Question of the week: Can you recommend a London day-trip?"No visit to London is complete without a trip to Greenwich, down river on the banks of the Thames. Greenwich is, of course, the location of the world's prime meridian, from which all space and time on earth is measured. The historic Royal Observatory, the National Maritime Museum, the Royal Hospital for Seamen (Greenwich Hospital), and Greenwich town centre (with its covered marketplace) are also all well worth seeing. But many forget that further down river is the Thames Barrier.
The barrier is the world's largest movable flood barrier, spanning 520 metres across the river. Completed in 1982, the barrier was designed to protect London from flooding, especially during spring, when high tides threaten to engulf central London (and most of Zone 1 of the tube system!) under millions of tons of water from the North Sea. When first opened, the barrier was raised on average 10 times a year; now, because of global warming, it is raised more than 30 times a year. Some engineers suggest that if the barrier isn't enlarged soon, it will fail by 2030 and London will once again run serious risk of being flooded.
One way to view this spectacular structure is from a river boat (which can be boarded in central London or at Greenwich). Alternatively, one can take a bus from Greenwich to the Thames Barrier Information and Learning Centre, which is located on the south bank of the River Thames. Better still, take the Docklands Light Railway (DLR) to "Pontoon Dock" and visit the new Thames Barrier Park, a 22-acre contemporary-designed park with spectacular views of the barrier."
- Cornelius O'Boyle
* Photo by 10b travelling, used under Creative Commons.
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