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Wikipedia

Woolwich

May 10, 2023

This article is about the district of London. For other uses, see Woolwich (disambiguation).

Woolwich (/ˈwʊlɪtʃ, -ɪdʒ/) is a district in southeast London, England, within the Royal Borough of Greenwich.

Woolwich
Beresford Square market with Royal Arsenal Gatehouse (left) and Crossrail development in the background
Woolwich
Woolwich
Location within Greater London
Population84,959 (2011 Census[1]
OS grid referenceTQ435795
• Charing Cross8.5 mi (13.7 km) WNW
London borough
Ceremonial countyGreater London
Region
CountryEngland
Sovereign stateUnited Kingdom
Post townLONDON
Postcode districtSE18
Dialling code020
PoliceMetropolitan
FireLondon
AmbulanceLondon
UK Parliament
London Assembly
List of places
UK
England
London
51°29′17″N 0°03′47″E / 51.488°N 0.063°E / 51.488; 0.063Coordinates: 51°29′17″N 0°03′47″E / 51.488°N 0.063°E / 51.488; 0.063

The district's location on the River Thames led to its status as an important naval, military and industrial area; a role that was maintained throughout the 16th to 20th centuries. After several decades of economic hardship and social deprivation, the area now has several large-scale urban renewal projects.

Geography

Woolwich is situated 8.5 miles (13.7 km) from Charing Cross. It has a 1.6 mi (2.5 km) long frontage to the south bank of the Thames river. From the riverside it rises up quickly along the northern slopes of Shooter's Hill towards the common, at 200 ft (60 m) and the ancient London–Dover Road, at 433 ft (132 m). The ancient parish of Woolwich, more or less the present-day wards Woolwich Riverside and Woolwich Common, comprises 734 acres (297 ha). This included North Woolwich, which is now part of the London Borough of Newham. The ancient parishes of Plumstead and Eltham became part of the civil parish of Woolwich in 1930.[2] Parts of the wards Glyndon and Shooter's Hill are often referred to as Woolwich, although this definition is not accepted by all. The nearest areas are Abbey Wood, Blackheath, Charlton, Eltham, Greenwich, Kidbrooke, Lewisham, North Woolwich, Plumstead, Shooter's Hill, Thamesmead, Welling and Well Hall.

Demography

Census data is collected by borough and ward so identifying the population of Woolwich is not straightforward. If the area is taken to approximate to the Woolwich Common, Woolwich Riverside and Glyndon Wards, then the population was 54,790 at the time of the 2011 census.[3]

If it is also taken to include the Plumstead and Shooters Hill Wards then it rises to 84,959 at the 2011 census.[4]

History

See also: Old Woolwich
 
Map of Woolwich, 1749: the town is nestled between the Warren to the east (left) and HM Dockyard to the west (bottom right).

Early history

Woolwich has been inhabited since at least the Iron Age. Remains of a probably Celtic oppidum, established sometime between the 3rd and 1st century BCE, in the late Roman period re-used as a fort, were found at the current Waterfront development site between Beresford Street and the Thames.[5] According to the Survey of London (Volume 48: Woolwich), "this defensive earthwork encircled the landward sides of a riverside settlement, the only one of its kind so far located in the London area, that may have been a significant port, anterior to London". A path connected the riverside settlement with Watling Street (Shooter's Hill), perhaps also of Iron Age origin. Sandy Hill Road may be a remnant of this early path.[6]

 
Rectors of Woolwich from 1182

It is generally believed that the name Woolwich derives from an Anglo-Saxon word meaning "trading place for wool". It is not clear whether Woolwich was a proper -wich town, since there are no traces of extensive artisanal activity from the Early Middle Ages. However, in 2015 Oxford Archaeology discovered a Saxon burial site near the riverside with 76 skeletons from the late 7th or early 8th century. The absence of grave deposits indicates that this was an early Christian settlement.[7] The first church, which stood to the north of the present parish church, was almost certainly pre-Norman and dedicated to Saint Lawrence. It was probably rebuilt in stone around 1100.[8]

From the 10th till the mid-12th century Woolwich was controlled by the abbots of St. Peter's Abbey in Ghent. This may have been a result of a gift of 918 from Ælfthryth, daughter of King Alfred and Countess of Flanders, in that case the first recorded grant of English lands to a foreign ecclesiastic institution. As a result of this tenure Woolwich is not mentioned in the Domesday Book; it is thought that the 63 acres listed as Hulviz[9] refer to North Woolwich, which was then uninhabited. Some of the Ghent lands passed to the royal manors of Dartford and Eltham as early as 1100; the larger part of the parish, referred to as the manor of Woolwich but in effect not a full manor, became an Eltham dependency in the 14th century. Not included were a riverside quay held by Holy Trinity Priory, Aldgate, a wharf held by St Mary's Priory, Southwark, and land around Plumstead owned by Bartholomew de Burghersh, 2nd Baron Burghersh, later referred to as the Burrage Estate.[10]

Medieval Woolwich was susceptible to flooding. In 1236 many were killed by a flood. Woolwich Ferry was first mentioned in 1308 but may be older. Around Bell Water Gate some private shipbuilding or repair may have existed in the 15th century. A windmill was mentioned around 1450.[11] Several pottery kilns have been discovered north of Woolwich High Street and Beresford Street, testifying of a perhaps unbroken tradition of pottery production from at least the 14th century until the 17th century.[12]

Military expansion

Woolwich remained a relatively small Kentish settlement until the beginning of the 16th century, when it began to develop into a maritime, military and industrial centre. In 1512 it became home to Woolwich Dockyard, originally known as "The King's Yard", founded by Henry VIII to build his flagship Henry Grace à Dieu ("The Great Harry"). Many great ships were built here, such as the Prince Royal, the Sovereign of the Seas, the Royal Charles, the Dolphin and the Beagle. East of the dockyard a gun yard was established in the 1540s (for storage and maintenance of ships' canons and armaments) and a ropeyard followed in the 1570s. The dockyard went through many ups and downs but survived for three and a half centuries, closing down in 1869.

Following the establishment of the dockyard, Martin Bowes who had gathered a fortune at the Royal Mint, bought riverside holdings in Woolwich and Plumstead in the 1530s, some of it former church land that had become available after the Dissolution of the Monasteries. His mansion was Tower Place, for some time the largest dwelling in Woolwich.[13] In the 1650s the Board of Ordnance was given permission to prove guns in the grounds of the mansion (an area known as the Warren) and twenty years later they purchased Tower Place itself. The Warren then developed from a place of storage into a collection of armament factories, military stores and research establishments, which were collectively named the Royal Arsenal by George III in 1805. The complex played a central role in Britain's military and industrial expansion: in wartime, tens of thousands of workers found employment here; between wars, unemployment loomed.[14]

The Board of Ordnance maintained its own establishment of military personnel, many of whom were based in the Warren. In 1716 it had (by a royal warrant of George I) formed the Royal Regiment of Artillery, which had its headquarters and barracks in the Warren, and in 1741 it established the Royal Military Academy there to train its future officers. In 1776 the Artillery moved out of the Warren into a new Royal Artillery Barracks on the edge of Woolwich Common. The Royal Military Academy followed, moving into its new premises at the other end of the common in 1806. By that time various other units and services had begun to establish themselves in the vicinity, forming what became known as Woolwich Garrison. In the 19th and 20th century several large barracks were built, as well as military schools and hospitals. To this day, the town retains an army base (known as Woolwich Station) centred on the Royal Artillery Barracks and Napier Lines Barracks.

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    Tower Place and the old Royal Military Academy, 1775

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    The Royal Artillery Band marching through Woolwich, early 19th century

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    Open-air storage at the Royal Arsenal in the mid-19th century

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    Royal Horse Artillery Review at the Royal Military Academy 1850

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    Royal Artillery Barracks, c. 1900

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    Old Woolwich in 1929. On the hill: the parish church and the Red Barracks.

Economic development

Employment

 
Workers at the Royal Arsenal, 1862

Throughout the 18th century the navy yard remained the town's main employer with between 500 and 1,400 men working in the docks. Due to the malarial marshlands, it was not a popular place to work and for that reason Woolwich dockyard workers were paid as much as a third more than in other naval towns. These were mostly skilled artisans who were generally literate, Nonconformist and well-organized. The number of artillery men grew from around 200 in 1716 to around 1,500 in 1801. Soldiers were generally held in contempt, earning about a quarter of dockyard labourers' wages. At the height of the Napoleonic Wars, there were more soldiers (3,000) than dockyard and ropeyard workers (2,000), while the arsenal employed as many as 5,000. After the end of the wars, thousands were discharged, causing great distress. In the 1840s, a steam factory gave a new lease of life to the dockyard and the 1850s saw a huge expansion of the arsenal during and after the Crimean War.[15]

The presence of the dockyard, the arsenal and other military institutions stimulated economic growth in other areas, notably in commercial activities and entertainment. The ropeyard was established around 1570 and survived until 1832. Throughout the 17th century two glass factories were active near Glass Yard, owned by Sir Robert Mansell from Greenwich, who also managed the dockyard and the ropeyard. Some of the masters here were Huguenots from Lorraine. Kilns producing Bellarmine stoneware may also have been controlled by continental potters. Other kilns produced earthenware and clay pipes. Kilns were also active on the hillside south of the town, where clay was readily available. Near Plumstead and Charlton were sandpits; the sand was shipped from a wharf near Tower Place. In 1863, the German firm Siemens & Halske established a submarine-cable factory in the Dockyard area, which expanded rapidly.[16]

Retail

 
Hare Street in 1911

Woolwich market received its charter in 1618 but is certainly older. The market, which had long been established in the High Street in Old Woolwich (at a location called Market Hill), had gradually drifted towards the Royal Arsenal's main gatehouse, more or less at its present location. This was not approved by the authorities and a new market was set up in the Bathway Quarter around 1810. This proved to be a failure and is remembered only in the name of Market Street. Until 1879, the market at Beresford Square remained illegal and was regularly cleared by the police. After it was legalized, it had room for 136 stalls. Italo Svevo described it as "very lively" in 1903. In 1936, a covered market opened in Plumstead Road but never formed a threat to the main market. Beresford Square had the largest public houses (of which Woolwich had many).[17] Powis Street and Hare Street, laid out in the early 19th century, became the main shopping streets. A number of Victorian shop facades, many designed by local architect Henry Hudson Church, have survived.[18]

In 1868 the Royal Arsenal Co-operative Society was established, which developed into one of the biggest consumer cooperatives in the country with two department stores in Powis Street, shops around South East London, manufacturing and food production plants, a building society, a funeral service and many other areas of entrepreneurship.

