Authentic Take: Visiting Greenwich Park and the Royal Observatory

Skyline Views and Plane-Spotting from the Royal Park of Greenwich

Postcards from London - Chapter 01 Greenwich Park.

Welcome back to The Boarding Pass travel blog. This is the first in a series, titled Postcards from London.

Greenwich Park has a rhythm of its own. One minute you’re threading through dog walkers, runners and picnickers, the next you’re standing on a hill that shaped the way we tell time. For a place that’s been part of London life since the 15th century, it still feels fresh every time I return.

The park is one of eight Royal Parks in London. They include Hyde Park, Kensington Gardens, Richmond Park, Bushy Park, The Green Park, St. James's Park, The Regent's Park & Primrose Hill, and Greenwich Park.

For my American readers,

Greenwich is pronounced Gr-en-itch!

A little local hack before we climb higher: parking in Greenwich Park itself is pricey. Instead, I usually leave the car at Blackheath Common for free, then walk across into the park’s southern edge. It’s an easy entry point that unfolds into tree-lined paths and open lawns.

At the summit sits the Royal Observatory, the historic home of Greenwich Mean Time (GMT). Founded in 1675 by King Charles II to solve the 'longitude problem' and improve navigation accuracy for British sailors. The Royal Observatory is home to historic telescopes, such as the Isaac Newton Telescope and the Great Equatorial Telescope, and the famous daily 'time ball' drop used by sailors for time calibration.