London's river, the Tower of London, the City, the Palace of Westminster all built on the riverbank. As is further down Hampton Court, Henry VIII's palace southwest of London, Windsor, and Woolwich, Greenwich, Deptford, the Thames twists and turns in it’s path, it's River Thames a walk from self guide

Short Notes:

Royal naval history dating back to 1512, when Henry VIII established a royal dockyard and laid foundations of England 's navy

Site known as Woolwich Warren because of large numbers of rabbits - name survives in Warren Lane

New riverside park, opened this year, on a site once so secret that it never appeared on maps - superb views of Dome and Canary Wharf

Museum of the Royal Artillery. Thames Barrier - a 20th century engineering triumph

Woolwich Ferry - linking east and south-east London since the 14th century and still carrying vehicles and passengers free of charge

Royal Artillery barracks, including parade ground with superb Georgian façade

Town centre market granted charter in 1620

Founding home in Powis Street of the Royal Arsenal Cooperative Society

Maritime Greenwich

Maritime Greenwich : a World Heritage Site

Royal Park , dating from 1433, remodelled in 1660s, and still retaining many features (and trees) from that date

Royal Observatory, designed by Sir Christopher Wren, and the home of the Prime Meridian – the place from which the world measures time

Stunning river-front architecture of the Old Royal Naval College , close to the elegant Inigo Jones-designed Queens House, and National Maritime Museum

Cutty Sark and Gipsy Moth IV - vessels in dry dock

Town centre containing late Georgian shops, popular arts/crafts market (operating as a market since 1730s) and riverside pubs

Church dedicated to St Alfege, murdered in Greenwich in 1012

World's only museum dedicated to the history and art of fan-making

Tavern and chop-house of 17th century coaching inn - still a popular restaurant.

Tudor Eltham

Great Hall of Eltham Palace - home to 'the princes in the Tower', and much-visited by Shakespeare. The Hall has been recently restored, along with the adjacent art deco home of the Courtauld family, and opened to the public. The grounds offer stunning views across to London and the Kent countryside

Blackheath

Site of the Poll Tax rebels' 1381 confrontation with Richard II

One of London 's few surviving 1840s railway stations

The Paragon - superb Georgian collonaded terrace

Listed examples of modernist residential architecture

Chinese-inspired Pagoda house, dating from 1760

Blackheath Halls - London 's first purpose-built concert hall (still going strong)

Deptford

Site of a Royal Shipyard, founded by King Henry VIII. Famous sailors such as Francis Drake, Sir Walter Raleigh and Captain Cook all sailed from Deptford on their voyages of discovery.

The Shipwright's Palace - originally a receiving house for royalty such as Queen Elizabeth I and Charles II and all that remains of the Royal Dockyard.

Albury Street - popular legend has it that Nelson and Lady Hamilton were once residents in one of these fine houses

London 's first and oldest working railway station

Grave of Christopher Marlowe, the Elizabethan dramatist, in St Nicholas' churchyard

UPSTREAM

Further round the bottom of the loop lies Greenwich with Gipsy Moth IV, the Cutty Sark, and numerous museums, including Wren's Royal Naval College symbolises the city's age-old nautical connection. Behind the lies National Maritime Museum, and on the hill is the Greenwich Observatory, the best time to be here is noon watch the ball on the observatory drop as it has done for hundreds of years announcing the time to generations of naval masters. See the FULL Greenwich walk here

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