A walk through Greenwich and Blackheath March 2017
Mar 26th, 2017, 04:41 AM
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A walk through Greenwich and Blackheath March 2017
I live in Blackheath, a lovely village in South East London, just south of Greenwich.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blackheath,_London
When I moved to London from Canada, I rented an apartment in Poplar, of ‘Call the Mid-Wife’ fame, and explored various areas where I wanted to live and, more importantly, I could afford. I soon discovered that I could not afford to live in many of the areas that I wanted to live in. I was quite depressed.
A friend suggested Blackheath, so I took a trip on a Sunday morning to Blackheath and immediately fell in love with the village. Within two months, I had rented a very large two bedroom apartment in a Georgian house and lived there for a year before I bought a very tiny house in Cator Estates.
This trip report will bring you on a walk from Blackheath to Greenwich and Back.
************************************************** ************
Today, the weather was simply gorgeous – sunny and just a little cool, and I decided to spend the day walking from Blackheath to Greenwich, visiting some sites, and then walking back again through the Georgian and Victorian beauty of Blackheath.
Here are my photos from the day:
pix.sfly.com/h0v3_NDV
I started my walk from my home in Cator Estates, Blackheath, and proceeded along Morden Road to the Paragon.
https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=pa...w=1280&bih=617
Then on to the Heath, famous as the rallying point for Wat Tyler's Peasants' Revolt of 1381, and for Jack Cade's Kentish rebellion in 1450.
I crossed north across the Heath to Greenwich Park. Greenwich Park hosts the Prime Meridian Line and Royal Observatory as well as being part of the Greenwich Maritime World Heritage Site which is home to The National Maritime Museum and Old Royal Naval College.
http://www.royalparks.org.uk/parks/greenwich-park
One of my favourite places to visit in the summer is the magnificent Rose Garden, obviously not worth visiting in March.
From the entrance to the observatory, you are treated to an incredible view of the National Maritime Museum and Queen’s House in the foreground, with a backdrop of Canary Wharf and London City. IMO, one of the best panoramic views in London.
There is lots to do and see in Greenwich:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greenwich
http://www.visitgreenwich.org.uk/things-to-do/
I decided not to visit the Observatory, but will plan it sometime in the near future, on a rainy day.
http://www.rmg.co.uk/royal-observatory
I decided on a visit to the Queen’s house:
Quote: “Queen's House is a former royal residence built between 1616 and 1635 in Greenwich, then a few miles down-river from London and now a district of the city. Its architect was Inigo Jones, for whom it was a crucial early commission, for Anne of Denmark, the queen of King James I. Queen's House is one of the most important buildings in British architectural history, being the first consciously classical building to have been constructed in the country. It was Jones's first major commission after returning from his 1613–1615 grand tour of Roman, Renaissance, and Palladian architecture in Italy.”
It is a real gem of a house. The paintings are, in general, rather ordinary, most associated in some way with a maritime theme, as one would expect. Well worth a visit.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Queen%27s_House
http://www.rmg.co.uk/queens-house
Then on to the National Maritime Museum. This is a child’s paradise, and there were loads of the munchkins running around. If you are visiting London with 4 – young teen kids, then bring them here – they will just love it! It also has enough to amuse the adults.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Maritime_Museum
http://www.rmg.co.uk/national-maritime-museum
I was there to see: Emma Hamilton: Seduction and Celebrity: She was the irresistible beauty from the brothels who captivated Europe. This vivid show is a glorious reminder of her rise and fall.
https://www.theguardian.com/artandde...aritime-museum
The exhibition is very well done, and very sympathetic. She was certainly a great beauty, but also a very intelligent self-taught woman, who dragged herself up from a lowly servant at 12, a prostitute by the age of 14-16, to become the wife of a Lord, a friend of the Queen of Naples (sister of Marie Antoinette) and the great love of Nelson. I highly recommend this exhibition.
Unfortunately, this exhibition ends on April 17th, so if you want to see it, do it now!
I wandered around, enjoying the various exhibits, all very well displayed and explained.
Hunger drove me out. Greenwich had lots of chain restaurants. I chose Buenos Aires Café, a three minute walk from the museum. They have a restaurant in Blackheath, I have dined there a few times, and it is reliable and consistent.
http://buenosairescafe.co.uk/greenwich-restaurant
I had ribeye steak and chips and a couple of glasses of Malbec. Perfectly cooked steak and excellent wine. Bill was £35.
