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statesmen, writers, musicians and courtiers thronged the riverside
and splendid palace. It was towards the end of this "golden age"
that, in 1675 on a Warrant of Charles II, the Royal Observatory
was founded and, to the design of Christopher Wren, Flamsteed
House was built on the site of Duke Humphrey's Tower.
Very early in the 18th century Daniel Defoe described Greenwich
as "the most delightful spot of ground in Great Britain" and
in 1738, in a road book of the British Isles, this description was
given: "Greenwich on the Thames, 4 miles east of London Bridge,
a very delightful place." It can still lay claim to that title.
Greenwich lies mainly on a natural slope from the Thames to
Blackheath and it thereby affords extensive views of London and
the River and it is to this fact, coupled with its historical connection
with Royalty, that it owes its fascination.
The sub-soil of the greater portion of the Borough consists of
gravel and sand, the exception being in the Kidbrooke area which
is mainly clay.
The altitude varies from a few feet below high-water mark on
the Marshes up to 249 ft. above sea level on the Shooter's Hill
Road by the Borough boundary.
The Borough is well catered for in the way of parks and
open spaces, the largest being Greenwich Park with its historical
associations and surroundings covering an area of 185 acres.
Blackheath, one of London's most famous open spaces, forms the
southern boundary, 89 acres of which are within the Borough,
providing unsurpassed facilities for games, sports and amusements.
Excellent recreation grounds serve the Charlton area for in
addition to the Maryon and Charlton Parks, there is the L.C.C.
Play Centre and Lido with its well-equipped open-air swimming
bath, tennis courts and bowling greens.
In all, public open spaces amount to 11 per cent of the total
area of the Borough, equivalent to approximately five acres per
1,000 of its population.
Areas located near the River Thames are, generally speaking,
industrial but more densely populated than the upper parts of the
Borough. In recent years, however, the commencement of a gradual
movement of people away from the river-side has been witnessed,
and the Kidbrooke area, which pre-war had always been described
as the "rural" part of the Borough, is almost entirely built over.