Greenwich is a borough of London accessible by Underground or, my preference, the roller coaster-like Docklands Light Railway which passes over Canary Wharf and the Isle of Dogs. Inscribed as a World Heritage Site in 1997, “Maritime Greenwich” contains a high density of sites of significance to the area’s seafaring history including the Royal Park, Royal Observatory, National Maritime Museum, Old Royal Naval College, and the Cutty Sark, a historic tea clipper ship.

The Royal Park is an example of 17th century landscape design with a more modern view of the London skyline. The Royal Observatory, which sits at the top of of the park, was designed by architect Sir Christopher Wren. It is a significant site for the development of astronomy and global navigation. It is the home to the Prime Meridian at 0° longitude (well, a bit off by 5 seconds of arc).

Greenwich is associated with outstanding architectural and artistic achievements as well as with scientific endeavour of the highest quality through the development of navigation and astronomy at the Royal Observatory, leading to the establishment of the Greenwich Meridian and Greenwich Mean Time as world standards. 

UNESCO World Heritage List

The Queen’s House is just at the base of Observatory Hill. It is a Royal Palace built in the 17th century by famed architect of symmetry and proportion Inigo Jones, and considered the first Palladian, or neo-classical building in England. The Great Hall of the palace is a very satisfying perfectly cubical room 40 feet in length, width, and height. The Tulip Stairs are the first unsupported spiral staircase in England.

Behind the Queen’s House, framing the view of the downtown beyond, are twin grey domes which a keen architecture student may recognize as smaller versions of the large dome of St. Paul’s Cathedral in London. The three domes were built by the same architect, Wren, at roughly the same time. This is the historical site called the Old Royal Naval College, formerly the Royal Naval College, formerly the Royal Hospital for Seamen.

GREENWICH, ENGLAND

Maritime Greenwich. UNESCO World Heritage List.
https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/795/