Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Greenwich, but it's worth considering getting out at
Island Gardens
, in the far south
of the Isle of Dogs. From the eponymous park here, Christopher Wren used to
contemplate his masterpieces, the Royal Naval College and the Royal Observatory,
and you, too, can do the same, before heading across the river via the 1902
Greenwich
Foot Tunnel
.
Trinity Buoy Wharf
64 Orchard Wharf •
T
020 7515 7153,
W
trinitybuoywharf.com • Longplayer Sat & Sun: April-Sept 11am-5pm; Oct-March closes 4pm;
free •
W
longplayer.org • East India DLR or boat from the O2 QEII Pier (Mon-Fri 5am-8pm; £2)
Hidden to the east of East India Dock is the bizarre little enclave of
Trinity Buoy Wharf
.
Built in 1803, it is home to London's only lighthouse, one of a pair built by Trinity
House for experiments in optics and used by, among others, Michael Faraday. The
wharf also houses of
ces, artist studios and flats, built out of old shipping containers,
an original 1940s American mobile diner where you can get a bite to eat, and a whole
array of boats. In the lighthouse itself, there's a musical installation called
Longplayer
,
a twenty-minute recording of Tibetan singing bowls, manipulated to create a one
thousand-year-long loop, and due to play until December 31, 2999. The wharf is a
ten-minute walk from East India DLR station, at the end of Orchard Place, where the
Bow Creek (part of the River Lee) winds its way into the Thames.
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