![Abbey Wood location](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/91/Abbey_Wood_location.PNG)
Abbey Wood is an
area
Area is the quantity that expresses the extent of a region on the plane or on a curved surface. The area of a plane region or ''plane area'' refers to the area of a shape or planar lamina, while '' surface area'' refers to the area of an ope ...
in south east
London
London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...
, England, straddling the border between the
Royal Borough of Greenwich
The Royal Borough of Greenwich (, , or ) is a London borough in southeast Greater London. The London Borough of Greenwich was formed in 1965 by the London Government Act 1963. The new borough covered the former area of the Metropolitan Borough ...
and the
London Borough of Bexley
The London Borough of Bexley () is a London borough in south-east London, forming part of Outer London. It has a population of 248,287. The main settlements are Sidcup, Erith, Bexleyheath, Crayford, Welling and Old Bexley. The London Boro ...
. It is located east of
Charing Cross.
Toponymy
The area takes its name from
Lesnes Abbey Woods
Lesnes Abbey Woods, sometimes known as Abbey Wood, is a 73 ha ancient woodland in southeast London, England. It is located near to, and named after, the ruined Lesnes Abbey in the London Borough of Bexley and gives its name to the Abbey Wood di ...
, located to the east, which once belonged to the monks of
Lesnes Abbey
Lesnes Abbey is a former abbey, now ruined, in Abbey Wood, in the London Borough of Bexley, southeast London, England. It is a scheduled monument, and the abbey's ruins are listed at Grade II by Historic England. The adjacent Lesnes Abbey W ...
.
Development
The Abbey of St Mary and St Thomas the Martyr at Lesnes (or
Lesnes Abbey
Lesnes Abbey is a former abbey, now ruined, in Abbey Wood, in the London Borough of Bexley, southeast London, England. It is a scheduled monument, and the abbey's ruins are listed at Grade II by Historic England. The adjacent Lesnes Abbey W ...
) was founded in 1178 by
Richard de Luci
Richard de Luci (or Lucy; 1089 – 14 July 1179) was first noted as High Sheriff of Essex, after which he was made Chief Justiciar of England.
Biography
His mother was Aveline, the niece and heiress of William Goth. In the charter for Sées Ca ...
, Chief Justiciar of England. The Abbot of Lesnes Abbey was an important local landlord, and took a leading part in draining the marshland. However, this and the cost of maintaining river embankments was one of the reasons given for the Abbey's chronic financial difficulties. It never became a large community, and was closed by
Cardinal Wolsey in 1525, under a licence to suppress monasteries of less than seven inmates. It was one of the first monasteries to be closed after the
Dissolution of the Monasteries in 1524, and the monastic buildings were all pulled down, except for the Abbot's Lodging. Henry Cooke acquired the site in 1541 and it eventually passed to Sir John Hippersley who salvaged building materials, before selling the property to Thomas Hawes of London in 1632. It was then bequeathed to Christ's Hospital in 1633.
Abbey Wood railway station
Abbey Wood is a National Rail station in Abbey Wood in southeast London, England. It is between and stations on the North Kent Line. It is measured from , with services to central London routed via Greenwich or Lewisham, and Elizabeth li ...
was opened in 1849, immediately to the north of the area now known as "The Village", built where Knee Hill became Harrow Manorway. Contemporary maps show Knee Hill as a minor track compared with a more major pathway through the centre of the existing woods. The Village consisted of a dozen or so cottages, and two pubs, the Abbey Arms (next to the railway station) and the Harrow Inn (demolished in 2009). The Harrow Inn which was located on the Kent side of Abbey Wood was the place where live bands would play in their hall; it was also the scene of a nightly migration as drinkers would relocate to the Abbey Arms each night, as Kentish closing times used to be 10.30pm whilst the Abbey Arms, which was in London, closed at 11 o'clock.
Abbey Wood was suggested as a site for a cemetery serving east London at a time of burial crisis in the capital. When the station was new,
Edwin Chadwick proposed the closure of all existing burial grounds in the vicinity of London other than the privately owned
Kensal Green Cemetery
Kensal Green Cemetery is a cemetery in the Kensal Green area of Queens Park in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea in London, England. Inspired by Père Lachaise Cemetery in Paris, it was founded by the barrister George Frederick ...
northwest of the city, which was to be nationalised and greatly enlarged to provide a single burial ground for west London, while a large tract of land on the
Thames
The River Thames ( ), known alternatively in parts as the River Isis, is a river that flows through southern England including London. At , it is the longest river entirely in England and the second-longest in the United Kingdom, after the R ...
around southeast of London in Abbey Wood was to become a single burial ground for east London. The Treasury was sceptical that Chadwick's scheme would ever be financially viable, and it was widely unpopular.
