[caption id="attachment_1696" align="alignnone" width="940"]
View of Greenwich from the Royal Observatory[/caption]
Robert and I had a brilliant time exploring Greenwich last week and we couldn’t believe we were still in London! It really is such a beautiful place and much calmer than the centre of town. We loved the views and all the many things we got up to. In fact we could have stayed for longer.
This is all written by Robert, aged 10:
Royal Observatory
Wouldn’t it be cool if you could stand in two time zones, if you could time travel just by walking a few steps forward? Well you can do all that and loads more at the Royal Observatory in Greenwich. As well as finding out the history of clocks, watches and sun dials and even seeing the first ever time telling machine you get to stand on the Meridian Line.
[caption id="attachment_1704" align="alignnone" width="940"]
Standing across the Meridian Line at Greenwich[/caption]
If you didn’t already know about GMT, Greenwich is the home of time in the world so it’s a very important place. The meridian line goes all the way from the North to the South Pole and splits the world into eastern and western Hemispheres, so if you are standing on the line you are in two different times at once. It is very cool.
After going to the Observatory, we went on to see a show in the only Planetarium in London (the Peter Harrison Planetarium), and played some interactive space games. We also touched a meteorite that dates back billions of years which was very cool. And after all that, we had a rest at the top of the hill and gazed at the wonderful views.
We also went to the National Maritime Museum which was excellent and which I have written about here. You must go here if you come to Greenwich.
Need to know: The Royal Observatory (which includes the courtyard and also Flamsteed House which teaches you all about time) costs £9.50 for adults and £5 for children. You can also pay £18.50 for adults and £8.50 for children and get a joint ticket for the Observatory and the Cutty Sark (see below...)
Entry to the Planetarium is free, but we paid £5.50 for Robert to see a show there.
Emirates Air Line and Aviation Experience
[caption id="attachment_1706" align="alignnone" width="940"]
View of the O2 and Thames from the cable car[/caption]
If you wanted to see London’s Landmarks in a different way why not go on the Emirates airline, the only urban cable car in the UK? Travelling all around Britain’s capital city, 90 metres above the Thames isn’t something you do very often. We were put in a pod with four other people and then for the next 20 minutes we took loads of pictures and admired the scenery.
[caption id="attachment_1705" align="alignnone" width="940"]
Trying out the Emirates Aviation Experience[/caption]
The Emirates Aviation Experience is epic as you get to fly a plane (not really though!) The simulation allows you to take off, fly or land a plane in different weathers and countries. In your 30 minute experience you first learn how to use all the different buttons, pedals and levers each one vital to prevent the plane that you are flying from crashing. Then you picked one of the sixteen countries, a time of day and weather, before zooming off the runway and into the air. Steering and accelerating are quite tricky at first but after a few minutes you get the hang of it. You can take a planned path across your chosen city or if you aren’t very good at that, like me, you can just fly around. When landing, you have an easier and harder option so you can do them both if you like. Remember that you can change the country so you don’t have to stay doing the same thing all the time. I really liked the experience even though I didn’t get that good a score.
We took the Thames Clipper from Greenwich to the O2 (North Greenwich). It’s a very quick ride, but such fun to take a bus on the water! You also get the most magnificent views as you drive by.
Need to know: The Emirates Air line (cable car) costs £9 per adult and £4.50 per child (return), with a reduction for Oyster card users. It costs £45 to try out the Emirates Aviation Experience and fly a plane - up to four people can be involved in that session.
Thames Clippers depart every 20 minutes and prices vary, with reductions for Oyster card holders.
The Cutty Sark
One thing better than seeing the fastest and greatest ship of its time, is going on the fastest and greatest ship of its time and that’s exactly what you can do in Greenwich. Inside the Cutty Sark, one of the most famous ships in the world, you can learn all about life on a boat, importing and exporting goods and even have a go at being the sailors.
[caption id="attachment_1702" align="alignnone" width="940"]
Trying out a sailor's bed on the Cutty Sark[/caption]
It was so interesting to find out about men’s lives on the Cutty Sark as it was so different to the sea voyages nowadays. You got to touch, see and smell things of the past, play games and even go in various rooms of the ship. It was brilliant and even the cafe was cool - it was underneath the Cutty Sark.
Need to know: The Cutty Sark costs £7 for children and £13.50 for adults.
Discover Greenwich
If you arrive in Greenwich by boat, you get off right in front of Discover Greenwich. It is like a small museum which tells you about the area. It was interactive and interesting and I liked trying on a jousting helmet which was the size of one which Henry VIII would have worn. It was extremely heavy.
