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 New Globe Walk, SE1 9DT, Tel: 020 7902
1400, Website: www.shakespeares-globe.org,
Tube: London Bridge,
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A faithful reconstruction of the Globe which originally stood on Bankside in 1613, the theatre was
the inspiration of the late Sam Wannamaker, an American actor with a passion for historical
drama.
Opened in June 1999, exactly four hundred years after the original opening,
tours of the theatre operate during the day, while a season of Shakespearian plays is held during
the summer. With 1000 people seated in the galleries and a further 500 standing below the stage,
it's a great way to experience just how theatre was performed at the original Globe.
It's also interesting to know that, while the first Globe had been erected in
Shoreditch in 1599, it was then transported piece-by-piece to Bankside some 15 years later - a feat
in itself. At that time, Bankside was actually the entertainment centre of London, with plays such
as Shakespeare's Macbeth vying against more earthly pursuits such as drinking, bear baiting and
cock fighting!
Green Park and Spencer House
Spencer House, 27 St. James's Place SW1A 1NR, Tel: 020 7499 8620, Website: www.spencerhouse.co.uk, Open:
Every Sunday (except during January and August) from 10.30am-5.45pm. Timed tickets may be purchased in person from 10.30am
on the day. Admission: £9, concessions £7 (no children under 10
admitted), Tube: Green Park,
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Finished in 1766 for John, the first Earl Spencer (an ancestor of the late Diana, Princess of
Wales) the building is widely regarded as London's finest 18th-century town house.
Situated next to the 53 acres of Green
Park, Spencer House is just a stone's
throw away from Buckingham Palace, St James's Palace and Lancaster House. Visits are by guided tour
only (which last approximately 1 hour and begin at regular intervals).
SE10,
Website: www.greenwich.gov.uk,
Nearest railway stations: Greenwich, Maze Hill, DLR Cutty Sark or Island Garden (crossing Thames via the Greenwich Foot
Tunnel),
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Although best known for the Prime Meridian (or GMT) from which the entire world set its clocks,
Greenwich is also steeped in royal history having been the birthplace of Henry VIII, Elizabeth I
and Mary Tudor.
Situated just a few miles downstream from the Tower of London, Greenwich is
easily reached by train from London Bridge, Charing Cross, or Waterloo East as well as the
Docklands Light Railway (DLR) from Bank/Tower Hill Tube stations.
Thought to have derived its name from the Anglo-Saxon meaning for 'green
village', the town not only contains some wonderful open spaces (including Greenwich
Park) but
boasts some of the city's top attractions, including the National Maritime
Museum, Royal
Observatory and the Cutty Sark.
Now designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, Greenwich is an architectural
jewel, playing host as it does, to a number of fine buildings including the Royal Navy College
(designed by Sir Christopher Wren) and Inigo Jones' splendid Queen's
House. In the busy town
centre, some fine examples of Georgian town houses are accompanied by several historic inns, as
well as Greenwich's covered marketplace.
Below you'll find a (fairly) brief summary of the town's main attractions:
Greenwich Tunnel
Linking the Island Gardens of Docklands to Greenwich, the foot tunnel was
originally constructed as a replacement to the ferry service which had operated since 1676. Built
in 1902 for workers on the Isle of Dogs, the tunnel has a total length of 1,217ft and diameter of
12ft. With over 200,000 glazed white tiles used to line it, the tunnel is estimated to be about
40ft beneath the surface. Glass-domed entrances on each side provide access to the Foot Tunnel (via
lifts) which, as a public highway, is open 24hrs a day.
Greenwich Town Centre
Though busy and somewhat traffic congested, the town centre is
well-worth a visit, particularly if you're a keen antiques collector or like to browse at local
markets. The town's covered
market, which dates back to 1830, was originally constructed as part of
a town improvement scheme. And, though it served initially as a general market for Greenwich's
townsfolk, it later specialised in fruit and vegetables before becoming (as it is now) an arts,
crafts and book market. Surrounded by a number of pleasant eateries and health food/curiosity
shops, it makes for an interesting detour, particularly if you've already overdosed on culture at
Greenwich's nearby museums. Just around the corner on Stockwell Road is the antiques hall which
stocks everything from furniture and bric-a-brac to second-hand period clothing.
Elsewhere, the local parish church of St. Alphege's is also worth a look.
Built on the site of the original 12th-century structure, it commemorates the death of Alfege who,
having been ordained as Archbishop of Canterbury, was subsequently captured by the marauding Danes.
Unfortunately, he was promptly martyred after refusing to arrange a ransom for his own release.
Here, Henry VIII was baptised and Thomas Tallis (dubbed the father of English
church music) was buried. And, although seriously damaged during the Blitz in WWII, Nicholas
Hawksmoor's simply designed church has been restored, with some of the building's original
woodcarvings also surviving intact.
Gipsy Moth IV
As the vessel used by Francis Chichester to complete the first single-handed
circumnavigation of the globe, The Gypsy Moth takes its rightful place in Greenwich alongside the
Cutty Sark.
Having set out from Plymouth on 22nd August 1966 (returning some nine months
later), the tiny 54ft craft notched up over 30,000 miles during its voyage. Upon his return,
Chichester was duly knighted be Her Majesty the Queen using the very same sword that Elizabeth I
used to knight Sir Francis Drake.
Greenwich Park
(Website: www.royalparks.gov.uk) - as the first of the Royal parks to be enclosed (in
1433), the area actually began life as the country home of Humphrey, Duke of Gloucester. With deer
later introduced during the reign of Henry VIII, it also served as a tournament ground where
jousting and archery competitions took place.
