About West Greenwich
Stretching from Deptford to Greenwich Park and enjoying excellent transport links, affluent West Greenwich takes in the heart of the village centre of Greenwich, including its lively market and world-famous monuments and architecture.
A short history
During the 40 years that Henry VIII was on the throne, much of it was spent at Greenwich’s Palace of Placentia. It was where he was born, held his courts and married two of his six wives. Greenwich Park was originally a hunting ground (much like many of London’s great parks) established in 1433. The National Observatory was built in 1675 by Charles II for the first Astronomer Royal, John Flamstead.
Alongside its royal past, the area’s importance in Britain’s maritime history is underlined by the fact that UNESCO has designated Maritime Greenwich as a World Heritage Site.
Fast forward to 1838 when Greenwich was connected to the rest of London by railway. It was a move that sparked a population growth. The meridian line running through the Greenwich Observatory was chosen as the international meridian to calculate longitude in 1884.
Green spaces and going out
Aside from Greenwich Park itself, there are other smaller parks including St Alfege, Cutty Sark Gardens and the Naval College Gardens.
Many of the pubs and restaurants are located in the centre of the town, home to the famous market and a selection of shops, restaurants and pubs as well as the Picturehouse cinema. Further pubs and shops are located on the river and around Greenwich station.
Greenwich Theatre, meanwhile, is regarded as one of the foremost off-West End theatres in London.
Transport
From Greenwich station, Canary Wharf is 14 mins on the DLR while Bank is 23 mins. The journeys are just a minute or two shorter from Cutty Sark DLR. Trains from Greenwich to London Bridge take 11 mins.
Did you know?
Dubbed “the Sistine Chapel of the UK”, The Painted Hall at the Old Naval College is one of Britain’s greatest architectural and artistic treasures.