Urban development

Population

 
Poverty map of Woolwich, 1889. The areas in black designate the "lowest class, vicious, semi-criminals". Bright red is "middle class, well-to-do".

Around 1500, at the beginning of the military and naval expansion, Woolwich had only a few hundred inhabitants. In 1665, when Samuel Pepys stayed here to escape the Great Plague, the population was estimated at 1,200 or more, of which about 300 worked in the dockyard. Around 1720, the town's population had risen to 6,500, reaching almost 10,000 in 1801. During the booming wartime decade that followed, population reached a peak of 17,000. After a period of stagnation, building activity picked up in the 1830s. Woolwich' built-up area expanded southward with workers' houses mostly close to the river and officers' houses around Woolwich Common and further up the hill. In 1841 Woolwich had a population of 27,785; in 1861 this had risen to 41,695. At this point there were 4,596 houses in the parish, with little space left for building; further development took place in Plumstead, Charlton and North Woolwich, later also in Eltham. After a dip in the late 19th century, in 1901 the population of the parish of Woolwich stood at the same level as 40 years earlier: 41,625. Victorian Woolwich was a rich social mix with skilled engineers along with unskilled labourers (including women and children) working at the Arsenal and other factories, large numbers of soldiers (making up 10–15% of the population) and a small bourgeoisie consisting of military officers and the commercial and professional elite. Some areas of the town were notoriously overcrowded; the so-called Dusthole near the river was considered one of London's worst slums.[15]

Infrastructure

Until the arrival of the railways, the Thames was the principal artery connecting Woolwich to London. In 1834 the Woolwich Steam Packet Company greatly improved river traffic and in 1889 the Woolwich Free Ferry made it easier to live in North Woolwich and work in the Arsenal, or to live in Woolwich and work in the Docklands. The North Kent Line from London via Greenwich and Woolwich to Gillingham opened in 1849. The station building was rebuilt in 1906 and again in 1992–93.[19] Woolwich was also on the route of two London trams of the first generation (1881–1952).[20]

The post-war period brought massive changes to the town's fabric and infrastructure. Roads were widened and entire neighbourhoods pulled down to make room for modern housing, some of it in tower blocks. The widening of Woolwich High Street and Beresford Street left little of the old town. Woolwich was home to the experimental Auto Stacker car park. Built on the site of the Empire Theatre, it was officially opened in May 1961 by Princess Margaret. It never actually worked and was demolished in 1962. A multi-storey car park was built along Monk Street in 1971.

Education

 
Woolwich Polytechnic, 1891

Woolwich Polytechnic was founded in 1891. As well as providing a higher education facility, it also provided secondary school facilities, including the still-extant (but now relocated) Woolwich Polytechnic School for Boys.[21] In the 20th century the Polytechnic grew steadily, taking up almost an entire block in the Bathway Quarter and later spreading to other areas. In 1970 it merged with other local colleges and became Thames Polytechnic. In 1992 it was granted university status and a year later was renamed the University of Greenwich. In 2001, the university relocated to the Old Royal Naval College in Greenwich, leaving only a small administrative presence in Woolwich.[22]

Woolwich was the location of the first free kindergarten in the UK. The Woolwich Mission Kindergarten opened in 1900, and began in a room provided by a Christian socialist vicar of Holy Trinity church in New Charlton, the Rev. Walter Wragge. It was founded by his sister, Adelaide Wragge, the Fröbel-influenced principal of Blackheath Kindergarten Training College.[23]

Leisure

 
Officers of the Royal Artillery playing polo on bicycles, c. 1910

In the 18th century, Woolwich Cricket Club, later Royal Artillery Cricket Club, were well-known cricket clubs. Cricket and other sports were mainly played by military officers and students at the Royal Military Academy. Arsenal F.C. was founded in 1886 by workers at the Royal Arsenal. Initially known as Dial Square, then Royal Arsenal and then Woolwich Arsenal, they soon drew large crowds to their ground in Plumstead. In 1913 they moved to Arsenal Stadium in Highbury, North London. Royal Ordnance Factories F.C. was founded in response to Woolwich Arsenal joining the League but only lasted a few years.

Woolwich had several theatres and cinemas. The Theatre Royal in Beresford Street, later renamed Empire Theatre or Woolwich Empire, was the biggest. Dating from the 1830s, it was enlarged in the 1880s and 1890s, seating about 2,000. It both served as a variety theater and cinema, ending up as a strip-joint. It was demolished in 1960. Shortly after 1900, three new theaters opened with a combined capacity of 4,430. The Century cinema, which faced Beresford Square, was previously known as Premier Cinema and Royal Arsenal Cinema. It was built in 1913 with 669 seats, closed in 1961 and demolished for redevelopment in the late 1960s. The Grand Theatre in Wellington Street opened in 1900 as a variety theatre with a capacity of 1,680. It became the Woolwich Hippodrome in 1908 and a full-time cinema in 1923. Rebuilt in 1955 as the Regal Cinema, it closed in 1982, was then used as a nightclub and demolished in 2015. The Granada cinema and the Odeon, later Coronet, both seating around 2,500, are imposing buildings from the 1930s that have both been converted into Pentecostal churches.[24]

Local government

 
St Mary Magdalene c. 1840

The civil parish of Woolwich, roughly the area of the present-day wards Woolwich Riverside and Woolwich Common, was formerly known as Woolwich Saint Mary. Until 1842, when the Old Town Hall was built, the vestry met in a room in the parish church of St Mary Magdalene. Woolwich became part of the London metropolitan area in the mid-19th century, although was officially still in Kent at the time. In 1889, with the formation of London County Council, Woolwich became officially part of London. In 1900 the parishes of Woolwich, Eltham and Plumstead formed the Metropolitan Borough of Woolwich. In 1906 the new Woolwich Town Hall was inaugurated. In April 1965, following implementation of the London Government Act 1963, Woolwich was merged into the London Borough of Greenwich, since 2012 the Royal Borough of Greenwich. The administrative buildings of the borough are in Woolwich, at the former Woolwich Town Hall.

Post-war history

Decline

Woolwich declined as a town in the late 20th century, starting with the closure of the Royal Ordnance Factory in 1967 and the Siemens factory in 1968 and continuing as the Royal Arsenal scaled back operations and finally closed in 1994. Other employers like the Woolwich Building Society ("The Woolwich") and Morgan Grampian Publishers were taken over by other companies and moved away from the town. Without major employers, the local economy was affected and unemployment soared.[25] At the same time the town's demographics changed, with initially mainly Sikhs settling down in the area, later followed by black Africans, many from Nigeria. Despite immigration, the population of the parish reached a low of 17,000 in 1971. In general, Woolwich had lost its previous vigour. In the town's shopping district, department stores and chain stores closed. By the early 1990s, the town centre had the typical appearance of a town in decline with discount retailers and charity shops using the empty stores and Greenwich Council occupying the empty office buildings.[26] In 1974, the United Kingdom's first branch of McDonald's opened in Powis Street.[27] Amidst the decline, Woolwich was still considered to be a representative English town at the time.[28]

In 1974 the Provisional IRA bombed the Kings Arms pub in the town, killing two. During the 2011 England riots, Woolwich was one of the areas affected. Several buildings were attacked, with a few being destroyed. The Great Harry Wetherspoons' Pub was set on fire,[29] though it was subsequently remodeled and reopened. On 22 May 2013 the murder of Lee Rigby in Woolwich caused upheaval. Drummer Lee Rigby, a British soldier based at the Royal Artillery Barracks, was murdered close to the barracks by two Islamic extremists.[30]

The 16th Regiment Royal Artillery left Woolwich in 2007, but the Woolwich barracks still house the Royal Artillery Band and more recently the Second Battalion Princess of Wales' Royal Regiment and the King's Troop, Royal Horse Artillery, although the relocation of these has been announced for 2028.[31]

Regeneration

 
Construction sites in Woolwich (Shooter's Hill view, 2016)

Recent and anticipated regeneration in the area means that it's expected that the district, identified in the London Plan as "opportunity area", is expected to evolve from "major centre" to "metropolitan centre" within Greater London in the next few decades.[32][33]

Woolwich started to enjoy the beginning of a renaissance with the residential redevelopment of the former Royal Arsenal. Most historic buildings on the site have been renovated and converted into apartments. Several thousands of homes have been built or are under construction and thousands more are planned, mainly luxury apartments in tower blocks near the river. Additionally, a riverside walk, several parks, a museum, a range of shops, cafés, pubs and restaurants, and a farmers' market have made the Arsenal a desirable place to live. In 2017 it was announced that the borough has acquired five historic buildings around No 1 Street to create a £31 million creative district. It will feature a 1,200-seat auditorium for concerts and events, a performance courtyard that seats up to 600, a 450-seat black box theatre and a riverside restaurant. The Greenwich Heritage Centre will move to new premises. The site will further include offices, studios and rehearsal spaces for resident companies such as Academy Performing Arts, Dash Arts, Chickenshed Theatre, Protein Dance, Greenwich Dance and Greenwich+Docklands International Festival.[34][35] The creative district opened as Woolwich Works in September 2021.[36]

Woolwich Arsenal DLR station, the terminus of the Docklands Light Railway's London City Airport branch, opened on 10 January 2009.[37] The 2012 Summer Olympics and Paralympics included Woolwich as a venue for shooting events, held in temporary facilities constructed on the grounds of the Royal Artillery Barracks and on Woolwich Common.[38]

 
Love Lane development

A large-scale redevelopment of the area west of General Gordon Square started in 2011. The square was re-landscaped, including a new water feature. The so-called Love Lane project involved demolition of several buildings including the Post Office, the Crown Building, the Director General public house,[39] Peggy Middleton House and Thomas Spencer Halls of Residence. New buildings in the first phases of the Woolwich Central redevelopment included: the Woolwich Centre along Wellington Street (public library and council offices, completed in 2011),[40] and a 259-home housing development with an 84,000 sq ft (7,800 m2) Tesco hypermarket, completed in 2014.[41] In the same year, the latter development was named Britain's worst new building, being awarded the 'Carbuncle Cup' for a design judges described as "oppressive, defensive, arrogant and inept".[42] The same development was later the subject of £46.7m claim by Tesco against Willmott Dixon for cladding replacement;[43] Willmott Dixon then sought to reclaim the same amount from its supply chain;[44] the case was set to be heard in February 2023.[43]

On the other side of General Gordon Square the 1930s Woolwich Equitable building was refurbished. Next to Woolwich Town Hall on Wellington Street, the 1950s Woolwich Grand Theatre (formerly the ABC Regal Cinema, then Flamingo's Nightclub) briefly reopened as an arts centre with a cafe but in 2015 the building was demolished to make room for apartments.

