The Sun in the Sands is a
pub
A pub (short for public house) is a kind of drinking establishment which is licensed to serve alcoholic drinks for consumption on the premises. The term ''public house'' first appeared in the United Kingdom in late 17th century, and was ...
-
restaurant
A restaurant is a business that prepares and serves food and drinks to customers. Meals are generally served and eaten on the premises, but many restaurants also offer take-out and food delivery services. Restaurants vary greatly in appearan ...
between
Blackheath Blackheath may refer to:
Places England
*Blackheath, London, England
** Blackheath railway station
**Hundred of Blackheath, Kent, an ancient hundred in the north west of the county of Kent, England
*Blackheath, Surrey, England
** Hundred of Blackh ...
and
Shooter's Hill
Shooter's Hill (or Shooters Hill) is a district in South East London within the Royal Borough of Greenwich. It borders the London Borough of Bexley. It lies north of Eltham and south of Woolwich. With a height of , it is the highest point in t ...
in
London
London is the capital and 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 down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...
. It lends its name to the adjacent junction, where the
A2 between central London and north
Kent
Kent is a county in South East England and one of the home counties. It borders Greater London to the north-west, Surrey to the west and East Sussex to the south-west, and Essex to the north across the estuary of the River Thames; it faces ...
meets the
A102, which notably, to the north, provides access to the
Blackwall Tunnel
The Blackwall Tunnel is a pair of road tunnels underneath the River Thames in east London, England, linking the London Borough of Tower Hamlets with the Royal Borough of Greenwich, and part of the A102 road. The northern portal lies just south ...
. Several
Transport for London (TfL) bus routes pass the former simple crossroads.
History
The upland heath, ridge, to the east was a meeting point since the Middle Ages, and was, in widespread
recountings, a stopover of
King Henry VIII
Henry VIII (28 June 149128 January 1547) was King of England from 22 April 1509 until his death in 1547. Henry is best known for his six marriages, and for his efforts to have his first marriage (to Catherine of Aragon) annulled. His disag ...
when riding from
Greenwich
Greenwich ( , ,) is a town in south-east London, England, within the ceremonial county of Greater London. It is situated east-southeast of Charing Cross.
Greenwich is notable for its maritime history and for giving its name to the Greenwich ...
to Shooter's Hill with
his first Queen and several Lords.
The present pub dates from around 1745
and its name comes from the sight of the setting sun amidst dust, kicked up by sheep herded by
drovers from Kent headed to London. It was soon an isolated inn on heathland, frequented by
highwaymen
A highwayman was a robber who stole from travellers. This type of thief usually travelled and robbed by horse as compared to a footpad who travelled and robbed on foot; mounted highwaymen were widely considered to be socially superior to fo ...
in one period known as "the Trojans", who regularly
pickpocket
Pickpocketing is a form of larceny that involves the stealing of money or other valuables from the person or a victim's pocket without them noticing the theft at the time. It may involve considerable dexterity and a knack for misdirection. A th ...
ed.
William Hazlitt
William Hazlitt (10 April 177818 September 1830) was an English essayist, drama and literary critic, painter, social commentator, and philosopher. He is now considered one of the greatest critics and essayists in the history of the English lan ...
was known to visit the inn.
The junction was built in stages, due to various 20th-century projects to bypass the old Roman Road between Blackheath and Dartford. The modern A2, parallel to this, forms the Shooters Hill By-Pass which took most of the 1920s to complete. The modern roundabout with side sliproad dates from the late 1960s.
As well as the junction, the pub inspired the name of Sunfields Methodist Church and to the adjacent Sun Lane, a former caravan repair site which now hosts a garage. Before which it was a tiny passage, Sun-in-the-Sands Lane.
Since 1995,
Greenwich Council has protected the appearance of a zone east of the junction, including the pub, as a Conservation Area,
defined as an area "of special architectural or historic interest, the character or appearance of which it is desirable to preserve or enhance."
References
External links
Official website{{Pubs in London
Pubs in the Royal Borough of Greenwich
Road junctions in London
Blackheath, London