One Day in London: Greenwich Museums and the Bermondsey Beer Mile

All the times we’ve visited London, and we’ve not ventured down to Greenwich. Mainly because it seems like such a faff to get to from the places we tend to stay. But we didn’t let that put us off on our last trip. I carefully planned a route from our Paddington base which included the tube and a quick trip down the Thames. Although it turns out that getting out of Greenwich is a whole lot harder. Here’s how to see the attractions of Greenwich – and enjoy a bevvy or two in Bermondsey – all in one day in London.

Getting to Greenwich

I get so used to just hopping on the nearest tube when we’re in London that you forget that not all of the capital is so easily served by the underground. Greenwich is on the DLR (Docklands Light Railway) line, and the most central station is Cutty Sark for Maritime Greenwich. You can connect to the DLR at Bank or Tower Gateway if you’re stopping in the City.

We decided to opt for the Thames Clipper this time around for a scenic trip. Clambering aboard at Embankment, it takes about 35 minutes to sail eastwards to Greenwich Pier. We bought single journey tickets online, but could have bought our tickets at the pier or used a contactless card exactly as we would do on the tube.

So, what’s in Greenwich?

Time. Museums. Telescopes. And a big ship.

Greenwich Park and Viewpoint

There are many places in London that you can pay to get views of the London landscape. In fact we visited The Shard on the same trip. But for free views – for a little effort – Greenwich Park viewpoint is up there as a new favourite spot. You have the beautiful Greenwich buildings and green expanse of the park in the foreground, and then some of London’s most iconic skyscrapers and domes piercing the sky in the distance. Beyond the Royal Observatory, South East London’s largest single green space continues, with a deer park, boating lake and landscaped gardens.

The Royal Observatory

The Royal Observatory is one of the must-see attractions in Greenwich. Especially if you want to stand astride the meridian line dividing the Eastern and Western hemispheres. It’s an obvious photo opportunity. The observatory houses a fascinating collection of astronomy instruments and a history of the concept of time-keeping. It’s also home to the only planetarium in London.

You can buy your tickets in advance online and select your preferred time slot. In a complete tourist fail, I forgot to check the date on our tickets and turned up on the wrong day. About 10 days late as it turned out. I’d accidentally booked the tickets for the day of booking instead of selecting the actual date we would be in London. A little bit of lip-trembling, a lot of apologising and the kind bods at the Observatory agreed to honour the tickets. I then had to go through the same rigmarole of explaining what a wally I was at Cutty Sark. I’m sure it happens all the time.

Queen’s House

Gifted to Anne of Denmark by King James I, this former royal palace is now largely an art gallery showcasing pieces by Gainsborough and Turner amongst others. We only paid a brief visit as our time slot was tightly sandwiched between visits to the Royal Observatory and Cutty Sark but we definitely made time to visit the beautiful Tulip Staircase. Designed by Inigo Jones, it’s the first centrally unsupported staircase in Britain, and it’s truly stunning. It’s free to enter the Queen’s House but you’ll need to book an admission slot online.

Cutty Sark

In 1869, the Cutty Sark was the fastest ship of her time. In 2021, she lives life at a slightly more sedate pace, in a dry dock next to the Thames. Cutty Sark was one of the last tea clippers to be built prior to the advent of steamships, and the scent of her exotic wares still permeates the air. Now she’s a family-friendly interactive museum with plenty of opportunities to imagine yourself back in time, embarking on an adventure. Don’t forget to pay a visit to the impressive figureheads collection, nestled underneath the hull.

Tickets can be purchased online, either as a standalone attraction or as a combination ticket with the Royal Observatory. Or you can just look at Cutty Sark’s impressive exterior for free.

National Maritime Museum

For all things seafaring, this is the largest Maritime Museum in the world. It’s full of tales of life at sea, and the adventures and discoveries made possible thanks to British naval dominance. After watching The Terror recently on BBC I was particularly interested in the real-life stories behind the fateful expedition to navigate the Northwest Passage. And you can see the actual uniform that Admiral Nelson was wearing when he was fatally wounded. Complete with bullet hole.

The museum is free to enter, although there is an additional charge to visit the temporary exhibitions. It’s a fascinating place to wile away the hours on a rainy day, with plenty of kiddie-friendly areas and exhibits. It also houses a café and coffee shop, the perfect place to pick up a takeaway beverage for the walk up to the Observatory.

We didn’t visit the Old Royal Naval College on this occasion, and I regret not setting some time aside to visit the Painted Hall. There’s definitely enough to see and do to justify a whole day in Greenwich so maybe we’ll make that trip down the Thames again soon. But for now, the plan was to leave Greenwich behind, and head for the breweries of the Bermondsey Beer Mile.

From Greenwich to Bermondsey. A convoluted route.

It seemed a no-brainer to pair these two activities together. After all, we were “in the area”. Except there’s no straightforward transport route between Greenwich and our first stop on the Bermondsey Beer Mile. We end up getting the DLR from Cutty Sark (south of the river) to Canary Wharf (north of the river) and then the Jubilee Line to Canada Water (hello, south of the river again).

End of the line for the Bermondsey Beer Mile – or start if you’re coming from the east – is Fourpure Brewing Company. Which is on an industrial estate in the middle of nowhere, a 20 minute walk from Canada Water. By this time, my phone battery has died (and thus my Google maps) and the sun has finally decided to make an appearance, so its a hot, sweaty and sometimes confusing walk. I’ve never been so glad to see a taproom (or USB charging sockets) in my life. Thank you to the man who kindly looked after my phone on his table while it received some much needed juice. Mr Fletche and I also received some much needed juice.

2025 Update: Please note that the Fourpure Taproom is now closed

Let me back up a little here – what the heck is the Bermondsey Beer Mile? Well, it’s where you drink beer. In Bermondsey. Of course. There are around 18 breweries, bottle shops and taprooms located in and around the railway arches. These are technically spread around a route of almost 2 miles, but the Bermondsey Beer Two Mile isn’t quite as catchy.

If you’re feeling brave you could do the entire route starting at either Fourpure or Southwark Brewing Company, but you’ll probably end up quite squiffy. We meandered our way back to Southwark from Fourpure, loosely following the route and popping into The Kernel (my favourite stop) and Anspach & Hobday on the way before ending up back at Southwark Brewing Company. We went on a Saturday afternoon, and the tap rooms got progressively busier as we headed west.

Tips for the Bermondsey Beer Mile? Check the opening times of the taprooms before you visit. Friday and Saturday afternoon-into-evenings are busy, so either arrive early or maybe plan a Thursday or Sunday visit to those which are open. Some of the venues do take bookings, others are walk-in only. Make sure you factor food into your visit. Some of the venues have an on-site offering, others have pop-up vendors. Others are liquid sustenance only, so check out nearby street food markets such as those on Maltby Street or Druid Street. And most offer beverages which aren’t beer, in case you find yourself on the Beer Mile but you’re not a beer drinker.

So there you have it. A near-perfect day in London. Culture. And beer.

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