Winter Holidays in Greenwich
Meri asks:
I am coming to London from Darwin, Australia with my husband and children for Christmas. Staying three weeks. We are visiting my brother and his wife, who live in Eltham. However, we thought we would stay in the Greenwich area. A number of apartments are available for rent.
There are available properties in Bellott Street, Woodland Grove, Blissett street, Westcombe Park Road. Also one in Woolwich (Royal Arsenal apartments). We lived in London about 17 years ago and I worked for a time at Woolwich for the LBG, I remember it as pretty ‘gritty’, not sure whether it has improved, although my brother says Greenwich is a much nicer area. I was wondering if you had any tips. We will be on holiday, but it will be winter. So cosy pubs or cheery cafes (for hearty breakfast) nearby would be nice.
The Phantom replies:
Wow - that's brave - leaving the sun to come to England in the cold and wet...
I don't know the specific properties you're talking about but transport isn't a huge problem from any of them. Obviously the closer into the centre the easier for movement - but it's not a big problem.
You know, we all moan about the area going downhill, but I'd still say that Greenwich is one of the safest places in South East London. And Woolwich is changing on a daily basis - I'll virtually guarantee you won't recognise it - the Love Lane development has created a huge hole in the middle and the Arsenal is a very different animal indeed.
But onto Cosy.
Good cosy pubs include The Plume of Feathers (Park Row) The Vanbrugh (Columb St) and the Richard I (Royal Hill,) though I quite like the Yacht in Crane Street in winter (over summer when it always feels wrong that the windows don't open out onto the Thames like at the Trafalgar.) The Kings Arms (King William Walk) also has open fires, and if you can get a seat in the upstairs window, the Cutty Sark (Ballast Quay) has a cosy feel to it with the wind and rain lashing outside.
If Royal Teas (in Royal Hill) is still open you'll get a good breakfast, though it's worth bearing in mind that it's veggie if you're meat fanatics. If you don't mind a brisk walk across the heath, both Hand Made Foods and Boulangerie Jade in Tranquil Vale are excellent and the Farmers Market just before Christmas is a very jolly affair.
Since you're coming around Christmas time there are a few festive things you should look out for. The Live Advent Calendar last year (where various houses and businesses dressed up a window a day) was slightly patchy - but the good ones were superb. I don't know if they'll be doing it again but if they are it will make a nice trip each morning. I'll be flagging it up here if it goes ahead.
The Panto at Greenwich Theatre is always huge fun, but I made a bit of a discovery last year - the tiny Greenwich Playhouse, next to the Station, did a version of A Christmas Carol which was just amazing. I expect them to follow it up with suitably grown-up kids fare this year (I'm hoping for a nice ghost story) but they tend to be rather late in advertising - so keep an eye out. If I hear about it I'll be posting here - or at least on the Parish News section.
Also worth looking out for are concerts in the Old Royal Naval College Chapel and Painted Hall and also at St Alfege's Church. There is usually ice skating at the ORNC as well which is fun and festive and the market gets quite frenzied at that time too.
There's one other, non-Greenwich thing you should be doing if your kids are not tiny (if they're under-12, get your brother to baby sit.) Dennis Severs's House in Spitalfields is magical at that time of year - for the two weeks leading up to Christmas, there are candlelit 'experiences' of the house called "Silent Night". It is creepy, exciting, beautiful, moving and unforgettable, but you must book well in advance.
I am sure other people will have suggestions - so for now I'm handing over to the floor...
I am coming to London from Darwin, Australia with my husband and children for Christmas. Staying three weeks. We are visiting my brother and his wife, who live in Eltham. However, we thought we would stay in the Greenwich area. A number of apartments are available for rent.
There are available properties in Bellott Street, Woodland Grove, Blissett street, Westcombe Park Road. Also one in Woolwich (Royal Arsenal apartments). We lived in London about 17 years ago and I worked for a time at Woolwich for the LBG, I remember it as pretty ‘gritty’, not sure whether it has improved, although my brother says Greenwich is a much nicer area. I was wondering if you had any tips. We will be on holiday, but it will be winter. So cosy pubs or cheery cafes (for hearty breakfast) nearby would be nice.
The Phantom replies:
Wow - that's brave - leaving the sun to come to England in the cold and wet...
I don't know the specific properties you're talking about but transport isn't a huge problem from any of them. Obviously the closer into the centre the easier for movement - but it's not a big problem.
You know, we all moan about the area going downhill, but I'd still say that Greenwich is one of the safest places in South East London. And Woolwich is changing on a daily basis - I'll virtually guarantee you won't recognise it - the Love Lane development has created a huge hole in the middle and the Arsenal is a very different animal indeed.
But onto Cosy.
Good cosy pubs include The Plume of Feathers (Park Row) The Vanbrugh (Columb St) and the Richard I (Royal Hill,) though I quite like the Yacht in Crane Street in winter (over summer when it always feels wrong that the windows don't open out onto the Thames like at the Trafalgar.) The Kings Arms (King William Walk) also has open fires, and if you can get a seat in the upstairs window, the Cutty Sark (Ballast Quay) has a cosy feel to it with the wind and rain lashing outside.
If Royal Teas (in Royal Hill) is still open you'll get a good breakfast, though it's worth bearing in mind that it's veggie if you're meat fanatics. If you don't mind a brisk walk across the heath, both Hand Made Foods and Boulangerie Jade in Tranquil Vale are excellent and the Farmers Market just before Christmas is a very jolly affair.