 
Demolition of Connaught Estate, 2015

Redevelopment around the "Woolwich Triangle" at the west end of Powis Street is partly underway. It originally envisaged demolition of the art deco RACS department store, one of two imposing Co-op buildings in this part of town.[45] In September 2012 Greenwich Council approved a plan to convert the building into apartments and retail.[46] Across the road, the late Victorian former RACS Central Stores building was renovated and re-opened as a hotel. Further regeneration is centred on Hare Street and the Riverside. By relocating the Waterfront Leisure Centre, it is hoped that this part of Woolwich will attract new development. Other areas for redevelopment include Trinity Walk (former Connaught Estate, part of the One Woolwich masterplan for three housing estates), several sites along Wellington Street (including the Ogilby site and the so-called Island site), the Spray Street Quarter (between the existing station and the new Crossrail station), and the Callis Yard site (former council stables).[47] Redevelopment plans for the Spray Street Quarter in 2018 included a proposal to demolish the 1936 market hall.[48]

Heritage

See also: Grade I and II* listed buildings in Greenwich

For centuries the area between the Thames and the present-day A206 road has been dominated by docks, warehouses and factories, starting with the Royal Dockyard early in the 16th century, later eclipsed by the Royal Arsenal in scale and grandeur. In the 18th century the Royal Regiment of Artillery and the Corps of Royal Engineers were established in Woolwich, followed by the Royal Military Academy. Other military institutions completed the picture of the garrison town that Woolwich had become in the early 19th century. The town has a distinctive housing history and in the Bathway Quarter it has an equally distinctive civic centre. Although repeatedly rebuilt, its architectural heritage reflects its unusual and important history.[49]

Royal Arsenal

Main article: Royal Arsenal

The older parts of the Royal Arsenal constitute a conservation area. Most buildings of historic interest have been restored and given new uses. The Royal Brass Foundry (1717) is a grade I listed building, while the Dial Arch (1717–20), the Old Royal Military Academy (1720) and the Grand Store (1806–13) are Grade II* listed. Other listed buildings include the Royal Arsenal Gatehouse, Middle Gatehouse, the Main Guard House, two small guardhouses near the Thames, the Shell Foundry Gatehouse, Verbruggen House and two twin pavilions in Laboratory Square, the oldest structures on the site (1696).

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    Royal Brass Foundry

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    Cannon near the Old Royal Military Academy

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    Converted warehouses at the Royal Arsenal

Woolwich Dockyard and Riverside

Main articles: Woolwich Dockyard and Woolwich Riverside

At Woolwich Dockyard relatively little of historic interest remains. The main monumental building complex comprises a small cluster of 18th-century buildings: the entrance gate, the guardhouse and the so-called Clock House (Dockyard offices). A pair of 19th-century docks remain on the site of their 16th-century predecessors. The later development of the Dockyard in the Victorian period is represented by the Steam Factory and the Dockyard chimney, a prominent landmark, and further west by a group of buildings at the site of the Siemens Brothers factory.

Between the Arsenal and the Dockyard lies an area that was once Old Woolwich, a part of the town where little of historical interest remains and that, once again, is facing redevelopment. The round entrance building of the Woolwich foot tunnel dates from 1912. Further west, the Thames Barrier is an interesting example of modern architecture and technical achievement. The Thames Path is a National Trail that connects these sites.

Other military buildings

See also: Royal Artillery Barracks; Royal Military Academy, Woolwich; and Woolwich Garrison

Elsewhere, monumental buildings testify of Woolwich's rich military history. Woolwich Common with its surrounding buildings has been designated a conservation area. The Neoclassical façade of the Royal Artillery Barracks (James Wyatt, 1776–1802) is the longest façade in London, stretching along the north end of the common. Across the road, Government House (1781), was the quarters of the Garrison Commandant from 1855 to 1995. Of the nearby Garrison Church of St George only the shell remains after it was bombed during the Second World War. Its Neo-Romanesque architecture and remnants of mosaics are still impressive. John Nash's Rotunda, a round brick building with a leaded tent roof, until 2001 housed the Royal Artillery Museum and now serves as a boxing ring for the King's Troop, Royal Horse Artillery in nearby Napier Lines Barracks.

The Royal Military Academy at the south end of Woolwich Common was also designed by James Wyatt and has an almost equally long façade in Mock Tudor style. Other military buildings that survive include Connaught Barracks (built as the Royal Artillery Hospital in 1780), Green Hill Military School and Royal Herbert Hospital on Shooters Hill. The Royal Engineers' HQ was moved to Chatham in 1856, but a small detachment remained in Woolwich, quartered in what is now Engineer House on Mill Hill, just off the Common. Several listed buildings were demolished in the 1970s, including James Wyatt's Engineers Barracks (built for the Royal Military Artificers in 1803), Lewis Wyatt's Grand Depot Barracks (begun in 1805-6 for the Field Train department), Cambridge Barracks (1842, of which the gatehouse still stands) and Red Barracks (1858, only the boundary wall and entrance gate remain). The latter two, on Frances Street, were originally built as the Royal Marine Barracks, Woolwich for the Woolwich Division of the Royal Marines, and each was considered an innovative and influential design. The Marines departed with the closure of the Dockyard, whereupon the buildings were converted into barracks accommodation for various military corps. Rushgrove House (1806) housed the Colonel Commandant of the Marine Barracks (later Cambridge Barracks) from 1855.

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    Ruined Garrison Church (1863)

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    John Nash's Rotunda (1814/20)

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    Former Connaught Barracks (1780)

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    Engineer House (1858)

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    Government House (1781)

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    Former Red Barracks gate (1860)

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    Gatehouse Cambridge Barracks (1848)

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    Rushgrove House (1806)

Woolwich Centre

Virtually nothing is left of the old town of Woolwich which was near the ferry and the parish church along the Thames. In the early 19th century the commercial and administrative centre moved south to its present location around Powis Street, Beresford Square and the Bathway Quarter. Although 20th-century economic decline and infrastructural works have had their effects, there are still some interesting buildings in Woolwich town centre. The best preserved area is perhaps the Bathway Quarter with the former Public Baths, the Old and New Town Hall, the former Magistrates Court and Police Station, the Old Public Library and several historic buildings of Woolwich Polytechnic.

In nearby Powis Street and Hare Street some late Victorian shop façades have been preserved, notably by local architect Henry Hudson Church. The western end of Powis Street is dominated by two former Royal Arsenal Co-operative Society (RACS) department stores, one late Victorian, the other one in Art Deco style. Nearer to the river are two large cinemas, both built in 1937 and both in use as Pentecostal church halls. The former Odeon Cinema (now occupied by the New Wine Church) is a fine example of an Art Deco theatre; the former Granada Cinema has lavish interior decorations.

Of the grand houses that once stretched along Woolwich Common and dotted the northern slopes of Shooter's Hill, little remains. Rushgrove House, Shrewsbury House and Woodhill Court survive but have lost their spacious gardens. Woolwich parish church, St Mary Magdalen is a plain brick 1730s building with a spireless tower. Other religious buildings of interest include the Roman Catholic St Peter's Church (by Pugin), and two Sikh gurdwaras, one a former Methodist church, the other a former Masonic hall.

Nature

Parks in central Woolwich are generally small. St Mary's Gardens has been laid out as a park in Romantic style on the grounds of the former churchyard of the parish church of St Mary Magdalen. Some historic grave markers have been placed against the peripheral wall. Tom Cribb's memorial, a lion rests its paw on an urn, stands near the northeast entrance. The park features a belvedere which offers views of the river Thames. At the Royal Arsenal, several new parks and gardens have been landscaped but some can only be accessed by residents.

Shrewsbury Park, Plumstead Common, Woolwich Common and Oxleas Wood are situated higher up the hill and are all part of the South East London Green Chain. Repository Woods is a forested part of Woolwich Common. The area around the lake is a military training ground that is not open to the public. The same applies to Mulgrave Pond and Shooters Hill golf course.

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    St Mary's Gardens

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    Wellington Park

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    Dial Arch Square

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    New Riverside Park

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    Shrewsbury Park

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    Repository Woods

Sports and leisure

Arsenal F.C. is originally from Woolwich; Charlton Athletic's stadium, The Valley, is approximately 2 km west of Woolwich. The area also has two Non-League football clubs: Bridon Ropes F.C. and Meridian F.C., who both play at Meridian Sports & Social Club.

Barrack Field at the Royal Artillery Barracks was a famous cricket ground in the 18th century but is now merely used for recreational sports. Royal Arsenal Rugby Club plays rugby here.

Greenwich Council has plans to demolish the 1980s Waterfront Leisure Centre next to the Woolwich Ferry and build a new leisure centre in Wilmount Street. There is an indoor climbing wall in the Docklands area.

Education and culture

 
Public art works in Woolwich

The University of Greenwich's dramatic arts department is based in the historic Bathway Quarter in the centre of Woolwich. The old Grand Theatre, which briefly reopened in the 2010s, closed in 2015. The Tramshed, until 1953 an electricity sub-station for the borough's tramways, is a music and entertainment venue run by the Royal Borough of Greenwich.[50] Woolwich currently has no movie theatres. Cinemas are included in the plans for Spray Street quarter and the Island site.[51][52] The town was used as a location for the 2006 film Children of Men.

Woolwich has one museum, the Greenwich Heritage Centre at the Royal Arsenal (Firepower – The Royal Artillery Museum closed in 2016 after having been based in Woolwich for almost two centuries). Second Floor Studios in the Woolwich Dockyard area is one of London's largest concentrations of artists' studios.[53] The town has a number of public sculptures: one of Roman origin, several statues and reliefs from the 19th and early 20th centuries, and a number of modern sculptures. One of the Woolwich Arsenal DLR station entrances features a large mural in tiles by Michael Craig-Martin.