More walking around Greenwich. Unfortunately, it was too late to visit the Cutty Stark or the Royal Navy College. I will save them for another day.
http://www.rmg.co.uk/cutty-sark
https://www.ornc.org/
Then, the long walk back to Blackheath, taking the walk along the left-hand side of Greenwich Park. I took a circuitous route home through Blackheath, taking pictures of some of my favourite views and buildings.
Getting there:
If you just want to visit Greenwich, then take DLR from Bank or Tower Hill to Cutty Sark – you are in the heart of Greenwich (20 minutes).
However, a visit to Greenwich MUST include a boat ride on the Thames Clipper, which gives you the most stunning perspective of London.
http://www.thamesclippers.com/
You should decide which leg of the journey: Personally, I prefer the journey from Greenwich to London. If you plan the whole day there, then take the Clipper there and back.
If you want to come to Blackheath, take a train from London Bridge, Waterloo East, Charring Cross or Victoria – it takes less than 20 minutes. Exit at Blackheath Station and you are in the centre of the village. To visit Cator Estates, turn right out of the station, walk up the hill and turn left onto Blackheath Park. The road is lined by imposing late Georgian/early Victoria houses. Proceed to the end, and turn left onto Morden road, which leads you onto the Heath. Cross the Heath to the entrance to Greenwich Park.
Regards .. Ger
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blackheath,_London
When I moved to London from Canada, I rented an apartment in Poplar, of ‘Call the Mid-Wife’ fame, and explored various areas where I wanted to live and, more importantly, I could afford. I soon discovered that I could not afford to live in many of the areas that I wanted to live in. I was quite depressed.
A friend suggested Blackheath, so I took a trip on a Sunday morning to Blackheath and immediately fell in love with the village. Within two months, I had rented a very large two bedroom apartment in a Georgian house and lived there for a year before I bought a very tiny house in Cator Estates.
This trip report will bring you on a walk from Blackheath to Greenwich and Back.
************************************************** ************
Today, the weather was simply gorgeous – sunny and just a little cool, and I decided to spend the day walking from Blackheath to Greenwich, visiting some sites, and then walking back again through the Georgian and Victorian beauty of Blackheath.
Here are my photos from the day:
pix.sfly.com/h0v3_NDV
I started my walk from my home in Cator Estates, Blackheath, and proceeded along Morden Road to the Paragon.
https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=pa...w=1280&bih=617
Then on to the Heath, famous as the rallying point for Wat Tyler's Peasants' Revolt of 1381, and for Jack Cade's Kentish rebellion in 1450.
I crossed north across the Heath to Greenwich Park. Greenwich Park hosts the Prime Meridian Line and Royal Observatory as well as being part of the Greenwich Maritime World Heritage Site which is home to The National Maritime Museum and Old Royal Naval College.
http://www.royalparks.org.uk/parks/greenwich-park
One of my favourite places to visit in the summer is the magnificent Rose Garden, obviously not worth visiting in March.
From the entrance to the observatory, you are treated to an incredible view of the National Maritime Museum and Queen’s House in the foreground, with a backdrop of Canary Wharf and London City. IMO, one of the best panoramic views in London.
There is lots to do and see in Greenwich:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greenwich
http://www.visitgreenwich.org.uk/things-to-do/
I decided not to visit the Observatory, but will plan it sometime in the near future, on a rainy day.
http://www.rmg.co.uk/royal-observatory
I decided on a visit to the Queen’s house:
Quote: “Queen's House is a former royal residence built between 1616 and 1635 in Greenwich, then a few miles down-river from London and now a district of the city. Its architect was Inigo Jones, for whom it was a crucial early commission, for Anne of Denmark, the queen of King James I. Queen's House is one of the most important buildings in British architectural history, being the first consciously classical building to have been constructed in the country. It was Jones's first major commission after returning from his 1613–1615 grand tour of Roman, Renaissance, and Palladian architecture in Italy.”
It is a real gem of a house. The paintings are, in general, rather ordinary, most associated in some way with a maritime theme, as one would expect. Well worth a visit.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Queen%27s_House
http://www.rmg.co.uk/queens-house
Then on to the National Maritime Museum. This is a child’s paradise, and there were loads of the munchkins running around. If you are visiting London with 4 – young teen kids, then bring them here – they will just love it! It also has enough to amuse the adults.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Maritime_Museum
http://www.rmg.co.uk/national-maritime-museum
I was there to see: Emma Hamilton: Seduction and Celebrity: She was the irresistible beauty from the brothels who captivated Europe. This vivid show is a glorious reminder of her rise and fall.
https://www.theguardian.com/artandde...aritime-museum
The exhibition is very well done, and very sympathetic. She was certainly a great beauty, but also a very intelligent self-taught woman, who dragged herself up from a lowly servant at 12, a prostitute by the age of 14-16, to become the wife of a Lord, a friend of the Queen of Naples (sister of Marie Antoinette) and the great love of Nelson. I highly recommend this exhibition.
