Britannia Rule the Waves: A day in Greenwich

 The Old Royal Naval College at Greenwich, built in the 1690s by King William and Queen Mary.

2015 England Trip Travel Journal Entry

Wednesday, March 18

Today was all Greenwich. The Royal Naval College and buildings by Christopher Wren were exciting to see – and they were just as impressive as I imagined them to be! They were built to be a sort of convalescent complex for sailors retired from the Royal Navy in the late 1600s. It is a spectacular example of neoclassical architecture.

Walking up to the college.

Another chilly day, but the spectacular architecture was completely worth it!

Walking through the college complex.

It's a pity that the Tudor palace that had originally been there was torn down, but there was a replica of it in the introductory exhibition and it probably looked much like Hampton Court or St. James's Palace. They had actually found floor tiles from it's chapel! A very nice and friendly staff member was telling us all about it. Lee was his name.

A replica of Henry VIII's visor. It was impossible to resist.

The replica of Henry VIII's Greenwich Palace.

A painting of 17th century London.

We got to go inside of the Chapel of St Peter and St Paul. The original had burnt down in the late 18th century, but the current one was immediately rebuilt in a similar style by James 'Athenian' Stuart and William Newton. The painting above the front was a depiction of Paul's shipwreck in the book of Acts by Benjamin West. The whole room was glorious! The ceiling was so intricate that it was literally jaw-dropping. (I know because my jaw literally dropped.)
 

The Chapel of St Peter and St Paul with Benjamin West's painting.

The back of the Chapel room.

Descending the steps from the Chapel.

The Queen's House and the Painted Hall were both closed for events – of course that would happen the day we were there. The latter I knew about before coming, but the former took me totally by surprise. That was so disappointing! But one must move on from such disappointments...

The Queen's House, designed by Inigo Jones for Queen Anne in the early 1600s.
It is a textbook example of a perfectly designed neoclassical building.

Walking along a portico to The Queen's House. It was the closest that we could get.

Looking at the Naval College from The Queen's House.

The Maritime Museum was next door, and it actually contained Admiral Nelson's Trafalgar uniform... Boy, did that bring history close!

The Maritime Museum

The uniform of Admiral Horatio Nelson worn at the Battle of Trafalgar.

18th century uniforms for a Captain, a First Lieutenant and a Second Lieutenant (I think).

An 18th century Midshipman's uniform.

But we had to run out of there to reach the observatory, and I nearly expired having to climb that hill so fast... My poor heart! And we still didn't get to stand on the Meridian because we didn't know where it was. But at least the view of the buildings below was nice. And we could at least see the Meridian through the gate. :)

The Greenwich Meridian!

A view of The Queen's Palace from the Greenwich Observatory.

We glimpsed Goddard's Pie Shop as wandered around, which was recommended on Trip Advisor, so we tried it. It was too delicious!! We each got a pie: a steak and ale and a chicken and ham, both with potatoes and mushy peas, then split a blackcurrent and apple crumble with custard.

English food at it's very finest and most delicious!

It ain't too pretty, but those kinds usually taste the best.

It was such a local place, and family owned since 1890. There were families having dinner or picking up dinner to bring home. The lady behind the counter called everyone 'my love,' and the owner bade goodbye by saying, 'Cheerio, ladies!' Then as we made our way home Mom said what we were both thinking: 'They actually say that!' :)

The comfortable inside of Goddard's Pie Shop.

A typical evening on the Tube while we make our way home.