Since you're coming around Christmas time there are a few festive things you should look out for. The Live Advent Calendar last year (where various houses and businesses dressed up a window a day) was slightly patchy - but the good ones were superb. I don't know if they'll be doing it again but if they are it will make a nice trip each morning. I'll be flagging it up here if it goes ahead.
The Panto at Greenwich Theatre is always huge fun, but I made a bit of a discovery last year - the tiny Greenwich Playhouse, next to the Station, did a version of A Christmas Carol which was just amazing. I expect them to follow it up with suitably grown-up kids fare this year (I'm hoping for a nice ghost story) but they tend to be rather late in advertising - so keep an eye out. If I hear about it I'll be posting here - or at least on the Parish News section.
Also worth looking out for are concerts in the Old Royal Naval College Chapel and Painted Hall and also at St Alfege's Church. There is usually ice skating at the ORNC as well which is fun and festive and the market gets quite frenzied at that time too.
There's one other, non-Greenwich thing you should be doing if your kids are not tiny (if they're under-12, get your brother to baby sit.) Dennis Severs's House in Spitalfields is magical at that time of year - for the two weeks leading up to Christmas, there are candlelit 'experiences' of the house called "Silent Night". It is creepy, exciting, beautiful, moving and unforgettable, but you must book well in advance.
I am sure other people will have suggestions - so for now I'm handing over to the floor...
Labels: Christmas at Greenwich, Events, Things to do
posted by The Greenwich Phantom at
13:44
13 Comments:
A little word on staying in Woolwich. We moved here from Plaistow a few years ago where we lived right next to the tube station.
Now there's nowt to do in Plaistow but we could be in the West End or wherever in 40 minutes. There is, believe me, nowt to do in Woolwich either but we thought, hey, no problem, we'll just nip on a bus or train and spend our time in Greenwich.
Hasn't quite worked out like that.
There have been times when I've been working from home and agreed to meet the missus in the evening in Greenwich where it's taken me an hour+ to travel the 4 miles or so from here (near the Woolwich Arsenal) to Cutty Sark.
I used to live in Rochester in north Kent when I was going to college in holborn. Door to door I used to give myself 1 hr 30 minutes give or take. To make a journey to the same destination from Woolwich, about half the distance, I'd give myself abut 1 hr 15 minutes.
So my advice would be not to bother with the Arsenal.
On the cosy pubs front I'd be inclined to add the Greenwich Union on Royal Hill. It may seem a bit bistro pub rather than traditional but the staff are always friendly and you are made to feel at home.
The selection of beers (including the locally brewed Meantime beers) are great and the food is great also (best chips (fries?) in greenwich in my opinion.
But admittedly the Plume of Feathers can't be beaten for winter cosiness in Greenwich, especially with their mulled wine in the winter.
I think Blissett Street has to be the one - you're smack bang near to four good pubs, of which the Richard 1 (great vibes) and The Union (great beer) are the best. You're within easy ambling distance to the rest of Greenwich and the park, which is wild, and romantically windswept in the winter, while ROyal Hill, which Blissett St runs into, is really the jewel of Greenwich, with an excellent fish shop, butchers, and grocers (be ready for huge queues for yer Christmas turkey though). You'll also be just around the corner from Gloucester Circus and the Naval College, which seem to appear in just about every Christmas Carol/Dickens movie you've ever seen, which must be pretty good for the Christmas spirit. Really, if you're in Woolwich you might as well be on the other side of London
Hi Meri
My partner is from Darwin and we still have relatives in Jingli who have done the same visit that you propose.
We found a fantastic house rental in West Greenwich that worked out hundreds of pounds cheaper than hotels or company hire. Perfect location, well maintained and of a very decent standard (we liked it so much that we even thought of buying it or a similar property).
The house is on Point Hill and i'm sure The Phantom can vouch for its prime location.
These are the details: 90 Point Hill
Contact through: www.greenwichholidaylets.co.uk
I've got to do my bit for the east side of the park: my vote would go for the Woodlands Grove flat. You're moments (literally seconds) from the station there, and about a minute (if you walk very slowly) from the park... 5 minutes walk from the river...and 5 minutes walk from one of London's best pubs: the Cutty Sark. If the weather's good, there's no better pub to enjoy the Thames from.
If you stay on Blissett Street then I would eat at Buenos Aires or Royal Teas. If your cooking yourself buy your breakfast supplies from Drings and/or the Cheeseboard.
Don't forget the ice-skating too! Also the Asburnham Arms in Ashburnham Grove is a lovely pub with mulled wine in winter.
Bentos - I live in Greenwich and work in Woolwich. It takes less than 10 mins to walk from the Royal Arsenal to Woolwich Arsenal Station and then about 12 minutes on the train to Greenwich. Agreed that the buses are slow and subject to traffic jams as there aren't bus lanes all the way. And its a pain that you can't use Oyster pre-pay on SE Trains, but thats another story..
Anonymous, it SHOULD be easy right? It's just that every so often when all I want to do is go to Greenwich or Blackheath in the evening it's like there's an invisible forcefield around them preventing me from doing so.
It is called public transport.
anonymous, it takes 15min by bus from woolwich to greenwich i know i take it once a week at least.
I'd add the Royal George to the cosy pubs list - log fire and great service.
I think Greenwich makes sense, this will mean that the local amenities are walkable so you can avoid possible transport problems and traffic.
greenwichcyclehire say
visiting greenwich in winter for a carbon conscious family from darwin?-rent bikes from us to do all your getting around here and reduce your carbon footprint-the best way to see all the sights.
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