Although the Metropolitan Interments Act 1850 authorised the scheme, it was abandoned in 1852.
The
Royal Arsenal Co-operative Society
The Royal Arsenal Co-operative Society (RACS) was a large consumer co-operative based in south east London, England. The co-operative took its name from the Royal Arsenal munitions works in Woolwich and its motto was: "Each for all and all for e ...
(RACS) owned two farms on the hillside to the south of The Village, and between 1900 and 1930 built the Bostall Estate. Once known as "Tin Check Island" after the Society's dividend system, and known locally as "The Co-op Estate", this has streets named after
Co-operative themes (Alexander McLeod, the first secretary of the RACS,
Rochdale
Rochdale ( ) is a large town in Greater Manchester, England, at the foothills of the South Pennines in the dale on the River Roch, northwest of Oldham and northeast of Manchester. It is the administrative centre of the Metropolitan Borough ...
,
Robert Owen, Congress), a school and shops but, like much social housing of the period, no public houses. The housing is largely traditional of the "two-up, two-down" design, in distinctive yellow London brick, with gardens to the front and rear.
![Five Tower Blocks in Abbey Wood](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/89/Five_Tower_Blocks_in_Abbey_Wood.jpg)
Between 1955 and 1959 the
London County Council
London County Council (LCC) was the principal local government body for the County of London throughout its existence from 1889 to 1965, and the first London-wide general municipal authority to be directly elected. It covered the area today kno ...
built the Abbey Estate starting with one road south of the railway and later extending on the northern side on former
Royal Arsenal marshland. Predominantly conventional brick houses with gardens, at first there were no shops or pubs, later equipped with a few shops and pubs together with schools and open spaces were added. Transport was non-existent at first until one bus, the route 180 was added after the building of Eynsham bridge. The estate was first used to rehouse people from Dockhead and Peckham then London's East End. The main through-road is Eynsham Drive.
In the mid-1960s the
Greater London Council began building the first phase of
Thamesmead
Thamesmead is an area of south-east London, England, straddling the border between the Royal Borough of Greenwich and the London Borough of Bexley. It is located east of Charing Cross, north-east of Woolwich and west of Erith. It mainly con ...
on more ex-Royal Arsenal land, north-east of Abbey Wood station. The original railway level crossing was replaced by a flyover.
Abbey Wood has benefited from the opening of the
DLR station at Woolwich Arsenal, whilst the next stage in the development of the area will be the construction of
Crossrail
Crossrail is a railway construction project mainly in central London. Its aim is to provide a high-frequency hybrid commuter rail and rapid transit system crossing the capital from suburbs on the west to east, by connecting two major railway l ...
, a development tipped to encourage the growth of local house prices by the time it was opened in Autumn 2019. Abbey Wood will be connected by The
Elizabeth Line
The Elizabeth line is a high-frequency hybrid urban–suburban rail service in London and its suburbs. It runs services on dedicated infrastructure in central London from the Great Western Main Line west of Paddington to and via Whitechapel ...
, with travel times of 11 minutes to
Canary Wharf
Canary Wharf is an area of London, England, located near the Isle of Dogs in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. Canary Wharf is defined by the Greater London Authority as being part of London's central business district, alongside Central Lon ...
and 25 minutes to
Bond Street.
The
Greenwich ward of Abbey Wood has a population of just over 13,000, and its rail station sees over 3 million passenger journeys a year.
Places of interest
Places of interest include the ruins of the 12th-century
Lesnes Abbey
Lesnes Abbey is a former abbey, now ruined, in Abbey Wood, in the London Borough of Bexley, southeast London, England. It is a scheduled monument, and the abbey's ruins are listed at Grade II by Historic England. The adjacent Lesnes Abbey W ...
and the adjacent
Lesnes Abbey Woods
Lesnes Abbey Woods, sometimes known as Abbey Wood, is a 73 ha ancient woodland in southeast London, England. It is located near to, and named after, the ruined Lesnes Abbey in the London Borough of Bexley and gives its name to the Abbey Wood di ...
, a
Local Nature Reserve. Part of the Woods are designated as a
Site of Special Scientific Interest called
Abbey Wood
Abbey Wood is an area in south east London, England, straddling the border between the Royal Borough of Greenwich and the London Borough of Bexley. It is located east of Charing Cross.
Toponymy
The area takes its name from Lesnes Abbey Woo ...
, which has important
Paleogene fossils. The ancient Bostall Woods & Heath. Bostall Woods (part of the
South East London Green Chain
The South East London Green Chain, also known as the Green Chain Walk, is a linked system of open spaces between the River Thames and Crystal Palace Park in London, England. In 1977 four London boroughs and the Greater London Council created ...
