Hotels in Greenwich

Greenwich, The home of the National Maritime Museum, some excellent street markets, and Time itself, Greenwich is a great place to visit.

It’s rich royal and maritime history – located on the south bank of the Thames towards the Channel, and thus a favourite with Navy men during the perpetual sea wars with France during the 17th-19th centuries – sees it listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, visitor's will find plenty to see and do.

Anglo-Saxon kings chose Greenwich as their London home, and Henry V’s brother built the Palace of Placentia here – the infamous Henry VIII was born, married one wife and signed the death warrant for another here during his turbulent reign.

The great London architect Inigo Jones built the Queen’s House for Queen Elizabeth in the early 1600s – it’s now the National Maritime Museum (Queen’s House, 020 8858 4422, www.nmm.ac.uk), and was one of the city’s first and finest buildings in the Classical style.

The museum itself is a fantastic place to explore London’s close relationship with the sea, from explorers like Francis Drake discovering new worlds to when Britannia ruled the waves under the Admiral Lord Nelson. The Cutty Sark (www.cuttysark.org.uk), docked at Greenwich, is a living monument to this glorious age of sail – tragically damaged in a fire in 2007, its currently undergoing extensive renovation. The Royal Observatory is part of the National Maritime Museum and marks the spot at longitude 0 degrees from where Greenwich Mean Time is measured: situated high on a hill with fabulous views, it’s a must-visit.

The rest of Greenwich has a distinctly salty atmosphere, with sailor’s pubs like the Trafalgar Tavern (6 Park Row, 020 8858 2909, www.trafalgartavern.co.uk) remaining much unchanged for 200 years, and some really fun markets.

Take the Docklands Light Railway to Cutty Sark for Maritime Greenwich or Greenwich, as North Greenwich Jubilee Line Underground station is mainly used for the 02 Arena.