Maritime Greenwich includes the Baroque buildings of the Old Royal Naval College, Queen's House, the Observatory and National Maritime Museum, as well as the Royal Greenwich Park and the historic town centre. Its significance lies in the quality of the architecture with outstanding works by Inigo Jones, Sir Christopher Wren and Nicholas Hawksmoor. The site contained the palace of Placentia where Henry VIII, Queen Elizabeth I and Mary were born. The ensemble evolved from Royal Palace to Royal Hospital for retired seamen in 1694, then Royal Naval College in 1869 before becoming the Maritime Campus of Greenwich University in 1999. The Royal Observatory was established in 1675 and after Greenwich Mean Time was adopted as an international standard, it was selected in 1884 as the Prime Meridian at 0 degree longitude.
Greenwich Park has a wealth of archaeological remains from prehistory as well as significant flora and fauna. It developed from enclosed woodland and pasture of the 15th century to a lost formal park laid out by Le Notre in 1662. This affirmed the Grand Axis, which centres on Queen's House and formed the basis of Wren's master plan for the majestic Royal Courts. Greenwich Town contains a planned formal grid of streets incorporating medieval plots with a market place at its centre.