See also: List of public art in Greenwich § Woolwich


Transport

National Rail

The nearest stations are Woolwich Arsenal and Woolwich Dockyard for Southeastern services towards Barnehurst, Dartford, Gravesend, London Cannon Street and London Charing Cross.

Docklands Light Railway

The nearest station is Woolwich Arsenal for Docklands Light Railway services towards London City Airport, Bank and Stratford International.

Elizabeth line

Woolwich railway station opened in May 2022 on the Crossrail route for Elizabeth line services towards Abbey Wood, Canary Wharf, central London and Heathrow Airport.

Buses

Woolwich is served by many London Buses routes connecting it with places including Abbey Wood, Beckenham, Bexleyheath, Blackfen, Blackheath, Bluewater, Catford, Charlton, Chislehurst, Crayford, Crystal Palace, Dartford, Deptford, Elephant & Castle, Elmers End, Eltham, Erith, Greenwich, Lewisham, Kidbrooke, New Cross, North Greenwich, Orpington, Peckham, Plumstead, Sidcup, St Mary Cray, Sydenham, Thamesmead and Welling.

Woolwich Ferry

The free Woolwich Ferry service operates across the River Thames to North Woolwich in the London Borough of Newham carrying trucks, cars, cyclists and pedestrians during the day until 20:00 on Weekdays. A two boat service runs on Mondays to Fridays with weekends being served by a one boat service. The Woolwich foot tunnel is also available for use by pedestrians (and cyclists pushing their cycles) at any time. It is served by lifts during traditional shopping hours.

London River Services

London River Services, operated by Thames Clippers, provide a peak-hour, daily service to central London (Embankment Pier) from Woolwich Arsenal Pier (adjacent to the Royal Arsenal residential development). The Thames Barrier is located 1 mile (1.6 km) upstream from the tunnel and ferry.

Airport

London City Airport is not too far away from here and it was built in the 1980s.

Notable people

See also

References

  1. ^ Woolwich is made up of 5 wards in the London Borough of Greenwich: Glyndon, Plumstead, Shooters Hill, Woolwich Common, and Woolwich Riverside. . Archived from the original on 22 February 2014. Retrieved 9 June 2014.
  2. ^ Saint & Guillery (2012), pp. 1–2.
  3. ^ Services, Good Stuff IT. "Greenwich - UK Census Data 2011". UK Census Data. Retrieved 11 October 2020.
  4. ^ . Archived from the original on 22 February 2014. Retrieved 9 June 2014.
  5. ^ [1] 28 March 2010 at the Wayback Machine
  6. ^ Saint & Guillery (2012), p. 2.
  7. ^ M. Little: '76 skeletons have been discovered from Saxon Woolwich', originally published by southlondonpress.co.uk, 16 October 2015.
  8. ^ Saint & Guillery (2012), pp. 2–3.
  9. ^ Wilson, John Marius. "Descriptive Gazetteer Entry for WOOLWICH". A vision of Britain through time. Retrieved 30 October 2020.
  10. ^ Saint & Guillery (2012), pp. 2–5.
  11. ^ Saint & Guillery (2012), pp. 2, 5.
  12. ^ John Cotter, "Medieval London-type Ware Kilns Discovered at Woolwich". In: Medieval Pottery Research Group, newsletter 6, 1 August 2008, pp. 3–5 (PDF 9 May 2013 at the Wayback Machine).
  13. ^ Saint & Guillery (2012), p. 130.
  14. ^ Saint & Guillery (2012), p. 129.
  15. ^ a b Saint & Guillery (2012), pp. 9–17.
  16. ^ Saint & Guillery (2012), pp. 15, 41.
  17. ^ Saint & Guillery (2012), pp. 49, 226–227.
  18. ^ Saint & Guillery (2012), pp. 197–200.
  19. ^ Saint & Guillery (2012), pp. 18–22.
  20. ^ BBC on this day: 6 July accessed 23 April 2007
  21. ^ . AIM25. Archived from the original on 24 April 2017. Retrieved 24 April 2017.
  22. ^ Saint & Guillery (2012), pp. 269–275
  23. ^ Brehony, Kevin J., (2000) "The kindergarten in England 1851–1918". In: Wollons, Roberta (2000). Kindergartens and cultures: the global diffusion of an idea. New Haven. Yale University Press. p. 72
  24. ^ Saint & Guillery (2012), pp. 15, 80, 228, 275–276.
  25. ^ In 1991 27% of the population of St Mary's Ward (the area south of the Dockyard) was unemployed; 84% lived in council housing. Saint & Guillery (2012), p. 17.
  26. ^ Saint & Guillery (2012), pp. 17–18.
  27. ^ Neate, Rupert (18 November 2014). "UK fast-food workers get US lesson in protesting against poverty wages". The Guardian. Retrieved 11 May 2015.
  28. ^ Interview with McDonald's UK CEO Evening Standard 16 December 1991 accessed 23 April 2007
  29. ^ "Pictures of the destruction on Woolwich streets following a night of violence and looting". Newsshopper.co.uk. 9 August 2011. Retrieved 29 September 2012.
  30. ^ "Man dead in suspected Woolwich terror attack". English Heritage list. BBC News Online. 22 May 2013. Retrieved 22 May 2013.
  31. ^ Ministry of Defense (November–December 2016). "A better defense estate" (PDF). The Crown. (PDF) from the original on 20 December 2016.
  32. ^ Mayor of London (March 2015). "London Plan (Consolidated with Alterations since 2011), page 374" (PDF). Greater London Authority. (PDF) from the original on 25 March 2015.
  33. ^ Woolwich Town Centre Masterplan SPD (April 2012), pp. 12–14, 60–61.
  34. ^ "New creative district for London in the heart of Woolwich". Royalgreenwich.gov.uk. 29 March 2017. Retrieved 4 April 2017.
  35. ^ Hill, Liz (30 March 2017). "Go-ahead for Woolwich creative district". Artsprofessional.co.uk. Retrieved 4 April 2017.
  36. ^ Bennett-Ness, Jamie. "Woolwich Works £32m restoration to open in September". www.newsshopper.co.uk. Retrieved 17 June 2022.
  37. ^ DLR service change from 10 January 2009 4 March 2009 at the Wayback Machine, accessed 13 January 2009
  38. ^ Gilligan, Andrew (28 August 2008). "Olympics minister orders rethink over 2012 plans for Greenwich park – Olympics – Evening Standard". Thisislondon.co.uk. Retrieved 29 September 2012.
  39. ^ Fancyapint Ltd (6 April 2010). "Director General public house". Fancyapint.com. Retrieved 29 September 2012.
  40. ^ "Woolwich Civic Offices". from the original on 21 July 2012. Retrieved 23 October 2013.
  41. ^ "Woolwich Central, retail and housing". Willmott Dixon. Retrieved 19 July 2022.
  42. ^ Booth, Robert (3 September 2014). "Tesco scoops Carbuncle Cup for 'inept, arrogant, oppressive' Woolwich store". The Guardian. Retrieved 28 May 2019.
  43. ^ a b Vogel, Ben (27 January 2023). "Willmott Dixon sues Aecom and Prater over high-rise cladding". Construction News. Retrieved 27 January 2023.
  44. ^ Rogers, Dave (18 July 2022). "Willmott Dixon rips into supply chain for 'dodging' £44m cladding repair bill". Building. Retrieved 19 July 2022.
  45. ^ "Coop site redevelopment". Icsouthlondon.icnetwork.co.uk. Retrieved 29 September 2012.
  46. ^ "Former Woolwich Co-Op to be converted into flats".
  47. ^ Woolwich Town Centre Masterplan SPD (April 2012), pp. 24–49.
  48. ^ Pitcher, Greg (27 April 2018). "Heritage group fights Panter Hudspith's plans to demolish Woolwich market". Architects' Journal. Retrieved 30 April 2018.
  49. ^ Saint & Guillery (2012), p. 26.
  50. ^ History of the Tramshed, Greenwich & Lewisham Young People's Theatre.
  51. ^ Spray Street Masterplan[permanent dead link], Greenwich Council, January 2015.
  52. ^ Second cinema coming to Woolwich as part of new 310-home scheme on fromthemurkydepths.wordpress.com, 8 October 2016
  53. ^ "Artists Studios London | no format Gallery". Second Floor Studios & Arts.

Further reading

  • Daniel Lysons (1792), "Woolwich", Environs of London, vol. 4: Counties of Herts, Essex & Kent, London: T. Cadell
  • W.E. Trotter (1849), "Woolwich", Select Illustrated Topography of Thirty Miles Around London, London, OCLC 681272905
  • James Thorne (1876), "Woolwich", Handbook to the Environs of London, London: John Murray
  • Edward Walford (1883), "Woolwich", Greater London, London: Cassell & Co., OCLC 3009761
  • "Woolwich". Chambers's Encyclopaedia. London. 1901.

External links

 
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Woolwich.
 
