THREE LONDON MUSEUMS FOR THE PRICE OF FREE
Greenwich Maritime Museum
and Royal Observatory
England’s
National MaritimeMuseum is one of the largest nautical and engineering
museums in the
world.
Located in Greenwich where the
Thames makes one of its meandering turns about 30 miles from the center
of London. Twenty galleries of ships, seafaring and marine history are
spread through the floors of the historic building which was at one time
a school for the sons of sailors. Hands-on interactive displays for kids
and adults, the uniform worn
by Admiral Nelson when he was killed at the battle of Trafalgar which
saved England from having to speak French.
Wonderful hand-crafted ship models, charts, maps,
and a speed racing early jet boat are some of the featured displays
of the collection
of over 2 million items. Entrance to the museum
is now free,
thanks to the national lottery.
Entrance
to Maritime Museum also gets you into two other one-of-a-kind exhibits.
The Greenwich
Royal Observatory
where the keep the world’s
time. Founded by Charles II in 1675 by international decree, Greenwich
is the official starting point for each new day, year and millennium
at the stroke of midnight GMT “Greenwich Mean Time”. The
Prime Meridian which divides the world’s time - a reminder of
when England was the center of the seafaring world passes through Greenwich.
Designed by Christopher Wren, who also designed St. Paul’s Cathedral,
the building which is split in two by the 0 Longitude line was
built as one of the first astronomical observatories and still houses
an 1893 refractor telescope, the largest of its kind in Britain. And
perhaps inspiration for New York’s New Years tradition, a ball
has been dropping from the observatory’s mast precisely at 1 p.m.
since 1833 as a signal to mariners on the Thames to set their time pieces.
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The
Queen's House was commissioned by Anne of Denmark, wife of James
I, England’s king from 1603–25. James was often at the Tudor
Palace which was located, where the Old Royal Naval College stands now
between the Maitime museums and the river ferry docks. It is tradition
that King James gave the manor at Greenwich to his wife in apology for
having sworn at her in public, after she accidentally shot one of his
favorite dogs while hunting in 1614. Designed by Inigo Jones in 1616
in a Palladian style and completed with the addition of its unique spiral
staircase in 1635, the Queen’s House is England’s first purely
classical building, utilizing Renaissance ideas of mathematics, classical
proportion and harmony, the house’s design was revolutionary in
Britain in the 17th century. It has been in its history a royal brothel,
a republican official residence and home to a smuggling ring – not
all a once, however natural that may seem.
The National Maritime Museums at Greenwich can be reached by Thames
boat tour (see From Big Ben to Greenwich Mean)
or by the tube and raised rail system
through south London’s canyon of modern architecture. © Bargain
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National
Maritime Museum
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SEE ALSO:
TOWER OF LONDON
600 YEARS LORD LEYCESTER HOSPITAL IN WARWICK
HENLEY-ON-THAMES
ROWING
LONDON FIREWORKS NEW YEAR SHOW TICKETS
TREASURES GALLERY AT BRITISH LIBRARY
