to visitors. They include the wonderful Painted Hall, the walls of which are decorated to give the illusion that columns support the roof, topped-off by James Thornhill's gigantic ceiling painting. In the opposite east wing, the Chapel contains a large painting of St Paul and the Viper by Benjamin West, an exquisitely detailed work.
Behind the college lies the National Maritime Museum with its various themed galleries located on three levels, all of which survey British naval history from Tudor times. There is much hands-on, interactive equipment on level three, designed to appeal to visitors of all ages. The gallery devoted to Admiral Nelson is full of marvellous 'Nelsonian' memorabilia, as well as giving space to Turner's spectacular Battle of Trafalgar, 21st Oct.1805, his largest painting. The oldest part of the museum is the Queen's House, designed by Inigo Jones for Anne of Denmark, consort of James I of England (1603-25), now an integral part of the Maritime Museum. Construction was completed in 1637 for another queen, Henrietta Maria, wife of Charles I (1625-49), and as the earliest English example of Palladian architecture is of enormous significance.
Providing splendid panoramic views across East London, Greenwich Park rises steeply behind the museum toward the Old Royal Observatory and Blackheath beyond. This green swath was designed as a royal park, laid out for Charles II by Le Notre, landscape gardener to Louis XIV of France and designer of the famous park and gardens at Versailles. Greenwich park will host the 2012 Olympic Equestrian Events - the three day event, show jumping and dressage competitions. See our useful page on historical sites close to the 2012 Olympic venues.
Standing on the highest point of Greenwich is the Observatory, established in 1675 by Charles II to house the first Astronomer Royal, John Flamsteed, whose principal task was to discover, from a study of the heavens, a method of measuring longitude for a ship whilst at sea. A brass stamp on the path outside the Observatory marks the zero meridian of longitude, from which the entire world sets its clocks in relation to Greenwich Mean Time, GMT. The work of the Observatory was transferred to Herstmonceux Castle, Sussex, in 1950 and again later to a Pacific location. The Old Observatory meanwhile, remains a popular museum, dealing with time and the planets.
Flamsteed House, built by Wren, is the oldest surviving part of the Observatory, the north-eastern turret of which has an eye-catching red time-ball that climbs the mast only to drop again at precisely 1.00 GMT; added in 1833, this novelty permitted ships on the nearby Thames to check their clocks on the outward journey. The Caird Planetarium, opened in 1965, is housed in the adjoining South Building.
On the western side of Greenwich Park are several fine 17th and 18th century houses, including the Ranger's House. Once the home of Lord Chesterfield, this striking Georgian villa now houses an art collection amassed by Julius Wernher, the German-born millionaire whose taste in art is somewhat eclectic. Another of these Georgian buildings is home to the small and unique Fan Museum, devoted to a collection of 3000 fans, certainly worth a visit for the opportunity of exploring the excellently restored interior of an 18th century town house.