Many of us know Greenwich from the GMT. And many of us wouldn’t think of it as part of London. It wasn’t until 1965 when it was amalgamated into the Royal Borough of Greenwich as a borough of Greater London.
Where to stay in Greenwich: Hotel Novotel London Greenwich
We stayed at the Hotel Novotel London Greenwich. It is conveniently located beside the DLR station of Greenwich (not that you can hear it in your room), so you can easily hop over to central London, not that you’d want to do that. Because there are tons of stuff to visit in Greenwich itself. Before I get to that, a few words about the Hotel Novotel London Greenwich.
It is a slightly larger room than what you would expect to get in central London. The price is also more reasonable. You’d pay a lot more for a smaller room in central London.
The decor and facilities are what you’d get from a standard Novotel. That is also why I like to stay in a branded hotel – no unpleasant surprises in terms of services, facilities and process. The most important thing for me on a trip is to get a good night’s sleep. The Novotel bed and mattress make sure of that!
What to visit in Greenwich
If you have already visited London before, then it is worth spending some time roaming around Greenwich.
Here, you have the famous Royal Observatory and the Prime Meridian, where you can stand on Point Zero of the meridian line. You should also visit the Queen’s House and the National Maritime Museum. The Cutty Sark – the last survival British tea clipperΒ – is also worth a visit, to get to know Britain’s colonial ambitions and history revolving around the tea trade. The Painted Hall of the Royal Naval College is one of the most impressive ceiling art of the Victoria Age in Britain.
I’d like to make a special mention of St Alfege Church, located in the Greenwich village. Originally a medieval church built in 1290, to mark the spot of the martyr of St Alfege Archbishop of Canterbury by the vikings, the church also houses the remains of one of my favourite English composers Thomas Tallis. Tallis lived from 1505 – 1585, a ripe age for that era. Tallis composed the most exquisite and complex Renaissance choral work – Spem in Alium – in 1570.
Spem in Alium has 40 parts, sung by 8 choirs of five voices each!
Here is how it sounds like, if you had never heard it before:
Where to dine in Greenwich
Plenty! The London foodie scene is so exciting it is difficult to list current fads here. But for settings, I would recommend the following pubs:
- Trafalgar Tavern, a Victorian riverside pub with splendid view
- Cutty Sark, a Georgian riverside pub also with a splendid view
- Coach and Horses, a beautiful 18th century pub close to the St Alfege’s Church
- The Golden Chippy serves one of London’s top 10 fish and chips!
There are also tons of breakfast places around the hotel. You will not be disappointed in trying them one by one as what we did.
Do you have any further recommendations on things to do in Greenwich? Please feel free to add them in the comments section below.
Before you leave, check out my other London recommendations, such as a casual walking tour, a visit to Camden Town and the most conveniently-located Euston Ibis Hotel for Eurostar passengers.
