After the market I head to Greenwich park home to the Greenwich Observatory, National Maritime Museum Gardens and the Queens House. Walking through the gates close to the museum is a Statue of King William IV.just before you get to the Maritime Museum. Outside the museum there is a replica of Nelson's HMS Victory in a bottle by British-Nigerian artist Yinka Shonibare which is a 1:30 replica .The museum itself is free although there may be exhibitions on from time to time that you have to pay for. I didn't go in as there was a lot to see within in the grounds and I had limited time but will definitely visit the next time I am in Greenwich. A problem you may find in Greenwich is that there is so much to do and see, one day may not be enough. For visitors to London it may be an idea to base yourself in Greenwich for the duration of your stay so that you are able to see everything Greenwich has to offer and then commute into central London for more sightseeing. Greenwich has good public transport links and if the weather is good you can take a boat up the Thames, a ferry service runs daily, probably the most relaxing way to travel in London. London Bridge to Greenwich is a popular route, vice versa makes sense as well. Next I head down to the Queens House. Never heard of it before so knew nothing about it. It was built 1616 - 1635, its architect was Inigo Jones who designed it based on Palladian architecture from Italy, for Anne of Denmark, Queen of King James 1. It is free to go in and displays a collection of maritime paintings & portraits from the 17th to the 20th centuries. The Tulip Stairs and lantern;the first centrally unsupported helical stairs constructed in England. The stairs are supported by a combination of support by cantilever from the walls and each tread resting on the one below. I head over to the indoor market, which apparently is London's only historic market set within a world heritage site. The market is open everyday from 10 am until 530 pm. The are up to 120 stalls selling antiques,, arts & crafts, fashion, souvenirs and food. The food is quite high end or 'foodie' as we often say, with 'street food' stalls outside. Vegans are well catered for and there is an excellent fudge shop, The Fudge Patch, where you can watch the fudge being made by hand. The staff here are very friendly and passionate about their product and are happy to chat with you and offer you samples. They also have plenty of vegan options. Being a Saturday in the middle of summer its packed so I head outside and come across Goddards traditional pie & mash shop which has been trading since 1890. A friend had previously recommended it it to me, so in I went. They have a selection of pies all handmade on the premises and cooked fresh daily. I went for the traditional minced beef with mash & liquor with a portion of hot eels and liquor. Fantastic! The pastry was excellent, nice crisp top and the the eels were lovely. The liquor is made from the eel stock, reduced with added parsley. Gravy is also available. The staff here are really friendly, proper Londoners. Prices are very good, highly recommend eating here. |
AuthorLouis Mogg. Archives
March 2020
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