Wikisource has the text of The New Student's Reference Work article "Woolwich".
  • Woolwich 2 April 2014 at the Wayback Machine Royal Borough of Greenwich website
  • Hidden London page about Woolwich
  • History of Woolwich 6 August 2020 at the Wayback Machine Ideal Homes: a history of South-East London Suburbs website.
  • S.E.18: Impressions of a London Suburb 6 March 2016 at the Wayback Machine – 1964 film about Woolwich
  • History of the Royal Artillery Theatre, Woolwich
  • Digital Public Library of America. Works related to Woolwich, various dates

May 10, 2023
woolwich, this, article, about, district, london, other, uses, disambiguation, district, southeast, london, england, within, royal, borough, greenwich, beresford, square, market, with, royal, arsenal, gatehouse, left, crossrail, development, backgroundshow, ro. This article is about the district of London For other uses see Woolwich disambiguation Woolwich ˈ w ʊ l ɪ tʃ ɪ dʒ is a district in southeast London England within the Royal Borough of Greenwich WoolwichBeresford Square market with Royal Arsenal Gatehouse left and Crossrail development in the backgroundWoolwichShow map of Royal Borough of GreenwichWoolwichLocation within Greater LondonShow map of Greater LondonPopulation84 959 2011 Census 1 OS grid referenceTQ435795 Charing Cross8 5 mi 13 7 km WNWLondon boroughGreenwichCeremonial countyGreater LondonRegionLondonCountryEnglandSovereign stateUnited KingdomPost townLONDONPostcode districtSE18Dialling code020PoliceMetropolitanFireLondonAmbulanceLondonUK ParliamentGreenwich and WoolwichLondon AssemblyGreenwich and LewishamList of places UK England London 51 29 17 N 0 03 47 E 51 488 N 0 063 E 51 488 0 063 Coordinates 51 29 17 N 0 03 47 E 51 488 N 0 063 E 51 488 0 063The district s location on the River Thames led to its status as an important naval military and industrial area a role that was maintained throughout the 16th to 20th centuries After several decades of economic hardship and social deprivation the area now has several large scale urban renewal projects Contents 1 Geography 2 Demography 3 History 3 1 Early history 3 2 Military expansion 3 3 Economic development 3 3 1 Employment 3 3 2 Retail 3 4 Urban development 3 4 1 Population 3 4 2 Infrastructure 3 4 3 Education 3 4 4 Leisure 3 4 5 Local government 3 5 Post war history 3 5 1 Decline 3 5 2 Regeneration 4 Heritage 4 1 Royal Arsenal 4 2 Woolwich Dockyard and Riverside 4 3 Other military buildings 4 4 Woolwich Centre 5 Nature 6 Sports and leisure 7 Education and culture 8 Transport 8 1 National Rail 8 2 Docklands Light Railway 8 3 Elizabeth line 8 4 Buses 8 5 Woolwich Ferry 8 6 London River Services 8 7 Airport 9 Notable people 10 See also 11 References 12 Further reading 13 External linksGeography EditWoolwich is situated 8 5 miles 13 7 km from Charing Cross It has a 1 6 mi 2 5 km long frontage to the south bank of the Thames river From the riverside it rises up quickly along the northern slopes of Shooter s Hill towards the common at 200 ft 60 m and the ancient London Dover Road at 433 ft 132 m The ancient parish of Woolwich more or less the present day wards Woolwich Riverside and Woolwich Common comprises 734 acres 297 ha This included North Woolwich which is now part of the London Borough of Newham The ancient parishes of Plumstead and Eltham became part of the civil parish of Woolwich in 1930 2 Parts of the wards Glyndon and Shooter s Hill are often referred to as Woolwich although this definition is not accepted by all The nearest areas are Abbey Wood Blackheath Charlton Eltham Greenwich Kidbrooke Lewisham North Woolwich Plumstead Shooter s Hill Thamesmead Welling and Well Hall Demography EditCensus data is collected by borough and ward so identifying the population of Woolwich is not straightforward If the area is taken to approximate to the Woolwich Common Woolwich Riverside and Glyndon Wards then the population was 54 790 at the time of the 2011 census 3 If it is also taken to include the Plumstead and Shooters Hill Wards then it rises to 84 959 at the 2011 census 4 History EditSee also Old Woolwich Map of Woolwich 1749 the town is nestled between the Warren to the east left and HM Dockyard to the west bottom right Early history Edit Woolwich has been inhabited since at least the Iron Age Remains of a probably Celtic oppidum established sometime between the 3rd and 1st century BCE in the late Roman period re used as a fort were found at the current Waterfront development site between Beresford Street and the Thames 5 According to the Survey of London Volume 48 Woolwich this defensive earthwork encircled the landward sides of a riverside settlement the only one of its kind so far located in the London area that may have been a significant port anterior to London A path connected the riverside settlement with Watling Street Shooter s Hill perhaps also of Iron Age origin Sandy Hill Road may be a remnant of this early path 6 Rectors of Woolwich from 1182 It is generally believed that the name Woolwich derives from an Anglo Saxon word meaning trading place for wool It is not clear whether Woolwich was a proper wich town since there are no traces of extensive artisanal activity from the Early Middle Ages However in 2015 Oxford Archaeology discovered a Saxon burial site near the riverside with 76 skeletons from the late 7th or early 8th century The absence of grave deposits indicates that this was an early Christian settlement 7 The first church which stood to the north of the present parish church was almost certainly pre Norman and dedicated to Saint Lawrence It was probably rebuilt in stone around 1100 8 From the 10th till the mid 12th century Woolwich was controlled by the abbots of St Peter s Abbey in Ghent This may have been a result of a gift of 918 from AElfthryth daughter of King Alfred and Countess of Flanders in that case the first recorded grant of English lands to a foreign ecclesiastic institution As a result of this tenure Woolwich is not mentioned in the Domesday Book it is thought that the 63 acres listed as Hulviz 9 refer to North Woolwich which was then uninhabited Some of the Ghent lands passed to the royal manors of Dartford and Eltham as early as 1100 the larger part of the parish referred to as the manor of Woolwich but in effect not a full manor became an Eltham dependency in the 14th century Not included were a riverside quay held by Holy Trinity Priory Aldgate a wharf held by St Mary s Priory Southwark and land around Plumstead owned by Bartholomew de Burghersh 2nd Baron Burghersh later referred to as the Burrage Estate 10 Medieval Woolwich was susceptible to flooding In 1236 many were killed by a flood Woolwich Ferry was first mentioned in 1308 but may be older Around Bell Water Gate some private shipbuilding or repair may have existed in the 15th century A windmill was mentioned around 1450 11 Several pottery kilns have been discovered north of Woolwich High Street and Beresford Street testifying of a perhaps unbroken tradition of pottery production from at least the 14th century until the 17th century 12 Military expansion Edit Woolwich Dockyard in 1790 Woolwich remained a relatively small Kentish settlement until the beginning of the 16th century when it began to develop into a maritime military and industrial centre In 1512 it became home to Woolwich Dockyard originally known as The King s Yard founded by Henry VIII to build his flagship Henry Grace a Dieu The Great Harry Many great ships were built here such as the Prince Royal the Sovereign of the Seas the Royal Charles the Dolphin and the Beagle East of the dockyard a gun yard was established in the 1540s for storage and maintenance of ships canons and armaments and a ropeyard followed in the 1570s The dockyard went through many ups and downs but survived for three and a half centuries closing down in 1869 Following the establishment of the dockyard Martin Bowes who had gathered a fortune at the Royal Mint bought riverside holdings in Woolwich and Plumstead in the 1530s some of it former church land that had become available after the Dissolution of the Monasteries His mansion was Tower Place for some time the largest dwelling in Woolwich 13 In the 1650s the Board of Ordnance was given permission to prove guns in the grounds of the mansion an area known as the Warren and twenty years later they purchased Tower Place itself The Warren then developed from a place of storage into a collection of armament factories military stores and research establishments which were collectively named the Royal Arsenal by George III in 1805 The complex played a central role in Britain s military and industrial expansion in wartime tens of thousands of workers found employment here between wars unemployment loomed 14 The Board of Ordnance maintained its own establishment of military personnel many of whom were based in the Warren In 1716 it had by a royal warrant of George I formed the Royal Regiment of Artillery which had its headquarters and barracks in the Warren and in 1741 it established the Royal Military Academy there to train its future officers In 1776 the Artillery moved out of the Warren into a new Royal Artillery Barracks on the edge of Woolwich Common The Royal Military Academy followed moving into its new premises at the other end of the common in 1806 By that time various other units and services had begun to establish themselves in the vicinity forming what became known as Woolwich Garrison In the 19th and 20th century several large barracks were built as well as military schools and hospitals To this day the town retains an army base known as Woolwich Station centred on the Royal Artillery Barracks and Napier Lines Barracks Tower Place and the old Royal Military Academy 1775 The Royal Artillery Band marching through Woolwich early 19th century Open air storage at the Royal Arsenal in the mid 19th century Royal Horse Artillery Review at the Royal Military Academy 1850 Royal Artillery Barracks c 1900 Old Woolwich in 1929 On the hill the parish church and the Red Barracks Economic development Edit Employment Edit Workers at the Royal Arsenal 1862 Throughout the 18th century the navy yard remained the town s main employer with between 500 and 1 400 men working in the docks Due to the malarial marshlands it was not a popular place to work and for that reason Woolwich dockyard workers were paid as much as a third more than in other naval towns These were mostly skilled artisans who were generally literate Nonconformist and well organized The number of artillery men grew from around 200 in 1716 to around 1 500 in 1801 Soldiers were generally held in contempt earning about a quarter of dockyard labourers wages At the height of the Napoleonic Wars there were more soldiers 3 000 than dockyard and ropeyard workers 2 000 while the arsenal employed as many as 5 000 After the end of the wars thousands were discharged causing great distress In the 1840s a steam factory gave a new lease of life to the dockyard and the 1850s saw a huge expansion of the arsenal during and after the Crimean War 15 The presence of the dockyard the arsenal and other military institutions stimulated economic growth in other areas notably in commercial activities and entertainment The ropeyard was established around 1570 and survived until 1832 Throughout the 17th century two glass factories were active near Glass Yard owned by Sir Robert Mansell from Greenwich who also managed the dockyard and the ropeyard Some of the masters here were Huguenots from Lorraine Kilns producing Bellarmine stoneware may also have been controlled by continental potters Other kilns produced earthenware and clay pipes Kilns were also active on the hillside south of the town where clay was readily available Near Plumstead and Charlton were