February's challenger

This was the image I finally chose to use for my online photo club's February challenge - 'Through a Window'. It's another shot taken at Greenwich. It shows Sir Christopher Wren's wonderfully symmetrical domed design, now known as the Old Royal Naval College, framed through a window in the Queen's House. Behind are the modern skyscraper towers of the financial centre in Canary Wharf. One might see it as old money meeting new money.

Royal Observatory, Greenwich

There were crowds of tourists on the hill where the Royal Observatory, Greenwich is situated. The views over London are stunning and the area is very interesting. The Greenwich Meridian runs through the site. This is a line of longitude that was selected in 1884 by an international conference to be the common zero of longitude and the standard for time reckoning throughout the world - hence Greenwich Mean Time or GMT. A red ball (which you can just see in the top and bottom photos) still drops at precisely 1pm every day. The observatory was commissioned in 1675 by Charles I (to carry out work to assist the navigation of ships) but today the buildings are kept as a museum and the scientific work goes on elsewhere.

The Cutty Sark

Greenwich is also the home of the recently restored Cutty Sark, the last surviving tea clipper, one of fastest and greatest ships of her time. The ship has been displayed there in dry dock as a tourist attraction since the 1950s. In 2007 it was closed for conservation work to be carried out when fire broke out, destroying some of the timbers and necessitating a much more comprehensive restoration. The hull is now (controversially) supported by a steel frame and a glass apron provides room for a shop and café.

The Old Royal Naval College, Greenwich

One of the twin domes of Sir Christopher Wren's masterpiece, the Old Royal Naval College, Greenwich. Originally built as a hospital for sailors, it dates back to the 1700s. (See here for more info). It is used now by the University of Greenwich and Trinity College of Music, with parts open to tourists. In the background you can just see The Queen's House. Originally the home of Charles I's wife Queen Henrietta Maria, it is now a museum and gallery.

Greenwich

A glorious spring-like day in London saw us heading to Greenwich for a wander round. From the hill where the Royal Observatory is situated you get a stunning view across London. The National Maritime Museum, the Old Royal Naval College and the Queen's House provide a beautiful and historic foreground, originally the site of a Tudor palace where Henry VIII was born. In 2012 they provided the backdrop to Olympic equestrian events. Together they make up a World Heritage Site (like Saltaire). Read more about it here. Across the River Thames you can see the skyscrapers of Canary Wharf.