Saturday, 6 April 2019

This is the Cutty Sark. Take the DLR to - you've guessed it - 'Cutty Sark' and follow the signs down to the river where you'll find the beautifully restored clipper, part of the #UNESCO World Heritage Site at Royal Museums Greenwich. Built in 1869 as a tea clipper, it's unbelievable that this stunning ship was the fastest of its time during its years as a British merchant ship. She visited sixteen countries and travelled the equivalent of two and a half voyages to the moon and back. The Cutty Sark was originally built to serve the China tea trade, carrying almost 10 millions lbs of tea between 1870 and 1877. Today, she is the world’s only surviving clipper and this year, 2019 celebrates its 150th birthday. The name 'Cutty Sark' comes from the nickname of the witch Nannie Dee in Robert Burns's 1791 poem Tam o' Shanter. The ship's figurehead which you can just see in this photo is a carving of Nannie Dee with long black hair holding a grey horse's tail in her hand. And that nick-name is a reference to Nannie Dee's short 'sark' (chemise). Open to visitors, you can board the Cutty Sark and take a look around. There's even a little theatre on board. And, once you've finished you can enjoy an afternoon tea 'underneath' the Cutty Sark (literally!). A great day out for everyone. #ExploreGreenwich ⛵️ #CuttySark @royalmuseumsgreenwich #travelblogger #instatbn #writetotravel #instapassport #postcardsfromtheworld #guardiantravelsnaps #ttot #tbin #travelblog #bbctravel #secretplace #ThisIsLondon #londoncity #londontown #thisislondon #londonlife #londonblogger #londonstreets #londonisopen #londonist #londonlove #lovelondon #igerslondon #ig_london #ilovelondon #londoncalling #londonfashion