sandpits the sand was shipped from a wharf near Tower Place In 1863 the German firm Siemens amp Halske established a submarine cable factory in the Dockyard area which expanded rapidly 16 Retail Edit Hare Street in 1911 Woolwich market received its charter in 1618 but is certainly older The market which had long been established in the High Street in Old Woolwich at a location called Market Hill had gradually drifted towards the Royal Arsenal s main gatehouse more or less at its present location This was not approved by the authorities and a new market was set up in the Bathway Quarter around 1810 This proved to be a failure and is remembered only in the name of Market Street Until 1879 the market at Beresford Square remained illegal and was regularly cleared by the police After it was legalized it had room for 136 stalls Italo Svevo described it as very lively in 1903 In 1936 a covered market opened in Plumstead Road but never formed a threat to the main market Beresford Square had the largest public houses of which Woolwich had many 17 Powis Street and Hare Street laid out in the early 19th century became the main shopping streets A number of Victorian shop facades many designed by local architect Henry Hudson Church have survived 18 In 1868 the Royal Arsenal Co operative Society was established which developed into one of the biggest consumer cooperatives in the country with two department stores in Powis Street shops around South East London manufacturing and food production plants a building society a funeral service and many other areas of entrepreneurship Urban development Edit Population Edit Poverty map of Woolwich 1889 The areas in black designate the lowest class vicious semi criminals Bright red is middle class well to do Around 1500 at the beginning of the military and naval expansion Woolwich had only a few hundred inhabitants In 1665 when Samuel Pepys stayed here to escape the Great Plague the population was estimated at 1 200 or more of which about 300 worked in the dockyard Around 1720 the town s population had risen to 6 500 reaching almost 10 000 in 1801 During the booming wartime decade that followed population reached a peak of 17 000 After a period of stagnation building activity picked up in the 1830s Woolwich built up area expanded southward with workers houses mostly close to the river and officers houses around Woolwich Common and further up the hill In 1841 Woolwich had a population of 27 785 in 1861 this had risen to 41 695 At this point there were 4 596 houses in the parish with little space left for building further development took place in Plumstead Charlton and North Woolwich later also in Eltham After a dip in the late 19th century in 1901 the population of the parish of Woolwich stood at the same level as 40 years earlier 41 625 Victorian Woolwich was a rich social mix with skilled engineers along with unskilled labourers including women and children working at the Arsenal and other factories large numbers of soldiers making up 10 15 of the population and a small bourgeoisie consisting of military officers and the commercial and professional elite Some areas of the town were notoriously overcrowded the so called Dusthole near the river was considered one of London s worst slums 15 Infrastructure Edit Until the arrival of the railways the Thames was the principal artery connecting Woolwich to London In 1834 the Woolwich Steam Packet Company greatly improved river traffic and in 1889 the Woolwich Free Ferry made it easier to live in North Woolwich and work in the Arsenal or to live in Woolwich and work in the Docklands The North Kent Line from London via Greenwich and Woolwich to Gillingham opened in 1849 The station building was rebuilt in 1906 and again in 1992 93 19 Woolwich was also on the route of two London trams of the first generation 1881 1952 20 The post war period brought massive changes to the town s fabric and infrastructure Roads were widened and entire neighbourhoods pulled down to make room for modern housing some of it in tower blocks The widening of Woolwich High Street and Beresford Street left little of the old town Woolwich was home to the experimental Auto Stacker car park Built on the site of the Empire Theatre it was officially opened in May 1961 by Princess Margaret It never actually worked and was demolished in 1962 A multi storey car park was built along Monk Street in 1971 Education Edit Woolwich Polytechnic 1891 Woolwich Polytechnic was founded in 1891 As well as providing a higher education facility it also provided secondary school facilities including the still extant but now relocated Woolwich Polytechnic School for Boys 21 In the 20th century the Polytechnic grew steadily taking up almost an entire block in the Bathway Quarter and later spreading to other areas In 1970 it merged with other local colleges and became Thames Polytechnic In 1992 it was granted university status and a year later was renamed the University of Greenwich In 2001 the university relocated to the Old Royal Naval College in Greenwich leaving only a small administrative presence in Woolwich 22 Woolwich was the location of the first free kindergarten in the UK The Woolwich Mission Kindergarten opened in 1900 and began in a room provided by a Christian socialist vicar of Holy Trinity church in New Charlton the Rev Walter Wragge It was founded by his sister Adelaide Wragge the Frobel influenced principal of Blackheath Kindergarten Training College 23 Leisure Edit Officers of the Royal Artillery playing polo on bicycles c 1910 In the 18th century Woolwich Cricket Club later Royal Artillery Cricket Club were well known cricket clubs Cricket and other sports were mainly played by military officers and students at the Royal Military Academy Arsenal F C was founded in 1886 by workers at the Royal Arsenal Initially known as Dial Square then Royal Arsenal and then Woolwich Arsenal they soon drew large crowds to their ground in Plumstead In 1913 they moved to Arsenal Stadium in Highbury North London Royal Ordnance Factories F C was founded in response to Woolwich Arsenal joining the League but only lasted a few years Woolwich had several theatres and cinemas The Theatre Royal in Beresford Street later renamed Empire Theatre or Woolwich Empire was the biggest Dating from the 1830s it was enlarged in the 1880s and 1890s seating about 2 000 It both served as a variety theater and cinema ending up as a strip joint It was demolished in 1960 Shortly after 1900 three new theaters opened with a combined capacity of 4 430 The Century cinema which faced Beresford Square was previously known as Premier Cinema and Royal Arsenal Cinema It was built in 1913 with 669 seats closed in 1961 and demolished for redevelopment in the late 1960s The Grand Theatre in Wellington Street opened in 1900 as a variety theatre with a capacity of 1 680 It became the Woolwich Hippodrome in 1908 and a full time cinema in 1923 Rebuilt in 1955 as the Regal Cinema it closed in 1982 was then used as a nightclub and demolished in 2015 The Granada cinema and the Odeon later Coronet both seating around 2 500 are imposing buildings from the 1930s that have both been converted into Pentecostal churches 24 Local government Edit St Mary Magdalene c 1840 The civil parish of Woolwich roughly the area of the present day wards Woolwich Riverside and Woolwich Common was formerly known as Woolwich Saint Mary Until 1842 when the Old Town Hall was built the vestry met in a room in the parish church of St Mary Magdalene Woolwich became part of the London metropolitan area in the mid 19th century although was officially still in Kent at the time In 1889 with the formation of London County Council Woolwich became officially part of London In 1900 the parishes of Woolwich Eltham and Plumstead formed the Metropolitan Borough of Woolwich In 1906 the new Woolwich Town Hall was inaugurated In April 1965 following implementation of the London Government Act 1963 Woolwich was merged into the London Borough of Greenwich since 2012 the Royal Borough of Greenwich The administrative buildings of the borough are in Woolwich at the former Woolwich Town Hall Post war history Edit Decline Edit Woolwich declined as a town in the late 20th century starting with the closure of the Royal Ordnance Factory in 1967 and the Siemens factory in 1968 and continuing as the Royal Arsenal scaled back operations and finally closed in 1994 Other employers like the Woolwich Building Society The Woolwich and Morgan Grampian Publishers were taken over by other companies and moved away from the town Without major employers the local economy was affected and unemployment soared 25 At the same time the town s demographics changed with initially mainly Sikhs settling down in the area later followed by black Africans many from Nigeria Despite immigration the population of the parish reached a low of 17 000 in 1971 In general Woolwich had lost its previous vigour In the town s shopping district department stores and chain stores closed By the early 1990s the town centre had the typical appearance of a town in decline with discount retailers and charity shops using the empty stores and Greenwich Council occupying the empty office buildings 26 In 1974 the United Kingdom s first branch of McDonald s opened in Powis Street 27 Amidst the decline Woolwich was still considered to be a representative English town at the time 28 In 1974 the Provisional IRA bombed the Kings Arms pub in the town killing two During the 2011 England riots Woolwich was one of the areas affected Several buildings were attacked with a few being destroyed The Great Harry Wetherspoons Pub was set on fire 29 though it was subsequently remodeled and reopened On 22 May 2013 the murder of Lee Rigby in Woolwich caused upheaval Drummer Lee Rigby a British soldier based at the Royal Artillery Barracks was murdered close to the barracks by two Islamic extremists 30 The 16th Regiment Royal Artillery left Woolwich in 2007 but the Woolwich barracks still house the Royal Artillery Band and more recently the Second Battalion Princess of Wales Royal Regiment and the King s Troop Royal Horse Artillery although the relocation of these has been announced for 2028 31 Regeneration Edit Construction sites in Woolwich Shooter s Hill view 2016 Recent and anticipated regeneration in the area means that it s expected that the district identified in the London Plan as opportunity area is expected to evolve from major centre to metropolitan centre within Greater London in the next few decades 32 33 Woolwich started to enjoy the beginning of a renaissance with the residential redevelopment of the former Royal Arsenal Most historic buildings on the site have been renovated and converted into apartments Several thousands of homes have been built or are under construction and thousands more are planned mainly luxury apartments in tower blocks near the river Additionally a riverside walk several parks a museum a range of shops cafes pubs and restaurants and a farmers market have made the Arsenal a desirable place to live In 2017 it was announced that the borough has acquired five historic buildings around No 1 Street to create a 31 million creative district It will feature a 1 200 seat auditorium for concerts and events a performance courtyard that seats up to 600 a 450 seat black box theatre and a riverside restaurant The Greenwich Heritage Centre will move to new premises The site will further include offices studios and rehearsal spaces for resident companies such as Academy Performing Arts Dash Arts Chickenshed Theatre Protein Dance Greenwich Dance and Greenwich Docklands International Festival 34 35 The creative district opened as Woolwich Works in September 2021 36 Woolwich Arsenal DLR station the terminus of the