) includes one of the few camping and caravan sites in London, which is owned and operated by The Caravan Club. The co-operative woods were also the site of the first camp for the
Woodcraft Folk
Woodcraft Folk is a UK-based educational movement for children and young people. Founded in 1925 and grown by volunteers, it has been a registered charity since 1965 Registered Charity since 2013. and a registered company limited by guarantee s ...
.
St. Michael and All Angels Parish Churc
was opened in a temporary building in 1905. A permanent church, designed by Sir
Arthur Blomfield, was consecrated three years later, and the original building became the church hall. The Victorian
Crossness Pumping Station is another notable local attraction.
File:The Nave at Lesnes Abbey.jpg, Ruins of Lesnes Abbey
File:Fountain Pond - geograph.org.uk - 1074319.jpg, Pond in Lesnes Abbey Wood
File:2017-Abbey Wood,construction Crossrail station 5.jpg, Construction of Crossrail station
File:Abbey Wood, The Harrow Inn - geograph.org.uk - 382725.jpg, The Harrow Inn, demolished in 2009, now scheduled to become the site of a residential building
Recreational facilities and parks
Abbey Wood has a number of parks and sports areas, including Bostall Gardens (play area, tennis courts and basketball court), Bostall Heath (cricket pitch, bowling green, orienteering, football pitch) and Abbey Wood Park (play area and football pitch). It also has a women's netball team Abbey Angels. Abbey Wood Yoga offer yoga classes at
St Paul's Academy, Bostall Gardens and pop-up events in and around Abbey Wood.
Notable people
![Flats along Maran Way, Abbey Wood (04)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/98/Flats_along_Maran_Way%2C_Abbey_Wood_%2804%29.jpg)
Sir
Charles Tilston Bright
Sir Charles Tilston Bright (8 June 1832 – 3 May 1888) was a British electrical engineer who oversaw the laying of the first transatlantic telegraph cable in 1858, for which work he was knighted.
Life
Born on 8 June 1832 in Wanstead, Essex, B ...
, the British electrical engineer who oversaw the laying of the first transatlantic telegraph cable in 1858, died in Abbey Wood in May 1888.
Snooker champion
Steve Davis
Steve Davis (born 22 August 1957) is an English retired professional snooker player who is currently a commentator, musician, DJ, and author. He is best known for dominating professional snooker during the 1980s, when he reached eight World S ...
lived in Commonwealth Way, Abbey Wood and went to Alexander McLeod Primary School and Abbey Wood Secondary School. Boxer
Julius Francis went to St Thomas a Becket Primary School and Abbey Wood School, and Olympic runner
Jennifer Stoute
Jennifer Elaine "Jenny" Stoute (born 16 April 1965) is female English former sprinter. She represented Great Britain at the 1988 Olympic Games in Seoul and the 1992 Olympic Games in Barcelona, where she won a bronze medal in the 4x400 metres ...
also went to Abbey Wood School. Playwright
Jonathan Harvey also taught there.
Kate Bush
Catherine Bush (born 30 July 1958) is an English singer, songwriter, record producer and dancer. In 1978, at the age of 19, she topped the UK Singles Chart for four weeks with her debut single " Wuthering Heights", becoming the first female ...
attended the convent school at the top of Knee Hill. Victor Ogunwusi is the current manager of
Crockenhill F.C.; he joined the club in 2018 as a player, working his way up to become the manager of the Kent League Premier side in 2022. He played for Nigeria u17 (2007),
Hampton & Richmond Borough F.C., NPL FC and
Crockenhill F.C. 2018/2022 season, also attending Abbey Wood School.
Tinie Tempah
Patrick Chukwuemeka Okogwu (born 7 November 1988), better known by his stage name Tinie Tempah, is a British rapper. He has been signed to Parlophone Records since 2009, a subsidiary of Warner Music Group. He created his own entertainment compa ...
attended St. Paul's Catholic School in Abbey Wood.
Robert Napper is one of Abbey Wood School's more infamous names. Convicted of two murders, one manslaughter, two rapes and two attempted rapes, Napper was in Abbey Wood from 1977 to 1982. He is most commonly known for his
fatal attack on Rachel Nickell on
Wimbledon Common
Wimbledon Common is a large open space in Wimbledon, southwest London. There are three named areas: Wimbledon Common, Putney Heath, and Putney Lower Common, which together are managed under the name Wimbledon and Putney Commons totalling 4 ...
in 1992 and the killing of Samantha Bisset and her four-year-old daughter Jazmine at Bisset's home in Plumstead in 1993. Napper was convicted of these crimes in December 2008, and sentenced to be held 'indefinitely' at
Broadmoor Hospital
Broadmoor Hospital is a high-security psychiatric hospital in Crowthorne, Berkshire, England. It is the oldest of the three high-security psychiatric hospitals in England, the other two being Ashworth Hospital near Liverpool and Rampton Secure ...
