London (Fodor's 2012) - Fodor's [83]
MAKING THE MOST OF YOUR TIME
Set apart from the rest of London, Greenwich is worth a day to itself, to make the most of walks in the rolling parklands and to immerse yourself in its richness of maritime art and entertainment. The boat trip takes about an hour from Westminster Pier (next to Big Ben), or 25 minutes from the Tower of London, so factor in enough time for the round-trip.
GETTING THERE
Sitting at the front of a Docklands Light Railway (DLR) train can be disconcerting, as you watch the controls in the fully automated driver’s cab move about, as if a ghost were at the helm. It remains a zippy way to get to Cutty Sark station, from Canary Wharf and Bank Tube stations in The City. Or take the DLR to Island Gardens and walk the old Victorian Foot Tunnel under the river. The best way to arrive, however—time and weather permitting—is like a sea admiral of old: by water (though this way takes an hour from central London).
FEELING PECKISH?
With excellent vista of the Thames, there is no more handsomely situated pub in Greenwich than the Trafalgar Tavern (Park Row | SE10 9NW | 020/8858–2909 | www.trafalgartavern.co.uk). Featured in Charles Dickens’s Our Mutual Friend, it’s still as grand a place to have a pint and some (upscale) pub grub as it ever was.
Right next to Discover Greenwich, the Old Brewery(Pepys Bldg., Royal Naval College, Greenwich | SE10 9LW | 020/3327–1280 | www.oldbrewerygreenwich.com) is a relaxed café by day and a sophisticated restaurant at night. The artful, high-ceiling dining room is worth the trip alone but the modern British cuisine is also among the best in this part of London—and reasonably priced, too. The suave bar serves 200 different ales.
NEAREST PUBLIC RESTROOMS
Duck into the tourist information center (near the Old Royal Naval College), where loos are free.
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TOP ATTRACTIONS
Clock Tower Antiques Market.
The weekend Clock Tower Antiques Market on Greenwich High Road has more vintage shopping, and browsing among the “small collectibles” makes for a good half-hour diversion.
Discover Greenwich.
Intended as a kind of anchor point for Greenwich’s big three attractions—the Old Royal Naval College, Cutty Sark, and National Maritime Museum—this excellent new visitor center includes large, interactive exhibitions on the history of Greenwich, plus an assortment of local treasures and artifacts. Most intriguing among them is a 17th-century “witch bottle,” once used to ward off evil spirits, modern x-rays have revealed it to contain a mixture of human hair, fingernails, and urine. | Pepys Bldg., King William Walk, Greenwich | SE10 9LW | 020/8269–4799 | www.oldroyalnavalcollege.org | Free | Daily 10–5 | DLR: Greenwich.
Greenwich Market.
Established as a fruit-and-vegetable market in 1700, and granted a royal charter in 1849, the covered market now offers mixed stalls of homewares on Wednesday, antiques, and collectibles on Thursday and Friday, and arts and crafts on Saturday and Sunday. You can get food-to-go on each market day, although it’s usually best on weekends. Shopping for handicrafts is a pleasure, as in most cases you’re buying directly from the artist. | College Approach, Greenwich | SE10 9HZ | 020/8269–5096 | www.greenwichmarket.net | Wed.–Sun. 10–5:30 | DLR: Cutty Sark.
National Maritime Museum.
Following a millennial face-lift, one of Greenwich’s star attractions has been completely updated to make it one of London’s most enjoyable museums. Its glass-covered courtyard of beautifully grand stone, dominated by a huge revolving propeller from a powerful frigate, is reminiscent of the British Museum. The collection spans seascape paintings to scientific instruments, interspersed with the heroes of the waves. A permanent Nelson gallery contains the uniform he wore, complete with bloodstain, when he met his end in 1805. TIP The museum has a good café with views over Greenwich Park. The Queen