15 The Old Royal Naval College

Here’s a view taken from the Royal Observatory hill, looking north across the Thames to the Canary Wharf / Docklands area (tall buildings in the background), with Greenwich Park and the collection of Queen’s House (center, with arcades each side) and Old Royal Naval College behind the Queen’s House with the two domed towers.

In 1692 the Royal Hospital for Seamen at Greenwich was created on the site on the instructions of Mary II, who had been inspired by the sight of wounded sailors returning from the Battle of La Hogue.  It was designed by Christopher Wren, and built between

14 The Royal Observatory

The Royal Observatory, Greenwich in London played a major role in the history of astronomy and navigation, and is best known as the location of the prime meridian. The observatory was commissioned in 1675 by King Charles II, with the foundation stone being laid on 10 August.  At that time the king also created the position of Astronomer Royal (AR), to serve as the director of the observatory and to “apply himself with the most exact care and diligence to the rectifying of the tables of the motions of the heavens, and the places of the fixed stars, so as to find out the so much desired longitude of places for the perfecting of the art of navigation.” He appointed John Flamsteed as the first AR. The building was completed in the summer of 1676.  The building was often given the title “Flamsteed House”, in reference to its first

13 Greenwich

We worked our way through the Canary Wharf / Docklands area to the edge of the Thames.  From the promenade along the Thames we squinted into the hazy sunshine. To the right of Greenwich was Deptford, seen here being rapidly developed with offices and housing.