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Getting Oriented | Top Attractions | Worth Noting
Updated by Jack Jewers
About 8 miles downstream—which means seaward, to the east—from central London lies a destination you’d think had been conceived to provide the perfect day out. The small borough of Greenwich is only small in size: it actually looms large in the imagination for it is not only home to the Old Royal Observatory, which measures time for our entire planet, and the Greenwich Meridian, which divides the world into two (you can stand astride it with one foot in either hemisphere) but this town also bears witness to Britain’s incredible maritime history, thanks to the National Maritime Museum and the Cutty Sark. Add in Christopher Wren’s Royal Naval College and Inigo Jones’s Queen’s House—two of the grandest buildings in English architectural history—and the pretty streets of Greenwich Village itself, and you have one of London’s most splendid excursions.
Bear in mind that the journey to Greenwich is an event in itself, especially if you approach by Old Father Thames, arriving at the best possible vista of the Royal Naval College, with the Queen’s House behind. On the way, the boat glides past famous sights on the London skyline (there’s a guaranteed spine chill on passing the Tower) and ever-changing docklands, and there’s always a cockney navigator enhancing the views with his salty commentary. Of course, you can also arrive using the modern Docklands Light Railway (DLR). Either by train or by boat, Greenwich will wind up thrilling nearly everyone, from seafaring types to landlubbers, who will enjoy strolling the green acres of parkland that surround the venerable buildings, the quaint 19th-century houses, and the weekend crafts and antiques markets.
A visit to Greenwich feels like a trip to a rather elegant seaside town—albeit one with more than its fair share of historic sites. The grandiose Old Royal Naval Hospital, designed by Christopher Wren, was originally a home for veteran sailors. Today it’s a popular visitor attraction, with a more glamorous second life as one of the most widely used movie locations in Britain.
Greenwich was originally home to one of England’s finest Tudor palaces, and the birthplace of Henry VIII, Elizabeth I, and Mary I. Inigo Jones built what is considered the first “classical” building in England in 1616—the Queen’s House, which now houses a collection of fine art. Right next door, the excellent National Maritime Museum details the history of the glorious seafaring past of Britain, this island kingdom. Its prize exhibits include the coat worn by Admiral Lord Nelson (1758–1805) in his final battle—bullet hole and all.
Greenwich Park, London’s oldest royal park, is still home to fallow red deer, just as it has been since they were first introduced here for hunting by Henry VIII. The Ranger’s House now houses a private art collection, next door to a beautifully manicured rose garden. Above it all is the Royal Observatory, where you can be in two hemispheres at once by standing along the Greenwich Meridian Line, before seeing a high-tech planetarium show.
In town, opposite the Greenwich Theatre, the Fan Museum is home to 4,000 fans dating as far back as the 11th century. The Clock Tower Antiques Market and the lively Greenwich Market keep bargain-hunters busy on weekends.
Toward north Greenwich, the hopelessly ambitious Millennium Dome has been successfully reborn as the O2 and now hosts major concerts and stand-up comedy gigs. In the opposite direction, downstream in Woolwich, lies the modern engineering marvel of the Thames Flood Barrier.
Getting Oriented
Top Reasons to Go
Stand astride the Greenwich Meridian Line: At the Royal Observatory—where the world’s time is set—you can be in the eastern and western hemispheres simultaneously.
Pay a call to Sir Inigo Jones’s Queen’s House: This 17th-century building was massively influential in its day, being the first in England to embrace the styles of the Italian Renaissance. See what all the fuss was about.
Step into the Old Royal Naval College: Come to the chapel at lunchtime to catch a free concert by one of Britain’s most prestigious music schools.
Discover Britain’s seafaring past at the National Maritime Museum: See how Britannia ruled the seas and helped shape the modern world.
Step aboard the Cutty Sark: Take a stroll along the deck of the last surviving 19th-century tea clipper, newly shipshape after years of renovation.
Feeling Peckish?
