Royal Observatory Flamsteed House
ROYAL OBSERVATORY FLAMSTEED HOUSE, GREENWICH PARK SE10
Listed on the National Heritage List for England. Search over 400,000 listed places
Overview
- Heritage Category:
- Listed Building
- Grade:
- I
- List Entry Number:
- 1358976
- Date first listed:
- 08-Jun-1973
- List Entry Name:
- Royal Observatory Flamsteed House
- Statutory Address:
- ROYAL OBSERVATORY FLAMSTEED HOUSE, GREENWICH PARK SE10
Location
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Images of England Project
- Date:
- 2004-02-09
- Reference:
- IOE01/11184/23
- Rights:
- © Mr Richard M. Brown. Source: Historic England Archive
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Official list entry
- Heritage Category:
- Listed Building
- Grade:
- I
- List Entry Number:
- 1358976
- Date first listed:
- 08-Jun-1973
- List Entry Name:
- Royal Observatory Flamsteed House
- Statutory Address 1:
- ROYAL OBSERVATORY FLAMSTEED HOUSE, GREENWICH PARK SE10
The scope of legal protection for listed buildings
This List entry helps identify the building designated at this address for its special architectural or historic interest.
Unless the List entry states otherwise, it includes both the structure itself and any object or structure fixed to it (whether inside or outside) as well as any object or structure within the curtilage of the building.
For these purposes, to be included within the curtilage of the building, the object or structure must have formed part of the land since before 1st July 1948.
The scope of legal protection for listed buildings
This List entry helps identify the building designated at this address for its special architectural or historic interest.
Unless the List entry states otherwise, it includes both the structure itself and any object or structure fixed to it (whether inside or outside) as well as any object or structure within the curtilage of the building.
For these purposes, to be included within the curtilage of the building, the object or structure must have formed part of the land since before 1st July 1948.
Location
- Statutory Address:
- ROYAL OBSERVATORY FLAMSTEED HOUSE, GREENWICH PARK SE10
The building or site itself may lie within the boundary of more than one authority.
- County:
- Greater London Authority
- District:
- Greenwich (London Borough)
- Parish:
- Non Civil Parish
- National Grid Reference:
- TQ 38847 77335
Details
1. 4412 GREENWICH PARK SE10
Royal Observatory Flamsteed House TQ 3877 26/G54
I
2. 1675-6 with later additions, attributed to Sir Christopher Wren. Main North front of 2 storeys. 3 window centre with square 3-storey angle towers. Projecting eaves cornices and domed caps with high vanes to towers. Red brick with white stone quoins, both to towers and to main building. Very tall 1st floor with projecting cornice and balustrade over between towers. Very long plain central window in chamfered stone architrave. Wrought iron balcony. Side windows in moulded, shouldered architraves. Stone string at 1st floor level. 7-window ground floor. Parapet with stone coping has scrolled ramped inner part sweeping up almost to cornice of main block. Moulded architraves to ground floor windows. Door at left opening to walled terrace blocked at either end by 2-storey, 1-window C18 pavilions in similar style with domes. Rear elevation a large canted bay with coved and moulded cornice and balustraded parapet. 1st floor only visible as 1-storey C19 brick extension masks ground floor. Entrance on East, in angle at right, has porch protection with roof sloping up to front parapet. Side and rear windows very long casements in shouldered, moulded stone architraves. Beneath East window a plaque in richly carved baroque stone frame with serpentine open pediment, bears Latin inscription stating that Charles II founded the observatory in 1676. Inside a staircase with barley-sugar twist columns leads to the octagon room containing historic portraits, telescopes and clocks. Coved, octagonal ceiling centre wth decorative border. Moulded and coved cornice with garlands in high relief and royal ciphers. A later staircase leads down to the rear extension now laid out as a museum of historic astronomical instruments.
Listing NGR: TQ3888877321
Legacy
The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.
- Legacy System number:
- 200387
- Legacy System:
- LBS
Sources
Other
Register of Parks and Gardens of Special Historic Interest in England, Part 17 Greater London
Legal
This building is listed under the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990 as amended for its special architectural or historic interest.
Map
This map is for quick reference purposes only and may not be to scale. This copy shows the entry on 14-Dec-2025 at 00:47:01.
Download a full scale map (PDF)© Crown copyright [and database rights] 2025. OS AC0000815036. All rights reserved. Ordnance Survey Licence number 100024900.© British Crown and SeaZone Solutions Limited 2025. All rights reserved. Licence number 102006.006.
End of official list entry