♔The Royal Borough of Greenwich is a London borough, on the banks of the river Thames.
A UNESCO World Heritage Site, Greenwich is home to the beautiful Royal Greenwich Park, a 183 acre park and London’s oldest enclosed royal park. With breathtaking views of the London skyline, flower gardens, duck pond and even home to a small herd of deer.
Overlooking Greenwich Park, is the Royal Observatory, site of the Greenwich meridian line, and the official British measurements of feet and yards.
Known for its maritime history, Greenwich is home to the Cutty Sark, a restored 19th-century clipper ship, that was used in the tea and wool trade between the UK, Australia, and China. The Cutty Sark is listed by National Historic Ships as part of the National Historic Fleet (the nautical equivalent of a Grade 1 Listed Building). She is one of only three remaining original composite construction (wooden hull on an iron frame) clipper ships from the nineteenth century in part or whole.
Greenwich’s heritage centres on The Royal Naval College. Orignally a hospital, the Old Royal Naval College was transformed into a school to train sailors during World War II. Inside the Old Royal Naval college is the magnificant Painted Hall which contains one of the largest ceiling paintings in northern Europe, it was executed by Sir James Thornhill over a period of almost 20 years from 1708. The epic work framed by baroque trompe l’oeil architecture made the relatively inexperienced Thornhill’s name. He went on to paint the dome of St Paul’s and the hall of Blenheim Palace.
Queen’s House art gallery is also within this wonderful UNESCO World Heritage Site.
There are about 450 Maritime artworks on display here including a Four and a quarter centuries old Armada Portrait of Queen Elizabeth I, once belonging to Sir Francis Drake,’ A View of Greenwich from the River by Canaletto’, and View of Deptford Power Station from Greenwich, by LS Lowry.
Queen’s House is a former royal residence built between 1616 and 1635. Designed by architect Inigo Jones, Queen’s House is one of the most important buildings in British architectural history; being the first consciously built classical building to have been constructed using Palladian architecture in Britain, and would have appeared revolutionary to English eyes in its day.
Originally built for Anne of Denmark; the Oueen of King James I, construction of Queen’s house began in 1616, but work on the house stopped in April 1618 when Anne became ill and died the next year. Work restarted when the house was given to the queen consort Henrietta Maria in 1629 by King Charles I, and the house was structurally complete by 1635.
Inigo Jones was one of the most notable architects in England. He left his mark on London with the design of buildings such as the Banqueting House,Whitehall, as well as the layout for Covent Garden square, which became a model for future developments in the West End.