Unfortunately, this exhibition ends on April 17th, so if you want to see it, do it now!
I wandered around, enjoying the various exhibits, all very well displayed and explained.
Hunger drove me out. Greenwich had lots of chain restaurants. I chose Buenos Aires Café, a three minute walk from the museum. They have a restaurant in Blackheath, I have dined there a few times, and it is reliable and consistent.
http://buenosairescafe.co.uk/greenwich-restaurant
I had ribeye steak and chips and a couple of glasses of Malbec. Perfectly cooked steak and excellent wine. Bill was £35.
More walking around Greenwich. Unfortunately, it was too late to visit the Cutty Stark or the Royal Navy College. I will save them for another day.
http://www.rmg.co.uk/cutty-sark
https://www.ornc.org/
Then, the long walk back to Blackheath, taking the walk along the left-hand side of Greenwich Park. I took a circuitous route home through Blackheath, taking pictures of some of my favourite views and buildings.
Getting there:
If you just want to visit Greenwich, then take DLR from Bank or Tower Hill to Cutty Sark – you are in the heart of Greenwich (20 minutes).
However, a visit to Greenwich MUST include a boat ride on the Thames Clipper, which gives you the most stunning perspective of London.
http://www.thamesclippers.com/
You should decide which leg of the journey: Personally, I prefer the journey from Greenwich to London. If you plan the whole day there, then take the Clipper there and back.
If you want to come to Blackheath, take a train from London Bridge, Waterloo East, Charring Cross or Victoria – it takes less than 20 minutes. Exit at Blackheath Station and you are in the centre of the village. To visit Cator Estates, turn right out of the station, walk up the hill and turn left onto Blackheath Park. The road is lined by imposing late Georgian/early Victoria houses. Proceed to the end, and turn left onto Morden road, which leads you onto the Heath. Cross the Heath to the entrance to Greenwich Park.
Regards .. Ger
Mar 26th, 2017, 07:34 AM
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Weekender: you have loads of restaurants to choose from!
Ihere is a new Italian restaurant that is getting good reviews:
http://www.bellinaristorante.com/
Chapters is very good.
https://www.chaptersblackheath.com/
Try Buenos Aires for steak.
http://buenosairescafe.co.uk/
Ihere is a new Italian restaurant that is getting good reviews:
http://www.bellinaristorante.com/
Chapters is very good.
https://www.chaptersblackheath.com/
Try Buenos Aires for steak.
http://buenosairescafe.co.uk/
Mar 28th, 2017, 01:46 AM
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I just reread your report in preparation for our upcoming trip (which is in May, not March as I said above). Thank you so very much for all the work you put into this. The pictures are wonderful and all the detail and websites you provide are so very helpful. I do have one question. DH and I are probably not as good walkers as you are so I am wondering about the approximate distance between Blackheath and Greenwich and whether it is possible to go by cab/taxi if we get too tired--or will we miss too much if we don't walk it?
Mar 28th, 2017, 03:28 AM
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Hi Julie:
the walk from centre of Blackheath Village to centre of Greenwich is 1.5 milles trough the park, about 30 minutes of walking. Your other options are to take a cab from the village (Blackheath Cars beside the train station, or take the 386 bus from Royal Parade (road that runs along edge of Heath right to the Cutty Sark (20 minutes).
regards Ger
the walk from centre of Blackheath Village to centre of Greenwich is 1.5 milles trough the park, about 30 minutes of walking. Your other options are to take a cab from the village (Blackheath Cars beside the train station, or take the 386 bus from Royal Parade (road that runs along edge of Heath right to the Cutty Sark (20 minutes).
regards Ger
Mar 28th, 2017, 08:14 AM
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We spent a day in Greenwich last week. We had our six year-old son with us. The Cutty Sark was amazing. We all enjoyed it and it's very hands-on for children. The playground in Greenwich Park is wonderful, too. It's on the north end, near the Queen's House. It was perfect for our son to run around for an hour and get his wiggles out. It also has a bathroom on-site, very helpful when you have little kids!
