The Cutty Sark at Greenwich on the Thames is a famous tea clipper. Tea clippers were fast sailing ships that brought tea from the Far East to Britain. The Royal Observatory is nearby. The zero longitude line runs

through it and the time in every country in the world is calculated from this line.

London used to be a very busy port, but the docks all closed in the 1960s when ships became too big to sail up the River Thames. The docks were redeveloped and new office blocks and flats were built there. Canary Wharf

Tower (centre) is the tallest building in England.

The Houses of Parliament are beside the River Thames. They burnt down in 1834 and were rebuilt in 1840 - 60.

Kew is a suburb in west London on the River Thames. The Royal Botanical Gardens are here. The Palm House at

Kew was built in 1844 and is made from iron and glass. It is over 328 feet (100 m) long and 32 feet (10 m) high. Some of the tropical plants inside had to be taken out

because they were too tall.

Hampton Court Palace is outside London on the River Thames. King Henry VIII (1491 - 1547) lived here with his

second wife, Anne Boleyn. The palace was built almost 500 years ago and is famous for its 300-year-old maze.