Docklands Light Railway s London City Airport branch opened on 10 January 2009 37 The 2012 Summer Olympics and Paralympics included Woolwich as a venue for shooting events held in temporary facilities constructed on the grounds of the Royal Artillery Barracks and on Woolwich Common 38 Love Lane development A large scale redevelopment of the area west of General Gordon Square started in 2011 The square was re landscaped including a new water feature The so called Love Lane project involved demolition of several buildings including the Post Office the Crown Building the Director General public house 39 Peggy Middleton House and Thomas Spencer Halls of Residence New buildings in the first phases of the Woolwich Central redevelopment included the Woolwich Centre along Wellington Street public library and council offices completed in 2011 40 and a 259 home housing development with an 84 000 sq ft 7 800 m2 Tesco hypermarket completed in 2014 41 In the same year the latter development was named Britain s worst new building being awarded the Carbuncle Cup for a design judges described as oppressive defensive arrogant and inept 42 The same development was later the subject of 46 7m claim by Tesco against Willmott Dixon for cladding replacement 43 Willmott Dixon then sought to reclaim the same amount from its supply chain 44 the case was set to be heard in February 2023 43 On the other side of General Gordon Square the 1930s Woolwich Equitable building was refurbished Next to Woolwich Town Hall on Wellington Street the 1950s Woolwich Grand Theatre formerly the ABC Regal Cinema then Flamingo s Nightclub briefly reopened as an arts centre with a cafe but in 2015 the building was demolished to make room for apartments Demolition of Connaught Estate 2015 Redevelopment around the Woolwich Triangle at the west end of Powis Street is partly underway It originally envisaged demolition of the art deco RACS department store one of two imposing Co op buildings in this part of town 45 In September 2012 Greenwich Council approved a plan to convert the building into apartments and retail 46 Across the road the late Victorian former RACS Central Stores building was renovated and re opened as a hotel Further regeneration is centred on Hare Street and the Riverside By relocating the Waterfront Leisure Centre it is hoped that this part of Woolwich will attract new development Other areas for redevelopment include Trinity Walk former Connaught Estate part of the One Woolwich masterplan for three housing estates several sites along Wellington Street including the Ogilby site and the so called Island site the Spray Street Quarter between the existing station and the new Crossrail station and the Callis Yard site former council stables 47 Redevelopment plans for the Spray Street Quarter in 2018 included a proposal to demolish the 1936 market hall 48 Heritage EditSee also Grade I and II listed buildings in Greenwich For centuries the area between the Thames and the present day A206 road has been dominated by docks warehouses and factories starting with the Royal Dockyard early in the 16th century later eclipsed by the Royal Arsenal in scale and grandeur In the 18th century the Royal Regiment of Artillery and the Corps of Royal Engineers were established in Woolwich followed by the Royal Military Academy Other military institutions completed the picture of the garrison town that Woolwich had become in the early 19th century The town has a distinctive housing history and in the Bathway Quarter it has an equally distinctive civic centre Although repeatedly rebuilt its architectural heritage reflects its unusual and important history 49 Royal Arsenal Edit Main article Royal Arsenal The older parts of the Royal Arsenal constitute a conservation area Most buildings of historic interest have been restored and given new uses The Royal Brass Foundry 1717 is a grade I listed building while the Dial Arch 1717 20 the Old Royal Military Academy 1720 and the Grand Store 1806 13 are Grade II listed Other listed buildings include the Royal Arsenal Gatehouse Middle Gatehouse the Main Guard House two small guardhouses near the Thames the Shell Foundry Gatehouse Verbruggen House and two twin pavilions in Laboratory Square the oldest structures on the site 1696 Royal Arsenal Gatehouse Royal Brass Foundry Cannon near the Old Royal Military Academy Converted warehouses at the Royal ArsenalWoolwich Dockyard and Riverside Edit Main articles Woolwich Dockyard and Woolwich Riverside At Woolwich Dockyard relatively little of historic interest remains The main monumental building complex comprises a small cluster of 18th century buildings the entrance gate the guardhouse and the so called Clock House Dockyard offices A pair of 19th century docks remain on the site of their 16th century predecessors The later development of the Dockyard in the Victorian period is represented by the Steam Factory and the Dockyard chimney a prominent landmark and further west by a group of buildings at the site of the Siemens Brothers factory Between the Arsenal and the Dockyard lies an area that was once Old Woolwich a part of the town where little of historical interest remains and that once again is facing redevelopment The round entrance building of the Woolwich foot tunnel dates from 1912 Further west the Thames Barrier is an interesting example of modern architecture and technical achievement The Thames Path is a National Trail that connects these sites Woolwich Dockyard entrance gate The Dockyard chimney Entrance building Woolwich foot tunnel Thames BarrierOther military buildings Edit See also Royal Artillery Barracks Royal Military Academy Woolwich and Woolwich Garrison Royal Artillery Barracks Royal Military Academy Elsewhere monumental buildings testify of Woolwich s rich military history Woolwich Common with its surrounding buildings has been designated a conservation area The Neoclassical facade of the Royal Artillery Barracks James Wyatt 1776 1802 is the longest facade in London stretching along the north end of the common Across the road Government House 1781 was the quarters of the Garrison Commandant from 1855 to 1995 Of the nearby Garrison Church of St George only the shell remains after it was bombed during the Second World War Its Neo Romanesque architecture and remnants of mosaics are still impressive John Nash s Rotunda a round brick building with a leaded tent roof until 2001 housed the Royal Artillery Museum and now serves as a boxing ring for the King s Troop Royal Horse Artillery in nearby Napier Lines Barracks The Royal Military Academy at the south end of Woolwich Common was also designed by James Wyatt and has an almost equally long facade in Mock Tudor style Other military buildings that survive include Connaught Barracks built as the Royal Artillery Hospital in 1780 Green Hill Military School and Royal Herbert Hospital on Shooters Hill The Royal Engineers HQ was moved to Chatham in 1856 but a small detachment remained in Woolwich quartered in what is now Engineer House on Mill Hill just off the Common Several listed buildings were demolished in the 1970s including James Wyatt s Engineers Barracks built for the Royal Military Artificers in 1803 Lewis Wyatt s Grand Depot Barracks begun in 1805 6 for the Field Train department Cambridge Barracks 1842 of which the gatehouse still stands and Red Barracks 1858 only the boundary wall and entrance gate remain The latter two on Frances Street were originally built as the Royal Marine Barracks Woolwich for the Woolwich Division of the Royal Marines and each was considered an innovative and influential design The Marines departed with the closure of the Dockyard whereupon the buildings were converted into barracks accommodation for various military corps Rushgrove House 1806 housed the Colonel Commandant of the Marine Barracks later Cambridge Barracks from 1855 Ruined Garrison Church 1863 John Nash s Rotunda 1814 20 Former Connaught Barracks 1780 Engineer House 1858 Government House 1781 Former Red Barracks gate 1860 Gatehouse Cambridge Barracks 1848 Rushgrove House 1806 Woolwich Centre Edit Bathway Quarter Virtually nothing is left of the old town of Woolwich which was near the ferry and the parish church along the Thames In the early 19th century the commercial and administrative centre moved south to its present location around Powis Street Beresford Square and the Bathway Quarter Although 20th century economic decline and infrastructural works have had their effects there are still some interesting buildings in Woolwich town centre The best preserved area is perhaps the Bathway Quarter with the former Public Baths the Old and New Town Hall the former Magistrates Court and Police Station the Old Public Library and several historic buildings of Woolwich Polytechnic St Peter s rectory church and school In nearby Powis Street and Hare Street some late Victorian shop facades have been preserved notably by local architect Henry Hudson Church The western end of Powis Street is dominated by two former Royal Arsenal Co operative Society RACS department stores one late Victorian the other one in Art Deco style Nearer to the river are two large cinemas both built in 1937 and both in use as Pentecostal church halls The former Odeon Cinema now occupied by the New Wine Church is a fine example of an Art Deco theatre the former Granada Cinema has lavish interior decorations Of the grand houses that once stretched along Woolwich Common and dotted the northern slopes of Shooter s Hill little remains Rushgrove House Shrewsbury House and Woodhill Court survive but have lost their spacious gardens Woolwich parish church St Mary Magdalen is a plain brick 1730s building with a spireless tower Other religious buildings of interest include the Roman Catholic St Peter s Church by Pugin and two Sikh gurdwaras one a former Methodist church the other a former Masonic hall Woolwich Town Hall Former Woolwich Polytechnic College Victorian RACS building Art deco former RACS department store Former Odeon Cinema Former Granada Cinema Gurdwara Sahib Gurdwara RamgarhiaNature EditParks in central Woolwich are generally small St Mary s Gardens has been laid out as a park in Romantic style on the grounds of the former churchyard of the parish church of St Mary Magdalen Some historic grave markers have been placed against the peripheral wall Tom Cribb s memorial a lion rests its paw on an urn stands near the northeast entrance The park features a belvedere which offers views of the river Thames At the Royal Arsenal several new parks and gardens have been landscaped but some can only be accessed by residents Shrewsbury Park Plumstead Common Woolwich Common and Oxleas Wood are situated higher up the hill and are all part of the South East London Green Chain Repository Woods is a forested part of Woolwich Common The area around the lake is a military training ground that is not open to the public The same applies to Mulgrave Pond and Shooters Hill golf course St Mary s Gardens Wellington Park Dial Arch Square New Riverside Park Shrewsbury Park Plumstead Common Woolwich Common Repository WoodsSports and leisure EditArsenal F C is originally from Woolwich Charlton Athletic s stadium The Valley is approximately 2 km west of Woolwich The area also has two Non League football clubs Bridon Ropes F C and Meridian F C who both play at Meridian Sports amp Social Club Barrack Field at the Royal Artillery Barracks was a famous cricket ground in the 18th century but is now merely used for recreational sports Royal Arsenal Rugby Club plays rugby here Greenwich Council has plans to demolish the 1980s Waterfront Leisure Centre next to the Woolwich Ferry and build a new leisure centre in Wilmount Street There is an indoor climbing wall in the Docklands area