GREENWICH, LONDON: Standing On Top of the Prime Meridian

We went to Greenwich, London on a sunny day and stood on the historic Prime Meridian line ♡♡

I was confused at first, about whether Greenwich was part of London or not, but it is, it's a borough. It can also be called a Town if I'm not mistaken? Greenwich is known to be the home of time, where the Prime Meridian line at Longitude 0º is located. It's also where GMT (Greenwich Mean Time) was based from, and which has become the international standard for time.

We took the Light Docklands Railway going here. I really love how everything is accessible through train. It was also nice to see a glimpse of Canary Wharf on the way; I've seen its many skyscrapers from my window seat.

In every town, city, or area, there'll always be a tower clock. I guess this clock tower serves as a landmark because around the area you'd be able to find the Greenwich Clocktower Market, where antiques, clothes, and vintage items are sold. 

The gate that leads to the following places: Maritime Museum, Greenwich Park, Royal Observatory, Old Royal Naval College, and the Queen's House. All these places are found within one area in Greenwich. 

This is the Queen's House, known to be the first classical building in the UK. It now houses a collection of great artworks, textiles, silver, and ceramics. Royalties have lived here for centuries, and most of its design was influenced by the Kings' wives of different descent such as Anne of Denmark and Henrietta Maria of France. 

We ate our packed lunch in one of the benches here :-) I enjoyed it very much because of the view we had: 

The beautiful Greenwich Park. I couldn't help but take a photo of this beautiful landscape! It just felt right at that time. It looks like it would make a lovely scenery to paint. It's a good idea to come here because central London can be a bit too busy and overwhelming. 

It's an uphill walk going to the observatory. I think it took us 10 minutes to get there without breaks. Quite an exercise! On the way, we passed by a long canopy stretch of trees. It was a warm day, and we appreciated all the shade. All this green was quite mesmerizing to be honest, because everywhere was bright.

This spot is perfect for a picnic. 

And finally, this is what greeted us at the top, the Shepherd Gate Clock. This clock was known to be the first to show GMT to the public. Its time was sent via telegraph wires to London, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Dublin, Belfast, and many other cities, so it's truly considered to be one of the most important clocks of the world.

GMT standard time was established in 1884, although before this, every town or country kept their own local time. Thinking about this made me think of how hard it would be to measure what time it is in other countries if there was no concrete basis to start with. 

This was where astronomers studied and measured time and locations around the world. It also helped seafarers navigate through the sea and know their exact location. Truly, two important things here would be learning about GMT and the Prime Meridian. 

Having the Prime Meridian as the division of the Eastern and Western hemisphere proved to be helpful in creating the map of the world and of the sky and also the reference line for the GMT. The Royal Observatory Greenwich is considered to be a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The historic Prime Meridian line! Another one from my grade school textbooks, come to life. ♡♡ It was decided to have the Prime Meridian here because other countries have already been using Greenwich as their reference point when navigating the seas.

And here also is a rewarding view from the top:

The old, then the new. In between the Old Royal Naval College would be the buildings and skyscrapers of Canary Wharf which is on the other side of the river Thames. 

At the same location is also the National Maritime Museum, wherein it showcases the many discoveries of the British while navigating the seas around the world. 

This is Yinka Shonibare MBE's Nelson's Ship in a Bottle. I couldn't get a close up of it, since it's basically a huge replica standing right outside the Maritime Museum, but it truly is a detailed work of art. It's definitely nice to see its richly patterned sails on a bright sunny day. You can see an overview through this youtube video!

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This visit was definitely one for the books!

What's your favorite historical site? :D

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