Cutty Sark and a Palace in Eltham

When we were over here 3 years ago, one day we went to visit the Royal Observatory and Cutty Sark...but, not having done any actual planning, I was surprised to discover that Cutty Sark was closed and under restoration. For this trip I did a little research and found that the restoration was completed in 2012 and it was open again. So this morning we were off to do what we couldn't do last time...visit Cutty Sark.

We opted for a quick trip to Greenwich so we took a Tube from Oxford Circus to Bank where we changed to the DLR (Docklands Light Rail) to the aptly named Cutty Sark station. We arrived before opening time so we took a short (but strenuous) walk up to the Royal Observatory...for a Geocache of course. Our way back to Cutty Sark took us past the Maritime Museum...which we decided that we should come back to another day.

A foot in each hemisphere at the Royal Observatory

Is it a seat? Is it a book? Outside the Maritime Museum

Now that is a ship in a bottle! Outside the Maritime Museum

Cutty Sark was incredible to visit...built as a fast tea clipper, it was surprising to learn that she only made eight voyages as such before being relegated to tramp work by more modern and faster steam ships. After walking all through, on and under Cutty Sark, we set off to our second destination for the day.

Cutty Sark towers above the streets of Greenwich

 

Cutty Sark

A few miles south of Greenwich is Eltham...that's pronounced Elt-ham and not El-tham as we colonials do...and Eltham Palace. The easiest way to get there was by bus and while waiting, we had a chat with a wonderful local couple who were also waiting for the with their Westie named Paddy. After taking what seemed to be the most indirect route possible, we stepped off the bus in Eltham and walked to Eltham Palace.

What an amazing place it is. Predominately it is a grand 1930's art deco mansion that was built onto the remains of Eltham Palace...a medieval palace that was the childhood home of Henry VIII. Although the buildings and audio tour are primarily about the Courtauld's who had the mansion built as their home, it was a fascinating place to visit.

Eltham Palace and Gardens

After touring the Palace gardens, it was time to start back to our B&B. Before leaving Eltham however, there was one task that I wanted to do...drop a trackable in a geocache to see it if can make it back home. Of course, as so often happens with geocaching, that was easy said than done. I only had a choice of three caches...one was up a tree and Anita wouldn't let me go after it (not that I was going to anyway)...one I couldn't find in among the blackberries and hawthorns that had grown in the few months since it was last visited...leaving just one other which I could find but was too small for my trackable...well almost too small so I left it anyway.

Eltham High Street

With that task done it was off to Eltham station to catch a train back into London. The plan was to go to Victoria and take a Tube to Oxford Circus...but that changed when we got to Victoria. Not sure what the problem was but they had the entrance to the Tube closed due to congestion on the platforms. Wanting to avoid the crush, we went out to the street and using a bus map we had fortunately picked up earlier in the day, found a bus to take us to within walking distance of our B&B.

Waiting for a train

The next train is the South East service to Victoria