Henry VIII built the first permanent tiltyard (for jousting) in England at his palace in Greenwich - and everyone knew where it was more or less. This was because we have lots of paintings from the seventeenth century showing it in relation to the Queen’s House, which was built between 1616 and 1635 by architect Inigo Jones and still stands today. The Tudor Palace, along with its tiltyard fell into serious decay during the Civil War and after, and its remnants were finally pulled down in Ch...

The Queen’s House by Inigo Jones in Greenwich is frequently described as the first building in England to be based on the work of the Italian architect Palladio, and even more grandly as the first piece of truly Renaissance architecture in the country.

The Palladio part is undoubtedly right in part at least - his influence is visible in the balustrade running round the roof, the first-floor loggia on the Southern (Greenwich Park) side, and the dual, curved grand stairway on the Northern fron...

The Grand Store at the Woolwich Arsenal was built between 1806 and 1813, by James and Lewis Wyatt, and as the name implies was used to house items for the Arsenal itself, and for bits of kit for the army and navy. The picture shows Building 46, which was the western wing. It is built in brick, with Purbeck limestone dressings. In the middle is a triangular pediment supported on four giant pilasters. The windows are recessed and those on the ground floor are arched. The building was not made c...