Education and culture Edit Public art works in Woolwich The University of Greenwich s dramatic arts department is based in the historic Bathway Quarter in the centre of Woolwich The old Grand Theatre which briefly reopened in the 2010s closed in 2015 The Tramshed until 1953 an electricity sub station for the borough s tramways is a music and entertainment venue run by the Royal Borough of Greenwich 50 Woolwich currently has no movie theatres Cinemas are included in the plans for Spray Street quarter and the Island site 51 52 The town was used as a location for the 2006 film Children of Men Woolwich has one museum the Greenwich Heritage Centre at the Royal Arsenal Firepower The Royal Artillery Museum closed in 2016 after having been based in Woolwich for almost two centuries Second Floor Studios in the Woolwich Dockyard area is one of London s largest concentrations of artists studios 53 The town has a number of public sculptures one of Roman origin several statues and reliefs from the 19th and early 20th centuries and a number of modern sculptures One of the Woolwich Arsenal DLR station entrances features a large mural in tiles by Michael Craig Martin See also List of public art in Greenwich WoolwichTransport Edit Woolwich Arsenal railway station Woolwich Arsenal DLR station Woolwich Ferry National Rail Edit The nearest stations are Woolwich Arsenal and Woolwich Dockyard for Southeastern services towards Barnehurst Dartford Gravesend London Cannon Street and London Charing Cross Docklands Light Railway Edit The nearest station is Woolwich Arsenal for Docklands Light Railway services towards London City Airport Bank and Stratford International Elizabeth line Edit Woolwich railway station opened in May 2022 on the Crossrail route for Elizabeth line services towards Abbey Wood Canary Wharf central London and Heathrow Airport Buses Edit Woolwich is served by many London Buses routes connecting it with places including Abbey Wood Beckenham Bexleyheath Blackfen Blackheath Bluewater Catford Charlton Chislehurst Crayford Crystal Palace Dartford Deptford Elephant amp Castle Elmers End Eltham Erith Greenwich Lewisham Kidbrooke New Cross North Greenwich Orpington Peckham Plumstead Sidcup St Mary Cray Sydenham Thamesmead and Welling Woolwich Ferry Edit The free Woolwich Ferry service operates across the River Thames to North Woolwich in the London Borough of Newham carrying trucks cars cyclists and pedestrians during the day until 20 00 on Weekdays A two boat service runs on Mondays to Fridays with weekends being served by a one boat service The Woolwich foot tunnel is also available for use by pedestrians and cyclists pushing their cycles at any time It is served by lifts during traditional shopping hours London River Services Edit London River Services operated by Thames Clippers provide a peak hour daily service to central London Embankment Pier from Woolwich Arsenal Pier adjacent to the Royal Arsenal residential development The Thames Barrier is located 1 mile 1 6 km upstream from the tunnel and ferry Airport Edit London City Airport is not too far away from here and it was built in the 1980s Notable people EditVictor Brooks 1918 2000 actor born in Woolwich Garry Bushell born 1955 journalist and political activist born in Woolwich Tom Cribb 19th century bare knuckle boxer born in Bristol but resided and died aged 66 in Woolwich in 1848 he was buried in St Mary s cemetery A road in Woolwich is named after him Stella Duffy novelist and playwright born in Woolwich later moved to Eltham Bernardine Evaristo writer raised in Woolwich Boy George songwriter and lead singer for the band Culture Club raised in Woolwich Jeremy Healy DJ and member of Haysi Fantayzee born in Woolwich Charles George Gordon 1833 1885 general born in Woolwich Charles Hutton Gregory 1817 1888 civil engineer born in Woolwich Olinthus Gregory 1774 1841 mathematician and father of Charles Hutton Gregory lived and died in Woolwich Joseph Grimaldi 1778 1837 pantomime clown lived in Woolwich during the early 1830s before moving to Islington Charles Hutton 1737 1823 mathematician lived and died in Woolwich George Thomas Landmann 1779 1854 military and civil engineer born and raised in Woolwich Richard Lovelace 1618 1657 poet born in Woolwich Jonathan Guy Lewis born 1963 actor born in Woolwich William Livingstone Robe 1791 1815 army officer born in Woolwich Forbes Macbean FRS 1725 1800 army officer lived and died in Woolwich Carlo Martelli born 1935 has lived in Woolwich since the early 1960s Scott Maslen born 1971 actor and model born in Woolwich Keith Milow born in 1945 painter and sculptor lives in Woolwich Glenn Morris 1983 footballer born in Woolwich Noizy born 1986 Albanian musician and actor lived in Woolwich William Ranwell 1797 1861 artist lived and died in Woolwich Ray Richardson born 1964 painter born and lives in Woolwich Frederick Robe 1801 1871 Governor of South Australia born in Woolwich William Robe 1765 1820 army officer and architect born and died in Woolwich Sylvia Syms 1934 2023 actress born in Woolwich John Tapner c 1823 10 February 1854 last person executed in the island of Guernsey came from Woolwich Glenn Tilbrook born 1957 guitarist born in Woolwich Neil Vartan 1962 1994 cricketer born in Woolwich Lesley Vickerage born 1961 actress born in Woolwich George Whale 1849 1925 solicitor and bibliophile Mayor of Woolwich founded the Samuel Pepys Club In 1903 Ian Wright born 1963 former professional footballer born in Woolwich See also Edit London portalList of people from Greenwich List of schools in Greenwich Royal Ordnance Factory Princess Alice a passenger steamer sunk off North Woolwich pier on 3 September 1878 a memorial to those lost can be found in Woolwich Old Cemetery Kings Highway Plumstead References Edit Woolwich is made up of 5 wards in the London Borough of Greenwich Glyndon Plumstead Shooters Hill Woolwich Common and Woolwich Riverside 2011 Census Ward Population Estimates London DataStore Archived from the original on 22 February 2014 Retrieved 9 June 2014 Saint amp Guillery 2012 pp 1 2 Services Good Stuff IT Greenwich UK Census Data 2011 UK Census Data Retrieved 11 October 2020 2011 Census Ward Population Estimates London DataStore Archived from the original on 22 February 2014 Retrieved 9 June 2014 1 Archived 28 March 2010 at the Wayback Machine Saint amp Guillery 2012 p 2 M Little 76 skeletons have been discovered from Saxon Woolwich originally published by southlondonpress co uk 16 October 2015 Saint amp Guillery 2012 pp 2 3 Wilson John Marius Descriptive Gazetteer Entry for WOOLWICH A vision of Britain through time Retrieved 30 October 2020 Saint amp Guillery 2012 pp 2 5 Saint amp Guillery 2012 pp 2 5 John Cotter Medieval London type Ware Kilns Discovered at Woolwich In Medieval Pottery Research Group newsletter 6 1 August 2008 pp 3 5 PDF Archived 9 May 2013 at the Wayback Machine Saint amp Guillery 2012 p 130 Saint amp Guillery 2012 p 129 a b Saint amp Guillery 2012 pp 9 17 Saint amp Guillery 2012 pp 15 41 Saint amp Guillery 2012 pp 49 226 227 Saint amp Guillery 2012 pp 197 200 Saint amp Guillery 2012 pp 18 22 BBC on this day 6 July accessed 23 April 2007 Woolwich Polytechnic Day Schools AIM25 Archived from the original on 24 April 2017 Retrieved 24 April 2017 Saint amp Guillery 2012 pp 269 275 Brehony Kevin J 2000 The kindergarten in England 1851 1918 In Wollons Roberta 2000 Kindergartens and cultures the global diffusion of an idea New Haven Yale University Press p 72 Saint amp Guillery 2012 pp 15 80 228 275 276 In 1991 27 of the population of St Mary s Ward the area south of the Dockyard was unemployed 84 lived in council housing Saint amp Guillery 2012 p 17 Saint amp Guillery 2012 pp 17 18 Neate Rupert 18 November 2014 UK fast food workers get US lesson in protesting against poverty wages The Guardian Retrieved 11 May 2015 Interview with McDonald s UK CEO Evening Standard 16 December 1991 accessed 23 April 2007 Pictures of the destruction on Woolwich streets following a night of violence and looting Newsshopper co uk 9 August 2011 Retrieved 29 September 2012 Man dead in suspected Woolwich terror attack English Heritage list BBC News Online 22 May 2013 Retrieved 22 May 2013 Ministry of Defense November December 2016 A better defense estate PDF The Crown Archived PDF from the original on 20 December 2016 Mayor of London March 2015 London Plan Consolidated with Alterations since 2011 page 374 PDF Greater London Authority Archived PDF from the original on 25 March 2015 Woolwich Town Centre Masterplan SPD April 2012 pp 12 14 60 61 New creative district for London in the heart of Woolwich Royalgreenwich gov uk 29 March 2017 Retrieved 4 April 2017 Hill Liz 30 March 2017 Go ahead for Woolwich creative district Artsprofessional co uk Retrieved 4 April 2017 Bennett Ness Jamie Woolwich Works 32m restoration to open in September www newsshopper co uk Retrieved 17 June 2022 DLR service change from 10 January 2009 Archived 4 March 2009 at the Wayback Machine accessed 13 January 2009 Gilligan Andrew 28 August 2008 Olympics minister orders rethink over 2012 plans for Greenwich park Olympics Evening Standard Thisislondon co uk Retrieved 29 September 2012 Fancyapint Ltd 6 April 2010 Director General public house Fancyapint com Retrieved 29 September 2012 Woolwich Civic Offices Archived from the original on 21 July 2012 Retrieved 23 October 2013 Woolwich Central retail and housing Willmott Dixon Retrieved 19 July 2022 Booth Robert 3 September 2014 Tesco scoops Carbuncle Cup for inept arrogant oppressive Woolwich store The Guardian Retrieved 28 May 2019 a b Vogel Ben 27 January 2023 Willmott Dixon sues Aecom and Prater over high rise cladding Construction News Retrieved 27 January 2023 Rogers Dave 18 July 2022 Willmott Dixon rips into supply chain for dodging 44m cladding repair bill Building Retrieved 19 July 2022 Coop site redevelopment Icsouthlondon icnetwork co uk Retrieved 29 September 2012 Former Woolwich Co Op to be converted into flats Woolwich Town Centre Masterplan SPD April 2012 pp 24 49 Pitcher Greg 27 April 2018 Heritage group fights Panter Hudspith s plans to demolish Woolwich market Architects Journal Retrieved 30 April 2018 Saint amp Guillery 2012 p 26 History of the Tramshed Greenwich amp Lewisham Young People s Theatre Spray Street Masterplan permanent dead link Greenwich Council January 2015 Second cinema coming to Woolwich as part of new 310 home scheme on fromthemurkydepths wordpress com 8 October 2016 Artists Studios London no format Gallery Second Floor Studios amp Arts Further reading EditDaniel Lysons 1792 Woolwich Environs of London vol 4 Counties of Herts Essex amp Kent London T Cadell W E Trotter 1849 Woolwich Select Illustrated Topography of Thirty Miles Around London London OCLC 681272905 James Thorne 1876 Woolwich Handbook to the Environs of London London John Murray Edward Walford 1883 Woolwich Greater London London Cassell amp Co OCLC 3009761 Woolwich Chambers s Encyclopaedia London 1901 External links Edit Wikimedia Commons has media related to Woolwich Wikisource has the text of The New Student s Reference Work article Woolwich Woolwich Archived 2 April 2014 at the Wayback Machine Royal Borough of Greenwich website Hidden London page about Woolwich History of Woolwich Archived 6 August 2020 at the Wayback Machine Ideal Homes a history of South East London Suburbs website S E 18 Impressions of a London Suburb Archived 6 March 2016 at the Wayback Machine 1964 film about Woolwich History of the Royal Artillery Theatre Woolwich Digital Public Library of America Works related to Woolwich various dates Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Woolwich amp oldid 1154003533, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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