[caption id="attachment_1700" align="alignnone" width="768"]
The painted hall at the Old Royal Naval College was very impressive[/caption]
Right nearby is the Old Royal Naval College, which was designed by Sir Christopher Wren (who also designed St Paul’s Cathedral). Mum thought this was very beautiful. We went to see the Painted Hall which is probably the largest painting in Europe. It was very impressive, full of things like animals and signs of the zodiac and with King William and Queen Mary painted in the middle. I enjoyed doing my own animal drawing too (you can do this throughout August).
If you come to London you should definitely see Greenwich. The scenery and artwork are beautiful and there are so many things to do. London isn’t all about being busy, noise and crowds; there’s also Greenwich.”
Need to know: The Old Royal Naval College and Discover Greenwich are both free (although they do ask for donations, which we gave).
Sarah adds:
[caption id="attachment_1699" align="alignnone" width="940"]
We took a City Cruise from Westminster Pier to Greenwich[/caption]
Getting to Greenwich:
We got to Greenwich via the River of course! We caught the boat via City Cruises, from Westminster Pier and had a lovely trip down the River Thames, past the many famous sights, including the London Eye, Tower of London, Globe Theatre and more. It is a great way to travel, and takes about an hour. However, you can also go via the train and also the DLR (Docklands Light Railway). We took the DLR back from Greenwich station and it’s good fun too – taking you through the city of London (which looks like New York with all its huge financial buildings). We went on the DLR back to Bank and then the tube from there, but it goes to a number of stations. You can also take the train (for example, from London Bridge station, and it’s only an eight minute ride to Greenwich). Anyway, back to the wonderful sights...
Need to know: City Cruises cost £8 for children and £16 for adults for a return to Greenwich, from Westminster.
Eating:
While we were in Greenwich we noticed that there were loads of restaurants and cafes, plus stalls in the market. We really enjoyed a delicious meal at the Rivington Grill, where the staff could not have been more helpful or the food nicer! Robert loved his fish and chips and mocktail, while I was extremely happy with all my food (a chilled tomato and basil soup was perfect), and in particular (ahem) my two desserts....
[caption id="attachment_1707" align="alignnone" width="940"]
Robert loved his special mocktail at the Rivington Grill[/caption]
We also found a lovely little cafe right next to Greenwich market. Reddoor cafe even had vegan cake which Robert could eat (and yes, it was good.....)
Staying:
[caption id="attachment_1698" align="alignnone" width="940"]
Robert liked relaxing in this chair at our hotel![/caption]
We think Greenwich is a wonderful place to stay when you’re in London as it’s not hectic but easy to get around. There are lots of B&Bs and hotels in the area and we stayed in the Mercure Hotel, which is around 15 minutes walk from the centre. We walked a lot on our short stay and, if you had very small children, you might want to be nearer the centre. However, the hotel is nicely set up for travellers, and is lovely and quiet with very friendly staff. We were also extremely impressed by the breakfast offerings (if you have poached eggs and waffles on the menu, then you’re a winner in my book). Rooms cost from £82 a night.
[caption id="attachment_1697" align="alignnone" width="940"]
Delicious waffle with strawberries - (part of) my breakfast[/caption]
Disclosure: we were lucky enough to have our stay organised in conjunction with Visit Greenwich who covered the cost of our accommodation and the attractions listed in this piece. All our opinions, as always, are our own and Visit Greenwich had no input into this blog post.Labels: Blog, Cable car, Cutty Sark, days out in London, Emirates, Greenwich, London landmarks, National Maritime Museum, O2, Old Naval College, Planetarium, River Thames, Royal Observatory, Sir Christopher Wren
Standing across the Meridian Line at Greenwich[/caption]
View of the O2 and Thames from the cable car[/caption]
Trying out the Emirates Aviation Experience[/caption]
One thing better than seeing the fastest and greatest ship of its time, is going on the fastest and greatest ship of its time and that’s exactly what you can do in Greenwich. Inside the Cutty Sark, one of the most famous ships in the world, you can learn all about life on a boat, importing and exporting goods and even have a go at being the sailors.
Trying out a sailor's bed on the Cutty Sark[/caption]
The painted hall at the Old Royal Naval College was very impressive[/caption]
We took a City Cruise from Westminster Pier to Greenwich[/caption]
Robert loved his special mocktail at the Rivington Grill[/caption]
Robert liked relaxing in this chair at our hotel![/caption]
Delicious waffle with strawberries - (part of) my breakfast[/caption]