Cutty Sark

I tried to see the Cutty Sark three years ago but it was undergoing extensive restoration work at the time. On my most recent London trip I finally managed to return to Greenwich and get on board the famous tea clipper, the last of her kind. 

Most celebrated nautical survivors are war ships and the like, such as HMS Belfast, which I visited earlier this year. Yet the legend of the Cutty Sark, built specifically to bring tea from China back to London (named, incidentally, after a woman's undergarment), has remained in the public consciousness to this day, despite all the odds.

People of a certain age may remember constructing a model version, produced by Airfix.

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The authentic Cutty Sark is a fabulous visitor attraction. Having explored everything up aloft, visitors can head for the cafe, which is situated underneath, where one can observe at first hand the magnificent copper hull (actually Muntz metal; 60% copper and 40% zinc).

There is an abundance of interesting information on display, detailing the history of the clipper, including a thrilling race back from China.

Here are a few photos from the Cutty Sark.

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Head for the Greenwich website for further information.