Old Brewery.
Right next to Discover Greenwich, the Old Brewery is a relaxed café by day and a sophisticated restaurant at night. The artful, high-ceiling dining room merits a visit but the modern British cuisine is also among the best in this part of London—and reasonably priced, too. The bar serves 200 different types of ale. | Pepys Bldg., Royal Naval College,
Greenwich | SE10 9LW | 020/3327–1280 | www.oldbrewerygreenwich.com.
Trafalgar Tavern.
With its excellent vista of the Thames, there is no more handsomely situated pub in Greenwich than the Trafalgar Tavern. Featured in Charles Dickens’s Our Mutual Friend, it’s still as grand a place to have a pint and some (upscale) pub grub as it ever was. | Park Row | SE10 9NW | 020/8858–2909 | www.trafalgartavern.co.uk.
Getting There
Docklands Light Railway (DLR) is a zippy way to get to Cutty Sark station, from Canary Wharf and Bank Tube stations in The City. Or take the DLR to Island Gardens and walk the old Victorian Foot Tunnel under the river. (Sitting at the front of a train can be disconcerting, as you watch the controls in the fully automated driver’s cab move about, as if a ghost were at the helm.) The best way to arrive, however—time and weather permitting—is like a sea captain of old: by water (though this way takes an hour from central London; .
Nearest Public Restrooms
Duck into the tourist information center (near the Old Royal Naval College), where loos are free.
Making the Most of Your Time
Set apart from the rest of London, Greenwich is worth a day to itself—those who love maritime history will want to spend at least two—to make the most of walks in the rolling parklands and to immerse yourself in the richness of Greenwich’s history, science, and architecture. The boat trip takes about an hour from Westminster Pier (next to Big Ben), or 25 minutes from the Tower of London, so factor in enough time for the round-trip.
Top Attractions
Clock Tower Antiques Market.
The weekend Clock Tower Antiques Market on Greenwich High Road draws crowds for its vintage shopping. Browsing among the “small collectibles” makes for a good half-hour diversion even if you are not buying. | 166 Greenwich High Rd.,
Greenwich | SE10 8NN | www.clocktowermarket.co.uk | Weekends 10–5. | Station: DLR: Greenwich.
Discover Greenwich.
Intended as a kind of anchor point for Greenwich’s big three attractions—the Old Royal Naval College, Cutty Sark, and National Maritime Museum—this excellent, state-of-the-art visitor center includes interactive exhibitions on the history of Greenwich, plus an assortment of local treasures and artifacts. Most intriguing among them is a 17th-century “witch bottle,” once used to ward off evil spirits. Modern X-rays have revealed it to contain a
mixture of human hair, fingernails, and urine. | Pepys Bldg., King William Walk,
Greenwich | SE10 9LW | 020/8269–4799 | www.oldroyalnavalcollege.org | Free | Daily 10–5 | Station: DLR: Greenwich.
Greenwich Market.
Established as a fruit-and-vegetable market in 1700, and granted a royal charter in 1849, the covered market now offers mixed stalls of art and crafts on Wednesday, Saturday, and Sunday; antiques, and collectibles on Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday. You can get food-to-go on each market day, although the offerings are usually best on weekends. Shopping for handicrafts is a pleasure here, as in most cases you’re buying directly from the artist. | College Approach,
Greenwich | SE10 9HZ | 020/8269–5093 | www.shopgreenwich.co.uk | Tues.–Sun. 10–5:30 | Station: DLR: Cutty Sark.
Royal Observatory.
Greenwich is on the prime meridian at 0° longitude, and the ultimate standard for time around the world has been set here since 1884, when Britain was the world’s largest and most important maritime power.
Royal Observatory Highlights
The observatory is actually split into two sites, a short walk apart—one devoted to astronomy, the other to the study of time. The enchanting Peter Harrison Planetarium is London’s only planetarium, its bronze-clad turret poking out of the ground like a crashed UFO. Shows on black holes and how to interpret the night sky are enthralling and enlightening. Even better for kids are the high-technology rooms of the Astronomy Galleries, where cutting-edge touch screens and interactive programs give young explorers the chance to run their own space missions to Ganymede, one of Jupiter’s moons.