Mar 29th, 2017, 04:30 AM
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Ger, Thanks for much for the info on distances. I think we can make the walk but nice toknow that other options are available and how to get them. Again, thanks for all the detail you provided on this report.
Mar 31st, 2017, 08:59 AM
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Thanks. We're planning to be in Greenwich in October. Too bad we'll miss the Lady Hamilton exhibit. She's one of the more interesting characters in the history of the Napoleonic Wars.
I'll try to check out the Wat Tyler etc history.
I'll try to check out the Wat Tyler etc history.
Apr 1st, 2017, 02:08 PM
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You are welcome Julie. The walk from Blackheath to Greenwich is downhill, so it is easy. If you have mobility problems, do NOT consider walking from Greenwich to Blackheath through the park, as it is a very steep uphill walk.
LMGSONIC: Yes, it is a very great place for kids.
Anyone reading this tread, I would encourage you to either travel to Greenwich, or leave from Greenwich, or both, on the Clipper. I think it is one of the very best experiences in London.
http://www.thamesclippers.com/route-time-table/book-now
Regards ... Ger
LMGSONIC: Yes, it is a very great place for kids.
Anyone reading this tread, I would encourage you to either travel to Greenwich, or leave from Greenwich, or both, on the Clipper. I think it is one of the very best experiences in London.
http://www.thamesclippers.com/route-time-table/book-now
Regards ... Ger
Apr 10th, 2017, 09:02 AM
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Ger:
A little update:
I arrived early at LHR on Friday morning after flying from Chicago. Long line at passport control but it moved surprisingly quickly. Took the HEX and then the Bakerloo line to Piccadilly. As a stroke of luck, my room the Ham Yard Hotel was ready so I dumped my bag and took off.
Friday was a spectacular day weather-wise in London so I walked down to Charing Cross and bought a ticket to Blackheath. Charming village indeed! Had lunch at Cote and then walked over the green and thru Greenwich Park on The Avenue. Everything was in bloom and "fresh". Felt like a holiday as it seems that everyone was out and about enjoying the fine day I have been to Greenwich before so I just walked around for a bit. My original plan was to take the boat back but I have learned that is not a good idea after not really sleeping the night before..I would have fallen asleep in a New York Minute.
Instead, I hopped on a bus headed for Holborn. I enjoy the bus in London as it is always nice to see the various neighborhoods on the way.
So. A great day and can't thank you enough for this information. You are a lucky lady to live in Blackheath. I would say it is the best of both worlds-a village and yet so close to London. Perfect.
A little update:
I arrived early at LHR on Friday morning after flying from Chicago. Long line at passport control but it moved surprisingly quickly. Took the HEX and then the Bakerloo line to Piccadilly. As a stroke of luck, my room the Ham Yard Hotel was ready so I dumped my bag and took off.
Friday was a spectacular day weather-wise in London so I walked down to Charing Cross and bought a ticket to Blackheath. Charming village indeed! Had lunch at Cote and then walked over the green and thru Greenwich Park on The Avenue. Everything was in bloom and "fresh". Felt like a holiday as it seems that everyone was out and about enjoying the fine day I have been to Greenwich before so I just walked around for a bit. My original plan was to take the boat back but I have learned that is not a good idea after not really sleeping the night before..I would have fallen asleep in a New York Minute.
Instead, I hopped on a bus headed for Holborn. I enjoy the bus in London as it is always nice to see the various neighborhoods on the way.
So. A great day and can't thank you enough for this information. You are a lucky lady to live in Blackheath. I would say it is the best of both worlds-a village and yet so close to London. Perfect.
Apr 10th, 2017, 09:11 AM
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That's great weekender. Yes, it was a glorious day on Friday. I wish I had known you were coming. I was working from home on Friday and could have joined you for lunch 
The weekend was absolutely lovely. I spent Saturday planting up some pots in my backyard and on Sunday visitied the farmer's marker in Blackheath and had a BBQ with my niece and friend.
Yes, I am lucky It is so quiet here it feels like a village in the country, but its only 20 minutes by train to central London.
Best regards Ger
The weekend was absolutely lovely. I spent Saturday planting up some pots in my backyard and on Sunday visitied the farmer's marker in Blackheath and had a BBQ with my niece and friend.
Yes, I am lucky It is so quiet here it feels like a village in the country, but its only 20 minutes by train to central London.
Best regards Ger
