The Museum has recently been extended and improved. There are now excellent exhibits on the Scott of the Antarctic and the Titanic, with real artefacts. Perhaps the highlight is a P&O exhibition of their history, which includes a fantastic large-scale model of the Grand Princess.(It's bigger than me!)

Greenwich also has an early observatory, with the meridian line, the Cutty Sark ship (Tea Clipper) and Gypsy Moth (yacht). Lets not forget the impressive Millennium Dome, too.

If you live in the UK and have never been to Greenwich, or are visiting London from abroad, it is well worth a day's visit. It can easily be reached by the DLR (Docland's Light Railway).

The Cutty Sark is the only ship to have survived from the tea clipper heyday of the mid- 19th Century. The Cutty Sark was launched on the afternoon of 22 November, 1869.

Source and for more info see:

Cutty Sark

You can get to Greenwich via the newish DLR (Dockland Light Railway). The trains are automatic (no drivers) and run from from the 'Bank' tube station - take the DLR line that goes to Greenwich, (Cutty sark) via Island Gardens (maybe half hour ride?) In fact if you get off at Island Gardens you can walk under the Thames, via a Victorian foot tunnel which pops up at the Cutty Sark, or stay one extra stop on the train.

A 'one day' travel card will cover you for the tube, DLR and the buses..you can hop on and off all day.

The old London docks has been dramatically re-developed in recent years.The DLR passes through the area of redevelopment.

You should make a day of it, Greenwich has a number of attractions within easy walking distance. The Museum is much bigger than Southamptons, and opens daily at 10am. The observatory (in the park like the Museum) is a must and a combined ticket can be purchased. There is also an exhibition on the 'history of Time', but i've not seen it, as there is another fee!

There are several good maritime type shops in Greenwich too. There is an interesting Market at the weekends, but it does get really busy by 1pmish. You are also only a short boat ride to the 'Millenium Dome'and Westminster. (You can in fact catch a boat from Westminister to Greenwich)

If you have the time you should visit Portsmouth's excellent historic Dockyard. You could do a day trip by train. Finally, London's 'Science Museum' and 'Imperial War Museum', and 'Cabinet War Rooms' are also excellent attractions - if you have a few spare days!

Do check out the web site - it tells you much more than I can.

Greenwich Info

Both times we took a boat down the Thames from the dock in front of the Tower of London or the one in front of the Houses of Parliament. It was a great way to see the city and the commentary along the way was very entertaining.

Here's a direct link to the Museum http://www.nmm.ac.uk/

For more info on what to do in London check out our favorite at http://www.travelpage.com/favorite/fd_londn.htm

At Greenwich there are four major attractions:
- The Cutty Sark
- The Royal Observatory - where time originates and you can stand at the 0 meridien, one foot in the eastern hemisphere and one foot in the western hemisphere. At 1 PM every day the ball on top of the observatory drops so that ships in harbor can set the clocks - accurate time was/is the key to navigation (even for GPS satellites time is key).
- The Queens House, one of the palaces that Elizabeth used and used in the Movie 'Shakespeare in Love'
- The Maritime Museum.

For anyone into ships its is well worth most of a day.

I would highly recommend this to anyone visiting England.

If and when you are back in the UK, you MUST visit Portsmouth's Historic Dockyard. You can see historic ships: HMS Victory, the Mary Rose, the Warrier and several museums too. It is also possible to take a boat trip around the harbour and see the war ships that are moored there, and stop off at Gosport Submarine museum. It's every bit as good as Greenwich - maybe better?

You can get a train from London right into the dockyard, the journey takes no more than a couple of hours. You make a full day of it.

http://www.flagship.org.uk/

It is depicts the history of polar exploration and features real artefacts such as Captain Scott's diary and Amundson's skis.

My favourite permanent display is P&O's 'Passengers', the history of sea travel for the rich and poor. If you live in the UK, or are visiting and have an interest in Maritime history, you should really find the time to make a day trip.

http://www.nmm.ac.uk/galleries/passengers.html

Canary Wharf

You MUST find time to take the 'Dockland Light Railway' from 'Bank' which is a tube/underground station (near central London). Look for the destination 'Lewisham'. This train passes through much of the new Dockland development, including 'Canary Wharf'. Keep on the train to 'Island Gardens', where it passes under the river Thames - then you can get off at 'Cutty Sark' for Maritime Greenwich. It makes a great day out! You can visit the maritime Museum (World's biggest) and the historic 'Cutty Sark' Tea Clipper amongst other things.

The excellent "South - Race for the Pole" exhibition, within the excellent Maritime Museum, Greenwich, has now been extended to September 2001!