Across the way is Flamsteed House, designed by Christopher Wren in 1675 for John Flamsteed, the first Royal Astronomer. A climb to the top of the house reveals the 28-inch telescope, built in 1893 and now housed inside an onion-shape fiberglass dome. It doesn’t compare with the range of modern optical telescopes, but it’s still the largest in the United Kingdom. Regular viewing evenings reveal startlingly detailed views of the lunar surface. In the Time Galleries, linger over the superb workmanship of John Harrison (1693–1776), whose famous Maritime Clocks won him the Longitude Prize for solving the problem of accurate timekeeping at sea and greatly improved navigation.
Royal Observatory Tips
A brass line laid among the cobblestones here marks the meridian, one side being the eastern, one the western hemisphere. As darkness falls, a funky green laser shoots out across London for several miles, following exactly the path of the meridian line.
The Time Ball atop Flamsteed House is one of the world’s earliest time signals. Each day at 12:55, it rises halfway up its mast. At 12:58 it rises all the way to the top, and at 1 exactly, the ball falls.
The steep hill that is home to the observatory gives fantastic views across London, topped off with £1-a-slot telescopes to scour the skyline. Time a walk to catch the golden glow of late-afternoon sun on Canary Wharf Tower and head back into Greenwich via the rose garden behind Ranger’s House. Youngsters under five are not usually allowed into the auditorium. Tickets can be purchased ahead online.
| Romney Rd., | Greenwich | SE10 9NF | 020/8858–4422 | www.rog.nmm.ac.uk | Astronomy Galleries free; Flamstead house and Meridian Line courtyard £7; planetarium shows £6.50 | Daily 10–5 (May–Aug., Meridian courtyard until 6); last entry 30 mins before closing; last planetarium show 4 | Station: DLR: Greenwich.
National Maritime Museum.
From the time of Henry VIII until the 1940s Britain was the world’s preeminent naval power, and the collections here trace half a millennia of that seafaring history. The story is as much about trade as it is warfare; the “Atlantic Worlds” gallery explores how trade in goods—and people—helped shape the New World, while “Voyagers: Britons and the Sea” focuses on stories of the ordinary people who took to the waves over the centuries. One gallery is devoted to Admiral
Lord Nelson, Britain’s most famous naval commander, and among the exhibits are the uniform he was wearing, complete with bloodstains, when he died in 1805. Temporary exhibitions here are usually fascinating; those in recent years have included the Arctic convoys of World War II and the history of piracy. TIP
The museum has a good café with views over Greenwich Park. The adjacent Queen’s House is home to the museum’s art collection, the largest collection of maritime art in the world, including works by William Hogarth, Canaletto, and Joshua Reynolds. Construction was granted by Queen Anne only on condition that the river vista from the house be preserved, and there are few more majestic views in London than Inigo Jones’s
awe-inspiring symmetry. Completed around 1638, the Tulip Stair, named for the fleur-de-lis–style pattern on the balustrade, is especially fine, spiraling up without a central support to the Great Hall. The Great Hall itself is a perfect cube, exactly 40 feet in all three dimensions, decorated with paintings of the Muses and the Virtues. | Romney Rd.,
Greenwich | SE10 9NF | 020/8858–4422 | www.nmm.ac.uk | Free | Daily 10–5; last admission 30 mins before closing | Station: DLR: Greenwich.
Old Royal Naval College.
