| Places
to Visit |
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Greenwich is one of London’s
most popular places to visit, and most of the attractions are free.
Celebrated for its fabulous architecture and great swathe of parkland,
it also has a generous choice of quirky shops
and markets and a tasty selection of places to eat
and drink.
There are wonderful views
wherever you turn, and all the sights are within easy walking distance
of each other, making Greenwich a real pleasure to explore.
For a deeper insight into Greenwich,
you could take a walk led by one of our professionally qualified
tour guides, whose tours start daily from Greenwich Tourist
Information Centre at 12.15pm and 2.15pm. Or you can book to have
your own specialised group tour at a time to suit you, phone 0870
608 2000.
Featured
Places:
| The National
Maritime Museum |
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Britain’s seafaring heritage is dramatically recreated
in galleries filled
with maritime treasures and artefacts. The stories of
naval battles, of
famous mariners, adventurers and explorers and the life
of Admiral Lord Nelson are vividly brought to life.
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| The perfectly proportioned Palladian house designed
in 1616 by Inigo Jones is a splendid setting for an art
gallery displaying part of the National Maritime Museum’s
extensive collection of naval portraits and seascapes,
as well as paintings of Greenwich. These include Canaletto’s
view, a scene virtually unchanged since the mid-18th century. |
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| The Old Royal
Naval College |
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| Built on the site of the Tudor palace where Henry VIII
and Elizabeth I were born, this is one of the country's
finest examples of Baroque landscape. The Old Royal Naval
College was planned and designed by some of the greatest
architects of the day including Wren, Hawksmoor, Vanbrugh
and James 'Athenian' Stuart. The magnificent Painted Hall,
where Nelson's body lay in state after his death at the
Battle of Trafalgar and the Chapel, with its elaborate
plasterwork, are open to the public daily. The Greenwich
Foundation manages the site and it is where both the University
of Greenwich and Trinity College of Music are based.
Guided tours are available. |
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| Royal Observatory
Greenwich |
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| Founded
as a scientific institution for navigational research
by Charles II in 1675, the Observatory is the home of
the world’s Prime Meridian -
Longitude 0° - and of Greenwich Mean Time. Stand
on the line with one foot in the eastern hemisphere
and one in the west. The clocks developed by John Harrison
to determine longitude at sea are among the Observatory’s
most treasured possessions. Next door is the Peter
Harrison Planetarium, a state-of-the-art
facility housed in a contemporary new building. |
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| A
church has stood since 1012 here on the traditional
site of the martyrdom of St Alfege, Archbishop of Canterbury,
who was murdered by marauding Vikings. This church,
the third on the site, was designed by Nicholas Hawksmoor,
who trained under Sir Christopher Wren, working with
him on the Old Royal Naval College. It was dedicated
in 1718. King Henry VIII was baptised here in 1491 and
Thomas Tallis was buried here in 1585. |
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Many examples of an elegant fashion accessory
of the 17th- and
18th-centuries are displayed in changing exhibitions in
two charming early Georgian houses. The museum is the
only one of its kind in the world. |
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| London's oldest enclosed Royal Park. Greenwich Park
is situated on a hilltop with impressive views of Greenwich
and across the River Thames to Canary Wharf, The O2, the
City of London and beyond. There are also flower
gardens, a deer park and a boating lake. |
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| The Wernher
Collection, Rangers House |
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The celebrated collection
of Renaissance objets d’art as well as antique
furniture and Georgian paintings amassed by Sir Julius
Wernher are shown in the house once owned by the letter-writing
Fourth Earl of Chesterfield. Sir Julius, a founder of
De Beers, made his fortune in the South African diamond
mines at the end of the 19th century. |
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The fastest
sailing ship of her day, the Cutty
Sark was launched in
Scotland in 1869 and sailed initially on the tea route
to China. Later she
brought back wool from Australia. She has been in dry
dock in Greenwich since 1954.
She is currently
closed to the public for conservation work
and due to reopen as a major new attraction in summer
2010. To find out more about the Cutty Sark's
restoration project, click
here for a progress update.
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More
places of interest just outside the World Heritage Site
A
to Z of attractions and places of interest
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