The park is open year-round, and incorporates flower gardens as well as grassy spaces, a children's playground, cafés and other amenities, a bandstand, a boating lake, a pond, wooded areas, and a wildlife habitat called 'The Wilderness'. The park also contains Roman and Anglo-Saxon remains, and is listed Grade I on the Register of Historic Parks and Gardens;[2] in 2020, it was awarded a National Lottery grant to restore historic features and add new visitor facilities.[3] It hosted Olympic and Paralympic equestrian events during the London 2012 Summer Olympics, and accommodates runners prior to the start of the annual London Marathon.
As a result of this decision, the Greenwich Prime Meridian crosses Greenwich Park, passing due north and south of the Royal Observatory. A stainless steel strip in the Observatory's courtyard marks the line; it is also marked on the wall of a path just north of the Observatory and there are wall plaques just outside the park, in Chesterfield Walk to the south and Park Vista to the north. In 1884 it was agreed to be the official Prime Meridian of the world, a status it held for a century until it was superseded by the related IERS Reference Meridian, which runs parallel to the Greenwich Meridian some 102 metres to its east.[5]
In the 15th century the park was mostly heathland and probably used for hawking. In the next century, deer were introduced by Henry VIII for hunting, and a small collection of deer was maintained in an area to the south east. James I enclosed the park with a brick wall, 12 feet (3.7m) high and two miles (3km) long at a cost of £2000, much of which remains and defines the modern boundary. A small section of the boundary wall in the southwest corner of the park was formerly part of Montagu House, one time residence of Caroline of Brunswick, demolished in 1815,[6] though Queen Caroline's bath (c. 1806) is preserved inside the park. James I also commissioned the first modern ice house in 1619 in the Park.[7]
In the 17th century, the park was landscaped, possibly by André Le Nôtre who is known at least to have designed plans for it.[8] 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?". From 1730 to 1857, around 250,000 Londoners would attend the bi-annual Greenwich fair (held on May Day and Whitsun); Observatory Hill and nearby One Tree Hill were used on public holidays for mass 'tumbling'.[9][10]
In the 1830s a railway was nearly driven through the middle of the lower park on a viaduct but the scheme was defeated by intense local opposition. However, the London and Greenwich Railway was later extended beneath the ground via a cut-and-covertunnel link between Greenwich and Maze Hill which opened in 1878 (the tunnel alignment is on the north side of the park's northern boundary wall, running beneath the gardens of the National Maritime Museum and Queen's House).
In 1888 the park got a station of its own when Greenwich Park railway station was opened. The station was not successful, with most passengers preferring the older Greenwich station, and in 1917 Greenwich Park station and the associated line closed.
On 15 February 1894, a man died after a bomb explosion in Greenwich Park, close to the Observatory. The victim, Martial Bourdin, was a 26-year-old Frenchman with links to the anarchist Club Autonomie, and was carrying the device when it exploded prematurely. The incident inspired Joseph Conrad's The Secret Agent.[11]
During the two World Wars, allotments were sited on the northern edge of the park, south of the Queen's House. Agreement for 139 plots for local families to grow vegetables was reached in March 1918, with tenants paying 7s 6d a year each for their plots. Tenants kept their allotments until February 1921 when the park returned to its former use. From 1939, the park was again used for wartime allotments.[12] During World War II anti-aircraft guns were positioned in the park’s flower garden with some tree tops removed to clear the line of fire.[13]
During the London 2012 Summer Olympics, Greenwich Park was the venue for the Olympic equestrian events and for the riding and running parts of the modern pentathlon events. It was also the venue for the Paralympic equestrian events.[14] The use of Greenwich Park for Olympic equestrian events had earlier caused some tension between the London Organising Committee for the Olympic and Paralympic Games 2012 (LOCOG) and some local area residents. A community action group, NOGOE (No to Greenwich Olympic Equestrian Events), believed Greenwich Park was not a suitable venue for the events and started an (ultimately unsuccessful) petition to get the equestrian events relocated; by February 2009 this had gathered over 12,000 signatures.[15] Olympic use of the park was approved by Greenwich Council in March 2010,[16] with test events held the following year.[17]
In 2021, a £12 million four-year project, 'Greenwich Park Revealed', was instigated to reveal, restore, protect and enhance the park's past and current features, enhance the park's biodiversity, and provide better access for people with disabilities.[3] Supported by a grant of £4,517,300 from the National Lottery Heritage Fund and the National Lottery Community Fund,[3][18] the project will remodel the area around the General Wolfe statue viewpoint,[19] restore the 'Grand Ascent' (a series of giant grass steps, north of the Wolfe statue),[8] restore other landscape features, replant tree avenues,[20] and add a £1.2m learning centre (designed by Architype),[21] a café and other visitor facilities.[22][23] Several archaeological investigations have been undertaken in parallel with the work, including 2021 and 2022 digs of a Saxon burial mound, a 2023 dig on the site of the 'Grand Ascent', a community excavation of a World War II air-raid shelter east of One Tree Hill, and exploration of the remains of John Pond’s Magnetic Observatory,[24] an enclosure built in 1817 to analyse Earth's magnetic field.[10]
Geography
The park is roughly rectangular in plan with sides 1000 metres by 750 metres and oriented with the long sides lying NNW to SSE. In what follows this direction is taken to be N to S for ease of exposition. It is located at grid referenceTQ390772.