Begun by Christopher Wren in 1694 as a rest home for ancient mariners, the college became instead a school for young ones in 1873. Today the University of Greenwich and Trinity College of Music have classes here. Architecturally, you’ll notice how the structures part to reveal the Queen’s House across the central lawns. Behind the college are two more buildings you can visit: the Painted Hall, the college’s
dining hall, derives its name from the baroque murals of William and Mary (reigned 1689–95; William alone 1695–1702) and assorted allegorical figures. James Thornhill’s frescoes, depicting scenes of naval grandeur with a suitably pro-British note of propaganda, were painstakingly done over installments in 1708–12 and 1718–26, and were good enough to earn him a knighthood. In the opposite building stands the College Chapel, which was rebuilt
after a fire in 1779 in an altogether more restrained, neo-Grecian style. TIP
Check the website for special events. Trinity College of Music holds free classical music concerts in the chapel every Tuesday lunchtime during the school year. | Old Royal Naval College, King William Walk,
Greenwich | SE10 9LW | 020/8269–4747 | www.oldroyalnavalcollege.org | Free, guided tours £6 | Painted Hall and chapel daily 10–5 (Sun. chapel from 12:30); grounds 8–6 | Station: DLR: Greenwich.
Worth Noting
Cutty Sark.
This sleek, romantic clipper was built in 1869, one among fleets and fleets of tall-masted wooden ships that plied the oceanic highways of the 19th century, trading in exotic commodities—in this case, tea. Cutty Sark (named after an old Scottish term for women’s undergarments) was the fastest, sailing the China–London route in 1871 in only 107 days. The clipper has been preserved in dry docks as a museum ship since the 1950s, but was severely
damaged in a devastating fire in 2007. As luck would have it, however, roughly half the ship had been dismantled for cleaning at the time, so a near-full restoration was possible and the boat reopened as one of Greenwich’s most famous attractions in Spring 2012. Check the website for opening hours and other details before you go. | King William Walk,
Greenwich | SE10 9HT | 020/8858–2698 | www.cuttysark.org.uk | Station: DLR: Cutty Sark.
Fan Museum.
An arcane but frequently alluring marriage between art and function, the simple fan is more than a mere fashion accessory; historically, fans can tell as much about fashion and social mores as they can about craftsmanship. There are 2,000 of them here, dating from the 17th century onward, often exquisitely crafted from ivory, mother-of-pearl, and tortoiseshell. It was the personal vision—and collection—of Helene Alexander that brought this enchanting museum into being,
and the workshop and conservation–study center that she has also set up ensure that this art form continues to have a future. If your interest is really piqued, you can attend fan-making workshops (on the first Saturday of every month only—£20 for the afternoon; call ahead or visit the website for booking details). TIP
Afternoon tea is served in the café on Tuesday and Sunday at 3 pm. | 12 Croom’s Hill,
Greenwich | SE10 8ER | 020/8305–1441 | www.fan-museum.org | £4 | Tues.–Sat. 11–5, Sun. noon–5 | Station: DLR: Greenwich.
The Docklands Renaissance
For centuries the Thames was a fevered hub of activity. Great palaces were built along the river, most long gone (such as Whitehall, which dwarfed even Versailles in splendor). Dock warehouses sprang up to the east of London in the 18th century to cater to the burgeoning trade in luxury goods, from tea, coffee, and spices to silks and exotic pets. By the 1950s, however, this trade had all but disappeared—partly due to the devastation of World War II, but also because trading vessels had simply gotten too big to fit along the river. The area all but died until a massive regeneration scheme known as Docklands was completed in the 1980s. It brought renewal in the form of cutting-edge architecture, galleries, restaurants, and bars. Many of the old warehouses were restored and are now used as museums or shopping malls, such as Hay’s and Butler’s Wharves. The best way to explore is on the Docklands Light Railway (DLR), whose elevated track appears to skim over the water past the swanky glass buildings. If you explore on foot, the Thames Path has helpful plaques along the way, with nuggets of historical information.
Museum of London Docklands.
The wonderful old warehouse building, on a quaint cobbled quayside, beside the tower of Canary Wharf, is alone worth a visit. With uneven wood floors, beams, and pillars, the museum used to be a storehouse for coffee, tea, sugar, and rum from the West Indies—hence the name West India Quay.
