Summer in Greenwich

Whether you are planning a short summer break or a day visit to this beautiful World Heritage Site beside the Thames in south east London, there are plenty of things for every age to enjoy, which are easy on the pocket and ensure a great value family day out. Maritime Greenwich also has some of south east London’s best pubs, restaurants and evening entertainment; a perfect place to enjoy a bite to eat and then go on to experience some brilliant theatre, exhilarating dance or live music.

This summer sees the first Greenwich Beer & Jazz Festival from 16 – 20 July in the grounds of the Old Royal Naval College; the high flying Greenwich Wheel remains in place until 28 September and several of the local historic attractions open their doors for free. Outdoor events also include a Continental Market in Cutty Sark Gardens over the weekend of 5-6 July and theatrical and opera performances in the Royal Observatory Gardens, Greenwich Park.

With so much to see and do within Maritime Greenwich during the summer, it deserves more than just a day trip. Visitors can stay in the heart of the World Heritage Site at Novotel London Greenwich or Devonport House, both graded four star, or a quality B&B, perfectly placed to explore the many attractions and eateries on their doorstep.

New Beer & Jazz Festival
Quench your thirst this summer at the first Greenwich Beer & Jazz Festival on the lawns of King Charles Gardens at the Old Royal Naval College for five days and nights between July 16 and 20. Celebrating London’s tradition and expertise in brewing fine real ales, and the rich brewing history of the College, there will be great live jazz, a variety of food stalls and, fingers crossed, some warm summer sunshine.

This official CAMRA festival will play host to over 140 real ales, lagers, ciders and bottled beers from some of the best British breweries, as well as the latest summer brews, past champion beers and pub favourites.

The jazz line-up features an eclectic mix of summer sounds; from chilled lunchtimes to energetic evening sessions, with the very best in traditional jazz, funk, blues and soul. Traditional jazz enthusiasts will love the line-up, which includes James Evans Giraffe Band featuring Trevor ‘Fingers’ Williams’, Gumbo and Gentleman Jim McIntosh and the Jazzaholics; while the contemporary vibes will be supplied by among others, Snake Davis and Zena James.

Bookings for the Greenwich Beer & Jazz Festival can be made at the venue or in advance on Greenwichbeerandjazz.com; tickets are from £7 and opening times 12 noon to 10.30pm. The festival is supported by the Nelson and Meantime breweries and organised by PWR Events.

Greenwich Wheel
At 180ft (55m) from the ground visitors riding the Greenwich Wheel will have wonderful panoramic views beyond St Paul's Cathedral and the Tower of London to the west, across the river and past Canary Wharf to the heights of Hampstead Heath, and east to the Olympic site in the Lea Valley. In the foreground, the Maritime Greenwich World Heritage Site will be laid out in a rare perspective. Forty gondolas will each carry a maximum of six people taking 12-15 minutes to complete a rotation.

Tickets are £7 per adult and £4.50 for children under 16; a private gondola is £30 or, for that special experience, a champagne gondola can be reserved. It will be open seven days a week from 10am until 10pm; tickets are available at the wheel, subject to availability, or can be booked in advance online at Greenwichwheel.com (last tickets 9.30pm). The Greenwich Wheel is operated by PWR Events and supported by Regatta outdoor clothing.

Outdoor Theatre
Greenwich Theatre will be presenting afternoon and early evening outdoor performances by Rainbow Shakespeare of two of the Bard’s most popular comedies, the Merchant of Venice and the Taming of the Shrew in the Royal Observatory Gardens, Greenwich Park between 23 July and 3 August. There will also be a one-off performance of the opera Don Pasquale by the Garden Opera Company on 25 August. Book online at Greenwichtheatre.org.uk.

Free Admission
Among the attractions offering free entry is the National Maritime Museum, which includes the Queen’s House and Royal Observatory (nmm.ac.uk).

Britain’s seafaring heritage is dramatically recreated in the museum’s galleries from the times of early explorers and household names like Nelson, Cook and Shackleton to visions of the future. The Atlantic Worlds gallery tells the story of Britain and the Americas in the years before independence while the All Hands interactive exhibits will keep children happily occupied.

The perfectly proportioned Queen’s House was begun in 1616 by Inigo Jones and now serves as a fine art gallery with changing displays. Currently on show is Turmoil and Tranquillity, an exhibition of marine drawings and paintings by Dutch and Flemish masters, 1550 - 1700.

Founded as a scientific institution for navigational research by Charles II in 1675, the Royal Observatory in Greenwich Park was designed by Sir Christopher Wren. Among its most valued possessions are the clocks developed by John Harrison to determine longitude at sea. The Time and Space galleries also tell the story of time and help explain how we study the stars; you can stand in the courtyard astride the Prime Meridian Longitude Zero, which marks the division between the East and West hemispheres and from where world time zones have been calculated by international agreement since 1884.

For a small entrance fee you can also watch a fascinating laser show giving an insight into the mysteries of our Universe at the Peter Harrison Planetarium alongside the Royal Observatory.

The Old Royal Naval College offers free entry into its grounds alongside the Thames as well as the Chapel and Painted Hall, which has been described as Britain’s answer to Rome’s Sistine Chapel (oldroyalnavalcollege.org).

Other free attractions include the Royal Greenwich Park with its beautiful rose garden, deer enclosure and stunning views across to the city of London; St Alfege Church which is home to several lunchtime recitals and the Cutty Sark pavilion where you can see the story of the tea clipper’s history and conservation. You can also walk through the vibrant Greenwich Market, which is open Wednesday to Sunday with a new food market on Wednesdays (greenwichmarket.net).

Special places well worth a visit making and which make a small entrance charge are the Fan Museum where a new exhibition, Fashion in the Palm of your Hand, running until 26 October explores fans as a filter for understanding fashion (fan-museum.org) and the Wernher Collection at the Ranger’s House. Brought together by the diamond millionaire Sir Julius Wernher (1850-1912), the collection of over 700 works of art contains Renaissance jewellery, old masters, Limoges enamels and an eclectic array of items (english-heritage.org.uk).

Travelling to Maritime Greenwich during July and August
Maritime Greenwich is easily reached by South Eastern’s train service from London Bridge to Greenwich or via the Docklands Light Railway alighting at Cutty Sark. Alternatively there are several bus services coming through Greenwich or visitors can arrive by passenger boat at Greenwich Pier.

Docklands Light Railway (DLR) is currently carrying out improvements to the line which will allow greater capacity on the trains. Tower Gateway will be temporarily closed until April 2009; passengers are recommended to take the Jubilee Line and change to the DLR at Canary Wharf for Cutty Sark, or take the mainline South Eastern service from London Bridge to Greenwich.

The DLR link from Canary Wharf to Lewisham, via Cutty Sark, will also be suspended over some weekends when visitors are advised to use South Eastern trains.

To check details before travelling visit dlr.co.uk, where the journey planner might also be of assistance.

Alternatively visitors can take a river cruise from a choice of piers and disembark at Greenwich, where the pier is under redevelopment to create a stylish, new waterside environment scheduled to open summer 2009 with a new landing stage, restaurants and café. Greenwich Pier remains open throughout its redevelopment period.

For details about travel to Greenwich, other events, places to visit and accommodation suggestions log onto Greenwichwhs.org.uk.