Greenwich

Today we set out on an adventure to Greenwich in London. We started the day with a wonderful cooked breakfast at our favourite Carluccio's. They didn't let us down with delicious mushrooms, eggs, pancetta, and toast with fig jam.

We finished around 10:45am and headed for the train to Waterloo. Upon arriving at the station we found that the line was closed. Must be some sort of unplanned problem as the operators are usually very good at informing the public when maintenance is upcoming.

So we all returned to Windsor Central to catch the train to Slough and then Paddington. Its after 10:30pm as I write this so I won't go into the nitty gritty of our travels suffice to say we caught four (!) trains to Greenwich with a journey time of over two hours. Of course, there were the same number returning and we did have some hiccups meaning we all fell back into the apartment and a little past 7pm tonight exhausted.

Greenwich is a lovely city with a University, maritime museum, the Cutty Sark, and the Royal Observatory. This is what we came to see. Its where the prime meridian is located and a rich history in the search for a means of determining longitude.

It is a reasonable walk of about 1 km from the station to the observatory which is located in the heart of the Greenwich Park. Dad did will. In fact, at the end of the day we had traveled a lot on foot. I know it was hard for him but he did very well and I know enjoyed himself.

The observatory sits on a hill which provided a panoramic view north past the Maritime Museum, past the Thames, and takes in central London to the west and the millennium Dome to the north east.

Entrance to the observatory is free but still requires a ticket. As soon as you enter the gates you are faced with a stainless steel bar embedded in the payment representing the location of the Prime Meridian. People lined up to have their photos taken with one foot in the western hemisphere and one in the east. Of course we had to oblige! Above this landmark is a red LED clock showing the time in GMT (UTC). Above that again is a green laser that is directed northwards marking the meridian. Apparently it can be seen for 15 kilometres at night!

One of the highlights is Flamsteed House. It was designed by Christopher Wren (architect of St Pauls) and built around 1675. This building was used by Flamsteed, the Astronomer Royal, to make accurate measurements of the Sun, Moon, and stars. It contained a quadrant made by the highly respected London instrument maker James Bird (any relation?). There was also a replica refractor telescope and original timepieces.

Also on the site is a comprehensive collection of artefacts relating to time and the search for a means of calculating longitude. I enjoyed seeing the various generations of maritime clocks invented by John Harrison. One of the keys in determining longitude is have a clock that is set to GMT. Clocks based on pendulums are impacted by the motion of ocean vessels. John Harrison eventually solved the problem by devising a timepiece based on the design of pocket watch. Before arriving at this solution he considered intricate designs using dual coupled pendulums. In this design the motion of the vessel is cancelled out as its impact on the pendulums are symmetric. Quite insightful I think. You can read more of John Harrison at wikipedia.

Also on the site is a 28inch refractor telescope. This is the 7th largest in the world. If I recall correctly such designs are difficult to scale and are no longer used in favour of the reflecting telescope and its derivatives. You can see more of the telescope here.

Although feeling weary we enjoyed an ice cream and coffee to rejuvenate. After leaving the Greenwich Park we made our way to view the Cutty Sark. To my surprise its located in a dedicated park and set in a permanent dry dock allowing the visitor to view the hull completely. I was disappointed that there was little information available to tell of its history. Built in 1869 it is the last surviving clipper.

Its now 11:30pm and I'm feeling the effects from our long day of walking and traveling (8 trains)! Off to bed for me!

Photos are here.