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| Cutty Sark Gardens |
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A newly landscaped area largely paved but with some areas of planting, overlooking the Thames and adjacent to where the famous tea clipper 'Cutty Sark' and 'Gypsy Moth IV' are moored.The 'Cutty Sark' was built in 1869 and was still in use as a cargo ship in 1922 when it was bought and restored. It was floated in the dry dock here in 1954, re-rigged and repainted, and opened by Queen Elizabeth II in 1957, and now contains a museum. 'Gipsy Moth IV' was the vessel in which Sir Francis Chichester sailed around the world between 27 August 1966 and 28 May 1967. He was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II at the Royal Naval College with the same sword used by Queen Elizabeth I to knight Francis Drake in the 16th century. Within the area are Greenwich Pier and the southern entrance to Greenwich Foot Tunnel giving access to Island Gardens on the north bank. Also in the newly landscaped gardens is a memorial to Bellot, a young French explorer who joined in the search in Antarctica in 1851/2 for Lady Franklin's husband. While no trace was found of him, a stretch of water was discovered which is now called Bellot Water. During an expedition in 1853 Bellot died falling under the ice in Wellington Channel. £2,000 was raised for a memorial, £500 of which was spent on the memorial obelisk designed by Philip Hardwick, the remainder going to his sisters. |