The park is on two levels, with a number of dips and gullies marking the transition between them. The lower level (closest to the National Maritime Museum, Queen's House and, beyond them, the Thames) lies to the north; from there a steep walk uphill reveals the southern part – a flat expanse that is, essentially, an enclosed extension of the plateau of Blackheath.
Greenwich Park northern gates, with the Greenwich Tavern just beyond on the left
On the lower level of the park there is a popular children's playground (north-east corner, close to Maze Hill railway station), an adjacent boating lake, and a small orchard ('The Queen's Orchard'). There is also a herb garden (close by entrance to Greenwich town centre).
On the upper level, there is an extensive flower garden with a large duck pond, a rose garden, a cricket pitch, tennis courts, a bandstand, Roman remains, an ancient oak tree (known as Queen Elizabeth's Oak, associated with Queen Elizabeth I)[27][28] many 17th-century sweet chestnut trees with gnarled, swirling trunks, an enclosure ('The Wilderness') used to house wild deer,[29] and an avenue of cherry trees renowned for their spring blossoms.[30][31]
West of the Observatory is the garden of the former Astronomer Royal, a peaceful secluded space which is good for picnics and also sometimes used by theatre groups (Midsummer Night's Dream, etc.). On the opposite side (southeast of the Wolfe statue) is the Pavilion Café. There is another, smaller café by the north-west gate, and a snack bar in the children's playground; in March 2024, as part of the 'Greenwich Park Revealed' programme, the Ignatius Sancho Café was opened in a refurbished building by the Vanbrugh Gate on the east side of the park.[32][33]
It is possible to park (pay and display) in areas along the main roads entering from Blackheath (though it can be busy).[34] Cycle routes criss-cross the park (as do runners, roller-bladers, dog-walkers, etc.). Until 2020, other road traffic (cars and motor-cycles) could use the park road linking Blackheath and Greenwich at peak periods on weekdays. After a trial closure, the road was permanently closed to through traffic in 2022.[35]
Sport
Greenwich Park being used for the 2023 Big Half (a half marathon).
One of three start points for the London Marathon, the 'red start', is located just south of Greenwich Park, in Charlton Way, with runners held in the park before they start.[36] A London half marathon, Run to the Beat, passed through the park from 2008 to 2012; in 2013, the last running of the 13.1-mile event started and finished in the park.[37] Since 2018 the park has also accommodated some of the finish facilities of The Big Half, a half marathon run each September. A 2.62-miles charity 'mini marathon' for children is held each May,[38] and the park also hosts occasional commercially organised 5km and 10km running events.[lower-alpha 1]
The park also staged the start of the final stage of the 2006 Tour of Britain cycle race (3 September).
A cricket pitch is maintained in the southwest corner of the park, with an adjacent pavilion. Tennis courts are located to the north of the cricket pitch.
The Motherstone, a spring-fed drinking fountain in Greenwich Park
"Queen Elizabeth's Oak"
Greenwich Park Flower Garden
Acer Palmatum, Japanese Maple
Greenwich Park Pond
Notes and references
↑ Greenwich Park does not host a parkrun; the nearest weekly parkrun is at Charlton Park while 'Greenwich parkrun' - the borough's first parkrun, established in 2010 - is at Avery Hill.[39]
The Royal Observatory, Greenwich is an observatory situated on a hill in Greenwich Park in south east London, overlooking the River Thames to the north. It played a major role in the history of astronomy and navigation, and because the Prime Meridian passed through it, it gave its name to Greenwich Mean Time, the precursor to today's Coordinated Universal Time (UTC). The ROG has the IAU observatory code of 000, the first in the list. ROG, the National Maritime Museum, the Queen's House and the clipper ship Cutty Sark are collectively designated Royal Museums Greenwich.
Blackheath is an area in Southeast London, straddling the border of the Royal Borough of Greenwich and the London Borough of Lewisham. Historically within the county of Kent, it is located 1-mile (1.6 km) northeast of Lewisham, 1.5 miles (2.4 km) south of Greenwich and 6.4 miles (10.3 km) southeast of Charing Cross, the traditional centre of London.
The Royal Borough of Greenwich is a London borough in southeast Greater London, England. The London Borough of Greenwich was formed in 1965 by the London Government Act 1963. The new borough covered the former area of the Metropolitan Borough of Greenwich and part of the Metropolitan Borough of Woolwich to the east. The local council is Greenwich London Borough Council which meets in Woolwich Town Hall. The council's offices are also based in Woolwich, the main urban centre in the borough.
