350 years of the Royal Greenwich Observatory

Today marks the 350th anniversary of the founding of the Royal Observatory in Greenwich (RGO). My own history with the RGO goes back a mere 25 years or so. I used to live in nearby Deptford and regularly visited Greenwich Park. The RGO, Royal Naval College, Queens House and National Maritime museum are all within a short walk of each other. They are all fascinating places to explore and are well worth your time.

The RGO is Britain’s oldest purpose-built scientific institution. The building was commissioned by King Charles II on 22 June 1675. It was designed by Sir Christopher Wren and was built quickly and very much, on the cheap. John Flamsteed, the first Astronomer Royal, was given a building but had to buy his own equipment. You should take the tour to get the full story. It's very amusing.

Back in the early 2000s, I studied GCSE Astronomy in the dusty halls of the RGO south building. These have since been refurbished and it's now a science centre. Back then it had more of a Victorian ambience. It was a bit run down, not everything worked, but the place had bags of charm. I loved it.

I visited the RGO again, earlier this year. Sadly the entrance is no longer free. But the unique history of the building and a superb horological collection still makes it a worthwhile and fascinating visit.