Italian marble statue of Galatea within the Avery Hill conservertory hot house collection of temperate and tropical plants
As a center for Arts and Sciences, Greenwich has a long association of royal patronage and education. The brother of King Henry V, Humphrey, Duke of Gloucester, who was acting as regent, built an imposing riverside house called Bella Court in 1422. When the new queen, Margaret of Anjou took over Bella Court, she renamed it the Palace of Placentia. In 1491 it was Henry VIII’s his birthplace and reputedly, later in life, his favourite palace. In 1509 Henry married Catherine of Aragon here and in 1516 and 1533 the future Queens, Mary I and the future Queen Elizabeth I were each born here respectively.
Shakespeare performed two comedies in front of Elizabeth I at Greenwich, and it is believed that he rehearsed his plays in Greenwich. Sir Walter Raleigh, who founded the first English colony in America at Roanoke has a bronze statue at Greenwich. Raleigh named the state of 'Virginia' for English Queen Elizabeth I, who was also known as the 'virgin queen'. Greenwich Palace is reputed to be where he famously laid down his coat so that Elizabeth I would not get her feet wet.
The Painted Hall, considered one of the finest dining halls in the western world
The exisisting Universtiy buildings were started in the 1600's and early 1700's and includes a roll call of the most important British architects of the Baroque age such as Sir Christopher Wren (who built St. Paul’s Cathedral), Vanbrugh, Nicholas Hawksmore amongst others. The architectural centerpiece is The Queens House built by Inigo Jones in 1616 and the first classical building in the UK. The Queens House along with the King’s House (1664) were built when the site was still in use as a Royal Palace. There is also a world class museum, and one of the London music conservatories.
Van De Velde the Younger, English School of Painting at Greenwich c.1700
In 1673, Willem Van De Veldes, father and son Dutch marine artists came to England at the invitation of King Charles and founded the English school of marine painting. The Queens house was allocated as studio space. Today, Greenwich is the site of a National Museum with an extensive collection of historic paintings while The University of Greenwich operates the Stephen Lawrence Gallery, in Queen Anne Court, providing a showcase for the work of contemporary artists.
collection of paintings atThe Queens House
In 1681 John Flamsteed, while still serving as Deputy Professor of Astronomy at Gresham College, began to take in pupils at Greenwich. Charles II established the Royal Observatory and Jonas Moore, Surveyor General of the Ordnance, who instigated the foundation of an observatory at Greenwich, donated the necessary instruments to Flamsteed. In 1805, George III granted the Queen's House to the Royal Hospital School. In 1807–12, to meet the need for dormitories, classrooms and other facilities, the architect Daniel Asher Alexander added the Colonnades and immediately flanking wings which still frame the House.
In 1873 the Royal Naval College (RNC) – later known as the ‘Navy’s university’ – moved in, heralding a new era of scientific training. The RNC combined the functions and resources of the former Naval College at Portsmouth and the School of Naval Architecture and Marine engineering. The Navy’s Department of Nuclear Science and Technology opened in 1959, and JASON, the department’s research and training reactor was commissioned in the King William building in 1962. From 1983 the relocated Joint Services Defense College also occupied much of the King Charles building.
King Charles Court, first Baroque building in Britain
Today, The University of Greenwich offers Postgradute Degrees in Maritime History, Management and Policy.Other subjects taught here include Business, Computing & Mathematical Sciences, Education & Training and Humanities. Greenwich is made up several colleges; Dartford College, Avery Hill College, Garnett College and parts of Goldsmith College and The City of London College as well as Britains second Institute of Technology, Woolwich Polytechnic which first formed in the 1890's. Since 2004, The University has been run by Vice Chancellor Tessa Blackstone, a life peer in the British House of Lords and an educational policy experts. Blackstone has published several scholarly books in the field of educational policy and educational administration. A Professor of Educational Administration at the world-renowned University of London Institute of Education, Blackstone was also the Master of Birkbeck College, at the University of London. From 1997 to 2001 Blackstone became the Government Minister for Education and from 2001 to 2003 the Government Minister for The Arts.
The Battle of Schooneveld, Williem Van De Veldes the Elder, 1674
Ann Packer (now Brightwell) Member of the British Empire (1963 Dartford College of Physical Education)
Gold medal-winning athlete. Won the gold medal in the 800 metres at the 1964 Tokyo Olympics.
