Guide to Greenwich

Greenwich has a long history of royal interest, but before that it was simply a fishing village down river from the London. It’s famous today for holding many royal institutes such as the Queen’s House, the Royal Observatory, The Royal Naval College, and more. These institutes arose following a long history of development for the royal family, from palaces that have since been demolished, to estates and enclosed parks. Between the historic buildings, museums, greenery, markets, and general beauty, Greenwich makes for a fun-filled day out.

Greenwich Park

Greenwich Park is the oldest enclosed Royal Park. Enclosed in 1433, this park hosts the Royal Observatory, the Prime Meridian Line, and its own herd of deer. If you’re a fan of gardens, Andre le Nostre - who designed the gardens at the Palace of Versailles – was also commissioned to do a garden here.

The Royal Museums

This collection of museums offers some unique experiences to London. The Maritime Museum is the most comprehensive museum on naval history in the world and holds 2.5 million items that document human maritime history. Then there is also the Royal Observatory which holds London’s only planetarium, the Prime Meridian Line, and the Astronomy Centre. Then of course there is Cutty Sark, a restored clipper ship for you to explore, and of course a palace that was once a queen’s “House of Delights”. Interested?

Greenwich Market

This market used to be a wild thing, and before its move to its current home it spread through dark streets and alleys that made it difficult to control. It was moved into the world heritage site it thrives in today, and was revived as a market once more in the 1980s when artists set up shops. Today you can find a thriving arts market of independent boutiques and talent, featuring handmade, one-of-a-kind wares for sale.
Tuesdays – Sundays 10am – 5:30pm
Special December Opening times:
Monday – Sunday (7 days a week) 10am – 5:30
Closed December 25.

Old Royal Naval College

The Greenwich Palace was the epicentre of royalty throughout the Tudor dynasty. Henry VIII and his daughters were born there and Anne Boelyn was arrested here. The Royal Naval College stands where that important palace once stood, and now houses the artefacts discovered from archaeological digs. The buildings in use were once the old Royal Hospital for Seamen until they were bought by the Naval College in Portsmouth in 1873. This college provided imperative training for young officers (particularly during the world wars) until 1997, and is now open to the public.

Greenwich University

Unlike the Naval College, Greenwich University is still in use and is a respected institution on the higher education stage. The Greenwich campus makes use of many of the Old Royal Naval College’s buildings, which it acquired in the 1990s, and was once the Woolwich Polytechnic. This campus is home to the Business School, the Faculty of Architecture, Computing & Humanities as well as the Greenwich Maritime Institute.

The Fan Museum

If we haven’t already given you enough museums to visit in one day, here’s another one: The Fan Museum. This is the only museum in the entire United Kingdom that has devoted itself to fans and the art of fan making. Their collection extends from the 12th century onwards, and is housed in a lovingly restored Grade II listed townhouse. Visit for a touch of elegance, or, perhaps, afternoon tea?

The Orangery

Another highlight to this museum is what has been named by the Daily Telegraph as London’s “Best Value Afternoon Tea”. You can spend a fortune on afternoon tea in London, so it’s a nice change when you can enjoy your tea in a beautiful garden room that overlooks a Japanese garden and is decorated with ornate murals for £8 per person (£14 for Christmas Afternoon tea). This offer, however, is only available to museum guests. Still, we think £12 is a pretty damn good deal, plus you can see their beautiful fan collection!

Tuesdays – Saturdays: 11am – 5pm
Sundays: 12pm – 5pm
Adults: £4
Children & Concessions: £3

Emirates Air Line Cable Car

There isn’t much to say about the Emirates Air Line Cable Car, except, perhaps, to ensure you that you really do get a great view of London (and for a significantly reduced price compared to the London Eye). Get a bird’s eye view of Greenwich and all of its historic buildings from a bird’s eye view. Perfect for visitors trying to make their way from Greenwich to Canary Wharf and soak as many sights as they can. You can buy normal tickets or a Discovery Experience ticket, which offers a round-trip on the cable cars, on-board video, and entry into the Emirates Aviation Experience (plus a souvenir guide).

Mondays – Fridays: 7am – 9pm (8pm in winter)
Saturdays: 8am – 9pm (8pm winter)
Sundays: 9am – 9pm (8pm winter)

The O2

The O2 building was built to celebrate the turn of the millennium (hence its original name being the Millennium Dome). Once the exhibition cleared out, it was sold to O2 and has become a venue for a wide variety of things, including an indoor arena, a club, a Cineworld, an exhibition venue, a bowling alley, and of course a wide variety of bars and restaurants. If you’re into sights, you can also walk along the roof of the O2.