AICR Congress – London 2019 About Greenwich Archives - AICR Congress

About Greenwich

www.visitgreenwich.org.uk

Greenwich Park covers 73 hectares (183 acres) and is the oldest enclosed Royal Park. It is situated on a hilltop with impressive views across the River Thames to the Docklands and the City of London, between Blackheath and the River Thames.

Greenwich Park provides a setting for several historic buildings, including the Old Royal Observatory, the Royal Naval College, the National Maritime Museum and the Queen’s House.

There has been a settlement on this site since Roman times, but Greenwich has always been strongly associated with royalty.

Sir Christopher Wren was commissioned to build The Royal Observatory, named Flamsteed House after the first Royal Astronomer John Flamsteed and now part of the National Maritime Museum.

Today Greenwich is a World Heritage Site and is most famous for Greenwich Mean Time.

Things to Do

Planetarium – Shows every 45 minutes from 12.30pm. Adults £8

The Peter Harrison Planetarium at the Royal Observatory is London’s only planetarium.

Combining real images from spacecraft and telescopes with advanced CGI, the Planetarium can fly you into the heart of the Sun, transport you to distant galaxies, show you the birth of a star or land you on Mars!

Royal Observatory – Open daily from 10am – 5pm. Adults £9

Charles II established the Royal Observatory in Greenwich Park in 1675 to study the stars and improve navigation at sea. You can see the clocks John Harrison developed to solve the problem of longitude here and stand astride the dividing point between east and west – the Meridian line. There’s lots more to see as well, including a 4.5 billion year old meteorite, the Great Equatorial Telescope and Greenwich Time Ball, which drops every day at 1.00pm.

Cutty Sark – Open daily from 10am – 5pm. Adults £12.15

Cutty Sark is the last remaining tea clipper and, in her day, was one of the fastest ships in the world.

During the 19th century, clipper ships would compete with each other to see who could get the first crop of fresh tea from China to the UK and Cutty Sark was one of the main contenders.

The ship has been in Greenwich since 1954 and was conserved between 2007 and 2012. She has been raised three meters above the dock which means you can walk underneath her sparkling hull!

Old Royal Navel College – Open daily from 10am – 5pm. Free Entry

The Old Royal Naval College started life as the Royal Hospital for Seamen and it was built to provide a retirement home for veteran sailors. The buildings were laid out by Sir Christopher Wren on the site of the old Tudor Palace where Henry VIII and Elizabeth I were born. The Royal Navy took over the site in 1873 and stayed for the next 124 years. Today, the site is home to the University of Greenwich and Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance. Visit the baroque Chapel and go up to see the roof of the fabulous Painted Hall.

Important to note : A ticket for the Royal Observatory, Meridien Line, Cutty Sark and the free museums can be bought in advance online from just £15.

Museums & Churches

National Maritime Museum – Open daily from 10am – 5pm. Free Entry

The National Maritime Museum is one of the largest maritime museums in the world and has nearly two and a half million objects in its collections. Four new permanent galleries open in the National Maritime Museum in Autumn 2018. Pacific Encounters, Polar Worlds, Tudor and Stuart Seafarers and Sea Things will exhibit 1000 more objects from the collections, and provide access to areas of the Museum previously closed to visitors.

The Fan Museum – Open Tuesday – Saturday from 11am – 5pm. Adults £5

The Fan Museum has a collection of over 4,000 fans and many of them are out on display in the two Georgian house that make up the museum. It’s the only museum of its kind in the country and it’s one of the loveliest and most unusual in the world. The fans date back to the 11th century and cover all sorts of genres and styles.

St Alfege – Open daily from 11am – 4pm. Free Entry

There’s been a church in the middle of Greenwich, on the same piece of ground, for over a thousand years. St Alfege, the Archbishop of Canterbury, was martyred here after being abducted by Vikings in 1012.The current church is only the third to have been built on the site and has been here nearly 300 years. It was designed by Nicholas Hawksmoor and replaced the medieval church which had collapsed.

Park

Greenwich Park is as gorgeous today as it was when Henry V’s brother, Duke Humphrey of Gloucester, had the area enclosed in 1433. Henry VIII introduced deer into the park, making the area a cultivated Royal hunting ground. Nowadays the deer have their own enclosure and there are rose, herb and flower gardens, a bandstand, the longest herbaceous border in London and the most compact Roman remains you’re likely to see. Make sure you climb the hill to the Royal Observatory and have a look at the view back across Docklands, the City and the rest of central London!

Market

Ask a Londoner what their favourite place to visit at the weekend is and they’re bound to mention Greenwich Market. Everyone loves the mix of arts and crafts, vintage clothes, hats, cards, antiques and collectables, and all sorts of other fantastic stuff. The Market is also lined with boutiques and small independent shops and galleries. Street food stalls at Greenwich Market serve up a fabulous menu of food from all over the world. Open seven days a week and bank holidays from 10.00am to 5.30pm.

Food & Drink

Goddards at Greenwich serves London’s most traditional meal of pie mash and liquor. This meal can be traced back through the 1800’s and is an important part of London’s food history. Open every day serving handmade steak, chicken, vegetable and fruit pies which are baked throughout the day. Friday & Saturday: 10:00am-8:00pm

Just a short stroll away from the Cutty Sark, Royal Observatory and the National Maritime Museum, The Sail Loft makes the perfect lunch stop on the tourist trail. Drink or dine at the water’s edge on the beautiful outdoor terrace, or enjoy panoramic views from the first-floor dining area.

Located on the historic Royal Hill and just a stone’s throw away from the centre of Greenwich, The Richard 1st is a pub that’s been at the heart of the local community since 1923. They love welcoming neighbours and tourists alike to enjoy delicious food, great drinks, a wonderful atmosphere and friendly service.

Greenwich Peninsula

Explore Greenwich Peninsula for a flight on the Emirates Air Line cable car, the UK’s first urban cable car.

Walk over the top of the most popular entertainment venue in the world at Up at The O2. You’ll get geared up with everything you need for this exhilarating trek and be led by experienced guides to the top of the fantastic structure on Greenwich Peninsula. You’ll get amazing views of Greenwich, the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, Canary Wharf and the mighty Thames Barrier.

A new designer outlet village is opening at The O2 in autumn 2018, with around 95 units, it will be predominantly retail to complement the existing leisure, food and beverage offer.

Additionally in 2018, The O2 will open a new trampolining park to be run by Oxygen Freejumping and extend the Cineworld multiscreen cinema with 8 new screens.

About Greenwich

About Greenwich

Things to Do

Museums & Churches

Park

Market

Food & Drink

Greenwich Peninsula

Sponsors

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