Greenwich is a town in south-east London, England, within the ceremonial county of Greater London. It is situated 5.5 miles (8.9 km) east-south-east of Charing Cross.
Westcombe Park is a largely residential area in Blackheath in the Royal Borough of Greenwich, South East London, England. It is bounded by the main London-Dartford railway line to the north, the Blackwall Tunnel southern approach to the east, the Blackheath common to the south and a road, Vanbrugh Hill, to the west.
Bushy Park in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames is the second largest of London's Royal Parks, at 445 hectares in area, after Richmond Park. The park, most of which is open to the public, is immediately north of Hampton Court Palace and Hampton Court Park and is a few minutes' walk from the west side of Kingston Bridge. It is surrounded by Teddington, Hampton, Hampton Hill and Hampton Wick and is mainly within the post towns of Hampton and Teddington, those of East Molesey and Kingston upon Thames taking the remainder.
Williamson Park in Lancaster, England, was constructed by millionaire James Williamson, 1st Baron Ashton, and his father, also called James Williamson. Its focal point is the Ashton Memorial. The park now covers an area of 53.6 acres, having been extended in 1999 onto adjoining land, Fenham Carr, following a grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund.
Saint Anne's Park is a 240-acre (97 ha) public park situated between Raheny and Clontarf, suburbs on the northside of Dublin, Ireland. It is owned and managed by Dublin City Council.
Lewisham parks and open spaces are part of the "green lung" of London and include a diverse range of sites, from small urban parks and gardens to one of the most historic natural landscapes in Greater London at Blackheath. While overall control rests with London Borough of Lewisham, management of borough-owned parks and their facilities is contracted out to Glendale Grounds Management.
Mycenae House is a community centre housed in a former convent building adjacent to the Georgian villa, Woodlands House, in Mycenae Road, in the Westcombe Park area of Greenwich, London. The adjacent Mycenae Gardens are a public open space and are also used for community events.
Hesketh Park is a public park situated near the north end of Lord Street in the Victorian seaside town of Southport, Merseyside, England. It was designed as a public park in the mid-19th century by Edward Kemp, and was further developed in the 20th century. The land was donated by the Rev Charles Hesketh and has many Victorian features and landscape designs.
Harlow Town Park is a 164-acre (66 ha) public park in Harlow, Essex, England. The park is one of the largest urban parks in Britain. It includes multiple gardens, a petting zoo named the Pets' Corner, a bandstand, and the Spurriers House Café. It opened in 1957 and was designed by two of the most important figures in 20th Century landscape architecture in Britain: Frederick Gibberd and Sylvia Crowe. Its importance was recognised by Historic England on 18 August 2020 when it was added to the Register of Historic Parks and Gardens as Grade II. The park is set in and around the valley of Netteswell Cross, which includes a stream and a small historic settlement which retains a high level of original character. Several of the buildings are Grade II listed including 6 School Lane, Greyhound Public House, Hill Hall Farmhouse, Hoppitts, and Marshgate Farmhouse. These buildings range in age from the 16th to the late 19th centuries. Harlow Town Park received a large £2.8m grant for renovations in 2014, which were completed in 2016. The park has been awarded a Green Flag on six occasions, recognising the quality of green space management. In 2019 the Park was voted among the most popular 10 parks in the country in the Green Flag People's Choice award.
Charlton Park is a public park in Charlton, in south-east London, in the Royal Borough of Greenwich. It is situated east of Charlton village and Charlton House, and south of Charlton Park Road. Cemetery Lane bordering Charlton cemetery lies to the east, and the park is north of the Queen Elizabeth Hospital.
Avery Hill is an area of South East London mainly within Royal Borough of Greenwich, and with some parts in the London Borough of Bexley. It is located east of Eltham and north west of Sidcup. It is believed that the area is named after an aviary formerly located in the area.
Neil Biron Rhind was an English journalist, writer and an authority on the social and historical development of Blackheath and surrounding areas of south east London.
Montagu House was a prominent residence situated near to the southwest corner of Greenwich Park, overlooking the common at Blackheath in what is today southeast London. Adjacent to the Ranger's House, it was the royal residence of Caroline of Brunswick before being demolished in 1815.
The Tarn is a 9 acres (3.6 ha) site on Court Road between Mottingham and Eltham, in the Royal Borough of Greenwich, southeast London, United Kingdom, consisting of a public garden, a bird sanctuary nature reserve and a lake amongst woodland. The woodland and lake, which was historically known as Starbuck's Pond, were previously the southern part of the Great Park, one of three parks belonging to the estate of Eltham Palace and used as a royal deer hunting park for several centuries up until the English Civil War. As a garden The Tarn opened in 1935, after the Metropolitan Borough of Woolwich acquired the site from the adjacent Royal Blackheath Golf Course. The Tarn remains largely unchanged since the 1930s and contains several shelters, benches, a public toilets building and a circular path which crosses a wooden footbridge spanning the lake. There is also an 18th-century ice house in the garden, which is a listed structure.
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Maze Hill 
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