The area south of the Thames at Greenwich has a long history. Throughout time different buildings have been constructed on the same site. The Palace of Placentia, an English Royal Palace built in 1447, no longer exists apart from a few remains under the present buildings. The grand buildings on the South Bank of the Thames at Greenwich were designed by Sir Christopher Wren, most famous for St. Paul's Cathedral. The buildings were finally completed in 1745, although some parts started to be used as early as 1705. They're now part of a university -- having served as a naval hospital and a naval college and the setting for several cinemas. But the buildings stand on a site which has a much longer history, of which now only a part remains that is below the ground. For nearly two hundred years, from around 1450 to 1650, Greenwich was one of the main royal palaces of England. Some of the most famous English rulers, such as Henry VIII and Elizabeth I, not only lived there, but also were born there. Henry VIII put an armory there, and there were also gardens, a great fountain   and a mass of buildings. The Palace was also in a strategic location, because at the time either side of Greenwich on the Thames were important Royal Dockyards  . Eventually, though, the Palace fell into disrepair. In 1664, the King at the time, Charles II, decided to replace it with completely new buildings in a modern style. Only a cellar   from the former Royal Palace now remains, under one of the new buildings. Its red brick, typical of the 16th century, contrasts   sharply with the white stone above it. Would you like to join us to have a good view of Greenwich? The buildings on the South Bank of the Thames at Greenwich now   _  .
are in need of repair differ from those in the 16th century were designed in the style of Elizabeth I have a history of more than half a century