Greenwich Park, on the south bank of the Thames in south-east London, is the oldest of the Royal Parks, enclosed by Duke Humphrey of Gloucester in the 1430s. It covers 183 acres and rises steeply from the riverside to the hilltop where the Royal Observatory stands.
The Royal Observatory and Zero Meridian
The Royal Observatory, built for Charles II in 1675, sits on the hill that marks 0° longitude — the Prime Meridian of the World. From here, time and geography are measured. You can stand with one foot in the eastern hemisphere and one in the western. The red Time Ball on the roof drops at exactly 13:00 every day, allowing ships on the Thames to set their chronometers.
The View
From the hilltop beside the Observatory, the view north across the Thames to the City of London is extraordinary — the skyscrapers of Canary Wharf to the left, the dome of St Paul’s to the right, with the Thames winding through the middle. This is the view that appears on more London postcards than almost any other.
Getting to Greenwich
The most scenic route is by river: Thames Clippers from central London run to Greenwich Pier. Alternatively, take the DLR to Cutty Sark station. The Jubilee line takes you to North Greenwich, from which a tunnel under the Thames leads to the park.
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