by Research Assistant Ünal ARAÇ
Greenwich covers an area of 46 square kilometres on the south bank of the River Thames within the metropolitan area of London, England. Despite giving its name to the Greenwich meridian, the district has often been overlooked as a place of interest by visitors to the British capital. Today, however, foreigners and Londoners alike are enjoying the buildings and museums and history of the district, as well as its pleasant park – a peaceful environment far removed from the city centre traffic or the business towers of the Docklands across the river.
There can be no better way to understand the role which the River Thames has played in the development of the capital of London than to take a boat trip down it on a sunny day. From Westminster wharf, you pass through the ‘City of Westminster’ and the ‘City of London’, taking in glimpses of Big Ben, the Houses of Parliament, the Royal National Theatre and many other landmarks new and old. Then it’s downstream for a visit to the ‘Tower of London’ – and on to the docks. Your guide will point out the Doric column of the Monument built for the commemoration of the great fire. London Bridge, which symbolises the history of London like no other monument, requires no introduction. Finally, on the left, looms the Isle of Dogs peninsula, with the famous Millennium Dome, and the Canary Wharf Tower. And on the right – also accessible via the underground ‘Jubilee Line’ railway or a train from London Bridge station – is Greenwich.
For leisure travellers, Greenwich is a veritable jewellery box. The best known treasures are the royal palace complex, the extensive maritime museum and the Royal Observatory, accepted as the site of the Prime Meridian. But the river bank, the park and the surrounding streets offer many more surprises.
Greenwich was at its liveliest during Tudor times and in the 16th, 17th and 18th centuries. The park, covering 74 hectares, was first enclosed and laid out six months after Bela Court was built in 1427 by the Duke of Gloucester, who was the brother of Henry V. Henry VII, another king of the Tudor Dynasty, was to choose this area as a suitable spot on which to build the Palace of Placentia in 1500. Henry VIII, who was born in Greenwich Palace, added many more constructions, including a banqueting hall, arsenals and an area for jousting. Greenwich Park also served as a place where the royal family and their entourage could hawk and hunt deer.
Henry VIII’s daughters Mary and Elizabeth I, as well as his son Edward, were born here too. In 1512 and 1513, under Elizabeth I, two royal shipyards were founded – one in Woolwich the other at Deptford - for the import of goods from exotic lands and for the use of the navy. Unfortunately, little remains from this period. The queen of James I, Anne of Denmark, blew winds of change by implementing a new architectural style from Continental Europe. The queen was known for dismantling wooden palaces built in the local style, and she demanded that Inigo Jones build the Queen’s House in 1616. This villa is in the first Renaissance style building in England and the earliest architectural work by Jones.
The wife of Charles I, Henrietta Maria, completed and decorated this construction and the son-in-law of Jones, John Webb, expanded the structure by building bridges that were designed to overcome problems caused by the London-Dover highway passing through the land.
Continental style
In exile in France, Charles II dreamt about building an English Versailles at Greenwich. He returned in 1664 and built an additional building by the river. Furthermore he brought André Le Nortre, the gardener of Louis XIV at Versailles, back with him for the sole purpose of outlining a plan of the park and making boulevards which reached towards the hills from the Queen’s House.
When William and Mary ascended to the throne, Greenwich was among their construction projects too. After his success in building a hospital at Chelsea, Architect Sir Christopher Wren was considered an excellent choice for designing and building another hospital for retired sailors, and was invited by the king and queen to undertake the project. To either side of the Queen’s House, he added wings, creating a U-shaped pattern. The hospital today is the University of Greenwich and is usually closed to visitors. The Painted Hall which was originally designed as a dining hall for sailors (and rarely used) can still be visited.
The Old Royal Observatory stands on the hill in Greenwich Park. Also known as Flamsteed House, it was built by Wren in 1675 for the first royal astronomer, John Flamsteed, and was used right up until 1948. Flamsteed originally planned the project, which was designed for Charles II and required 30 thousand observations, star investigations and perfect maritime maps. From the clock adjustment rooms, the ticking of the clocks could be heard, and a Time Cannon has been fired regularly at 13.00 hours since 1833, for passing sailors to adjust their watches by. Under the international agreement reached in 1884, Greenwich was accepted as a Prime Meridian. The Greenwich Meridian, passing through the court of the observatory, separates the eastern and western hemispheres from each other. For this reason all the clocks in the world are adjusted according to Greenwich.
On the same hill as the Royal Observatory stands a bronze statue mounted on a marble base of the famous British General James Wolfe (1727-1759) standing proud in his military uniform and gazing over London.
Park and Ranger
The 183-acre (74 hectares) park contains many beautiful, lush green trees, some of which remain from the garden arrangements made for Charles II by Le Nortre. Gnarled chestnuts, old cypresses, North American beeches and one leafy ash tree exude charm and majesty, and provide a fitting setting for the tulips across the well-shaped boulevards. From the Great Cross Avenue, there is a splendid panoramic view of the East End, London and Westminster. There is also a rose garden near the Ranger’s House, building of the Georgian period, within which hangs a Suffolk painting collection.
The Cutty Sark
Walking from the palace along the river to the east, you reach the Trafalgar Tavern near Trinity Hospital (established in 1613) and from there it is another short walk to the Cutty Sark pub, with its magnificent views of the slow-flowing tidal Thames. Moored outside, near the entrance to the tunnel below the river, is the Cutty Sark, the last and fastest of the nineteenth century “tea clipper” sailing vessels. The Cutty Sark travelled from China to England in just 99 days and later managed to arrive in London from Australia in only 72 days, loaded with wool. Today she is a tourist attraction. Another, smaller sailing ship is also on display here: the Gypsy Moth IV, in which Sir Francis Chichester circled the globe alone in 1966-67.
If at this point you become peckish you have the option of eating a traditional English pub lunch in the Cutty Sark, called a ploughman’s lunch. The Ploughman’s lunch consists of crusty bread thickly spread with butter, strong cheddar cheese, salad vegetables, pickle or piccalilli and perhaps some cold meat and of course a nice pint of beer or lager. If this is not to your liking, you can follow the English tradition of grabbing a light snack such as pork scratchings, crisps or salted peanuts.
Museum for fans
Behind the Nelson Road and College, near Nicholas Hawksmoor’s Alfege Church (1714), a Victorian covered market still stands. If any further proof were needed of the variety of Greenwich’s attractions, one need only visit the nearby Fan Museum, which traces the social history and graceful workmanship of the fan. The collection consists of 2,000 pieces of great beauty, quality and diversity, and is sheltered in two houses remaining from the Georgian period.
( DIPLOMAT - June 2006 - Ankara )