It was at one such tournament that Henry VIII's wife, Anne Boleyn, was
arrested and subsequently taken to the Tower of London, having been spotted giving her lover a
signal by dropping a handkerchief (a sign of infidelity). Although perhaps falsely accused, she was
promptly executed along with her brother and four others on 19 May 1536. Her death, by double-edged
sword, allowed the King to further pursue Jane Seymour whom he later married.
As the favourite grounds of later monarchs, Greenwich Park has been enhanced
in several different ways over the centuries. James I ordered a brick wall to built around the
park, while Sir Christopher Wren was commissioned to design the park's Royal Observatory in 1675.
In addition, French royal landscape gardener André Le Notre (a favoured gardener to Louis
XIV's court) added the park's formal avenues and paths.
With the park eventually opening to the public by the mid-18th century, it
became a popular spot for Londoners following the introduction (in 1849) of the South Eastern
railway from Woolwich to Greenwich, as well as a steamboat service which began in 1835.
Along with a café near to the Greenwich Royal Observatory, the park
also has a bandstand (where brass bands play during the summer) and shallow boating lake, where
children can take charge of pedalos and canoes.
Royal Observatory
Website: www.rog.nmm.ac.uk
Awarded the title of "Astronomical Observator" by Charles II in 1675, John
Flamsteed was given the task of discovering a method to calculate longitude based on the study of
the stars and night sky (he also went on to produce a 3000 star British Catalogue). As the
forerunner of the Astronomer Royal, Flamsteed was advised by Sir Christopher Wren who chose
Greenwich Hill as the site for a permanent government observatory.
Also responsible for the design of the observatory, Wren incorporated the
distinctive Octagonal Room with its high-ceilings to help accommodate Tompion's pendulum clocks. By
1833, a bright red time ball was installed on top of the building to help distribute time to ships
on the Thames (helping them check their marine chronometers). The device, which is now a major
tourist attraction, works by rising each day at 12:55pm and then dropping exactly at 13:00 GMT.
Eventually, when the skies over London became too bright and polluted, the
Royal Observatory decamped to Herstmonceux Castle in Sussex. More recently, the darker skies of the
South Pacific region have led to the establishment of the Anglo-Australian Siding Spring
Observatory in New South Wales. In 1953, the building was opened to the public as part of the
National Maritime Museum.
 Website: www.nmm.ac.uk
Celebrating every aspect of the nation's maritime history, both in peacetime and war, The National
Maritime Museum (NMM) is a fascinating place for adults and children alike. Opened by King George
VI on 27 April 1937, in what was formally The Royal Hospital School, each of the museum's galleries
are arranged thematically. As well as exhibits on seafaring characters and historical events,
there's background on different types of sailing ships both old and new. Set out on three separate
levels, the plan of the museum can be summarised as follows:
Level 1: Explorers - traces the history of exploration on the high seas,
including the Vikings (who not only raided nearby lands, but sailed uncharted seas), and the
Polynesians who migrated to islands within the central Pacific using double-hulled canoes. The
galleries also give an overview of the voyages undertaken by the great European explorers including
Columbus, Magellan, Drake and Cook. Artefacts include Captain Cook's sextant and a coconut cup
given to Sir Francis Drake by Elizabeth I (upon returning to England after circumnavigating the
globe).
Level 1: Passengers - documenting the history of passenger travel by sea, the
exhibition explores the reasons for migrants fleeing by ship from Europe to 'New World' America, as
well as looking at famous ocean liners operated by Cunard, P & O and the White Star Line. Of
the more poignant relics on display is a pocket watch recovered from the body of a second class
passenger on the Titanic.
Level 1: Maritime London - looks at the vessels used to transport raw materials across
the high seas, including exhibits on giant oil tankers, container ships and roll-on roll-off
(ro-ro) ferries.
 Level 2: Trade and Empire/Art and the Sea - exploring the relationship between art and the
development of trade, sea travel and military expansion in Europe, the Museum's gallery is among
the largest maritime collections in the world. As well as early 16th-century engravings, exhibits
include 19th and 20th-century battle paintings, seascapes and marine/port art. A second gallery
devoted to Trade, explores the legacy of the British Empire, with works depicting the slave trade
and the shipment of goods such as tea from China.
Level 3: Hands-on galleries - very much a set of children's galleries, the
interactive displays allow youngsters to practice a number of sea skills including
steering, gunnery,
signalling and navigation. The exhibition also includes an impressive model of the 19th-century
warship HMS Cornwallis. London
Pass Accepted Here.
 Website: www.nmm.ac.uk
Commissioned by King James I in 1616 as a present to his wife Queen Anne of
Denmark, Inigo Jones' Palladian style house is one the country's finest (and earliest) examples of
Italian influenced architecture.
Incorporating a variety of renaissance elements, including a number of
decorative ceiling panels, it represented a clear break from the more elaborate Elizabethan era.
Although Anne died mid-way through construction, the house (which passed to the wife of Prince
Charles) become a firm favourite with subsequent monarchs following its completion in 1635.
Over the years, a number of structural alterations were made to the House,
including the addition of the building's long exterior colonnades following Nelson's victory at
Trafalgar. With the Royal Naval Asylum School (subsequently known as The Royal Hospital School)
later taking over the Queen's House, it eventually became part of the National Maritime Museum in
1937.
Although today, many parts of the interior are masked by exhibits and display
boards, it's still possible to appreciate the grandeur and exquisite design of the building,
especially the beautiful 17th-century 'tulip' spiral staircase and the Great Hall (a perfect 40ft
cube), which features an ornate wooden balcony made by the shipwrights at Deptford.
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