Historic Greenwich
Echoes of the past resonate through the heart of Greenwich. Designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site because of its architectural, scientific, maritime and royal associations, Greenwich has taken its place alongside key landmarks such as the Tower of London, Kew Gardens and the Taj Mahal.
Situated on the bank of the river Thames in south east London, it possesses an array of architecturally significant buildings and landscapes. These include the Old Royal Naval College, the Fan museum, the National Maritime Museum, the Royal Observatory, the Queen's House and Greenwich Park. The view from General Wolfe's statue at the top of Greenwich Park looks out across London and is a specially protected view.
Greenwich has Roman and Anglo-Saxon remains in the Park but its principal legacy derives from its royal history. The Tudor palace of Placentia that stood on the site of the magnificent Old Royal Naval College, was a favourite residence of Henry VIII and Elizabeth I, where both were born.
The last addition to the palace, the Queen's House, was begun in 1617. Now part of the National Maritime Museum, it forms the historical and visual link between the vanished glories of Placentia and the classical formality of the “park-and-palace” landscape today.
With its fine late-Georgian shops and terraces around the covered market and many other buildings dating back to about 1700, it remains a place of charm and activity.
Greenwich is also the reference point for the world's time. It is to Greenwich that everyone else on earth looks to set their watches. The Prime Meridian – Longitude 0° - at the Royal Observatory is the official baseline from which world time is measured. Every new day officially begins at the Observatory.