.
He is also believed to be the "Green Chain Rapist", who carried out at least 70 savage attacks across south-east London over a four-year period ending in 1994.
William Morris
William Morris (24 March 1834 – 3 October 1896) was a British textile designer, poet, artist, novelist, architectural conservationist, printer, translator and socialist activist associated with the British Arts and Crafts Movement. He ...
lived at the nearby
Red House, in Bexleyheat
National Trust , Red House a house which was built for him by the architect
Philip Webb
Philip Speakman Webb (12 January 1831 – 17 April 1915) was a British architect and designer sometimes called the Father of Arts and Crafts Architecture. His use of vernacular architecture demonstrated his commitment to "the art of commo ...
. Morris regularly walked to Abbey Wood station, and a plaque just off Knee Hill commemorates this association.
Stewart Cochrane, a cruise ship bandleader, jazz musician, onetime member of
NWOHM band
Samson
Samson (; , '' he, Šīmšōn, label= none'', "man of the sun") was the last of the judges of the ancient Israelites mentioned in the Book of Judges (chapters 13 to 16) and one of the last leaders who "judged" Israel before the institution o ...
and author of ''Chindit Special Force Burma 1944'' attended DeLucy infant/primary school.
Culture
Time 106.8, a licensed local radio station that evolved from an early cable channel - Radio Thamesmead - had studios on the Abbey Wood/Plumstead borders, and closed in April 2009. Abbey Wood also hosted London's first cable TV station, Cablevision, on Plumstead High Street, near Wickham Lane.
Education
St Paul's Academy is a
Roman Catholic
Roman or Romans most often refers to:
*Rome, the capital city of Italy
* Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD
* Roman people, the people of ancient Rome
*'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a let ...
secondary school located in the area, on the original site of the Abbey Wood comprehensive school. It was previously known as St Paul's RC Secondary School, whilst located in Wickham Lane, before converting to
academy status in 2005 when it moved to the new site.
Geography
Abbey Wood borders
Thamesmead
Thamesmead is an area of south-east London, England, straddling the border between the Royal Borough of Greenwich and the London Borough of Bexley. It is located east of Charing Cross, north-east of Woolwich and west of Erith. It mainly con ...
to the north west, north and north east,
Belvedere Belvedere (from Italian, meaning "beautiful sight") may refer to:
Places
Australia
*Belvedere, Queensland, a locality in the Cassowary Coast Region
Africa
* Belvedere (Casablanca), a neighborhood in Casablanca, Morocco
*Belvedere, Harare, Zi ...
to the east and south east,
West Heath.
Transport
London Buses
Abbey Wood is served by the following
London Buses routes:
* 177 from Peckham to Thamesmead
* 180 from Erith, Fraser Road to North Greenwich
* 229 from Queen Mary's Hospital to Thamesmead
* 244 from Abbey Wood to Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Woolwich
* 301 from Bexleyheath Shopping Centre to Woolwich
* 401 from Bexleyheath Shopping Centre to Thamesmead
* 472 from North Greenwich to Abbey Wood
* 469 from Queen Elizabeth Hospital to Erith
* B11 from Bexleyheath to South Thamesmead, Yarnton Way
* N1 from Thamesmead to Tottenham Court Road (night bus)
National Rail
The nearest station is
Abbey Wood
Abbey Wood is an area in south east London, England, straddling the border between the Royal Borough of Greenwich and the London Borough of Bexley. It is located east of Charing Cross.
Toponymy
The area takes its name from Lesnes Abbey Woo ...
for
Southeastern
The points of the compass are a set of horizontal, radially arrayed compass directions (or azimuths) used in navigation and cartography. A compass rose is primarily composed of four cardinal directions—north, east, south, and west—each se ...
services towards
Barnehurst
Barnehurst is a town and electoral ward in South East London within the London Borough of Bexley. It lies north east of Bexleyheath, and 13.0 miles (20 km) east south-east of Charing Cross. It is separated from North Bexleyheath by the A2 ...
,
Crayford,
Dartford,
Gillingham,
London Cannon Street and
Charing Cross. The station became a terminus for the south eastern branch of
Crossrail's Elizabeth Line, on 24th May 2022.
References
www.abbeywoodyoga.com
External links
Review from Hidden London
{{London Districts
Districts of the Royal Borough of Greenwich
Areas of London
Districts of the London Borough of Bexley