 Greenwich Park
Text and pic by Nilma Dole
Taking a breath of fresh air and
sauntering in the cool Autumn breeze at the Greenwich Park is heavenly
when you visit the popular town that is remembered everytime one says
‘GMT’. Royal Observatory, the Greenwich Meridian and the Greenwich Mean
Time christened after the area reveal an air of English charm that is
unmatched anywhere.
A former hunting park in Greenwich and one of the largest single
green spaces in south east London, Greenwich Park is declared as one of
the Royal Parks of London.
 The first park to be enclosed in 1433, the lush grassy plains of
Greenwich park covers 74 hectares (180 acres), and is part of the
Greenwich World Heritage Site. As a visitor walking to see the sights or
as a health-conscious Londoner, Greenwich Park is a must-see for all who
can make it to the UK.
Entering the Park via the St. Mary’s Gate, you can see a tastefully
sculpted bronze statue of General Wolfe created by Robert Tait McKenzie.
Erected in 1930, the statue bears the inscription “This monument, a gift
of the Canadian people, was unveiled by the Marquis de Montcalm”. The
statue was hit by a V1 bomb during the last war and the base still bears
the scars.
Even though it was renowned for hunting and hawking, in the 17th
century, the park was landscaped, possibly by André Le Nôtre who is
known at least to have designed plans for it. The public were first
allowed into the park during the 18th century. Samuel Johnson visited
the park in 1763 and commented “Is it not fine?” The famous hill to the
north of the observatory was used on public holidays for mass
‘tumbling’.
The park extends across a hilly plain and is located on two levels.
The lower level (closest to the Museum, Queen’s House and the River
Thames lies to the north; after a steep walk uphill, there is a flat
expanse that is, essentially, an enclosed extension of the plateau of
Blackheath.
Quite in the midst of it all, from atop the hill one can see the
Royal Observatory, Greenwich. To the north side is the National Maritime
Museum and Queen’s House, and beyond that is the Greenwich Hospital.
To the east is Vanbrugh Castle. To the south is Blackheath and in the
south western corner is the Ranger’s House, looking out over heath. To
the west lie the architecturally fine streets of Chesterfield Walk and
Croom’s Hill.
Today, many schoolchildren from all parts of the UK come to see the
Royal Observatory and horse-riding bobbies (British Police) can be seen
scanning the park.
Tourists can come to Greenwich Park to chill out and see how it’s
like to be on time as the English can be so painfully punctual! |