The fascinating story of the old port and the river is told using films, together with interactive displays and reconstructions, and a permanent exhibition, London, Sugar and Slavery, highlights the capital’s involvement in the slave trade. The museum runs a highlights tour (free) on Wednesday and Sunday at 3 pm. TIP On the second Friday of every month the museum hosts the Docklands Cinema Club, which shows rare and classic films, together with talks, inside the old warehouse. | No. 1 Warehouse, West India Quay, Hertsmere Rd., East End | E14 4AL | 020/7001–9844 | www.museumindocklands.org.uk | Free | Daily 10–6; last admission 5:40 | Station: Canary Wharf; DLR: West India Quay.
Ragged School Museum.
In its time, the Ragged School Museum was the largest school in London and a place where impoverished children could get free education and a good meal. The museum re-creates a classroom dating from the 1880s. It’s an eye-opener for adults, and fun for kids, who get the chance to work just like Victorian children did in one of the many organized workshops.
TIP If you really want to get into the spirit, visitors of all ages can attend a Victorian-style lesson (complete with fully costumed schoolmistress) from 2:15 to 3:30 on the first Sunday of every month. | 46–50 Copperfield Rd., East End | EC3 4RR | 020/8980–6405 | www.raggedschoolmuseum.org.uk | Free; £2 donation requested for Victorian lessons | Wed. and Thurs. 10–5, 1st Sun. of month 2–5 | Station: Mile End; DLR: Limehouse.
Firepower Royal Artillery Museum.
Adjacent to the old Royal Dockyard at Woolwich is a brilliant exhibition of the Firepower Royal Artillery Museum. Complete with smoke and sound effects, it explores the role of the gunner, from the discovery of gunpowder to the Persian Gulf war. Also on show are tanks and guns—some complete with battle scars. Housed in the old Royal Arsenal leading down to the river shore, the museum’s setting provides a powerful sense of the Thames and its lingering effect on the
capital’s history. | Royal Arsenal,
Woolwich | SE18 6ST | 020/8855–7755 | www.firepower.org.uk | £5.30 | Wed.–Sun. (school holidays daily) 10:30–5 | Station: DLR: Woolwich Arsenal.
Ranger’s House.
This handsome, early-18th-century villa, which was the Greenwich Park ranger’s official residence during the 19th century, is hung with Stuart and Jacobean portraits. But the most interesting diversion is the Wernher Collection, more than 700 works of art amassed by diamond millionaire Julius Wernher (1850–1912). The collection ranges from Old and Dutch Master paintings to Renaissance jewelry and assorted pieces of decorative art and curios from the medieval period
onwards. Wernher’s American wife, Birdie, was a strong influence and personality during the belle époque, which is easy to imagine from her striking portrait by Sargent. | Chesterfield Walk, Greenwich Park,
Greenwich | SE10 8QX | 020/8853–0035 | www.english-heritage.org.uk | £6.30 | Apr.–Sept., Mon.–Wed. guided tours only, 11:30 and 2:30; Sun. 11–5; call ahead to confirm | Station: DLR: Greenwich; no direct bus access, only to Vanbrugh Hill
(from east) and Blackheath Hill (from west).
Off the Beaten Path: Thames Barrier Visitors’ Centre. Learn what comes between London and its famous river—a futuristic-looking metal barrier that has been described as the eighth wonder of the world. Multimedia presentations, a film on the Thames’s history, working models, and views of the barrier itself put the importance of the relationship between London and its river in perspective. | Unity Way, Eastmoor St., Woolwich | SE18 5NJ | 020/8305–4188 | www.environment-agency.gov.uk | £3.50 | Apr.–Sept., Thurs.–Sun. 10:30–5; last entry 4:30 | Station: National Rail: Charlton (from London Bridge), then Bus 177 or 180; North Greenwich (Jubilee line), then Bus 161 or 472.
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