Backpacker's Guide to London
Greenwich Park
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Introduction
The famed Greenwich Park is the oldest of the eight Royal Parks in London. The Duke of Gloucester, brother of Henry V, inherited the 183 acre land in 1427 and in 1433 he had the Park enclosed. He then passed on its ownership from generation to generation. In fact, his descendant, Henry VIII, and his two daughters Mary I and Elizabeth I, were born in Greenwich Park.
Features
Greenwich Park is the site of several historic buildings such as the Queen’s house, the home of Queen Anne that was designed by famed architect, Inigo Jones; the National Maritime Museum, the twin-towered Royal Naval College (now part of Greenwich University) and The Royal Observatory (originally called Flamsteed house, after the astronomer John Flamsteed) which was built by Sir Christopher Wren. However, the Greenwich Park is most known for the Greenwich Meridian Line, the place where all the time zones in the world are measured.
Getting There
Greenwich Park is probably the most accessible of all Royal Parks. It can be reached by tube, train, bus, the Dock Light Railway, by riverboat and even by car. It opens at 6:00 am for pedestrians and 7:00 am for vehicles all year round. Aside from leisurely strolls, visitors can also go to the boating lake and hire boats and canoes for brief boating expeditions. Another option is to go to the 13-acre grassland enclosure which is home to deer, foxes and birds. After a full day at the park, one can partake of refreshments at either The Tea House, or at Saint Mary’s Gate Café (near the National Maritime Museum).
Unfortunately, there are no international hotels within the Greenwich and Blackheath areas. Alternative forms of accommodation include guest houses, smaller hotels, and to some extent, camping and caravanning. For campers, bear in mind that Greenwich is located just five miles from central London and camping facilities are not readily available. The nearest camping facilities can be found at the Abbey Wood and Camping Site along Federation Road.
