Well Hall is a place to the north of

Eltham Eltham ( ) is a district of southeast London, England, within the Royal Borough of Greenwich. It is east-southeast of Charing Cross, and is identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London. The three wards of Elt ...

in 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 ...

in southeast London, England, with no present formal boundaries and located east-southeast of

Charing Cross Charing Cross ( ) is a junction in Westminster, London, England, where six routes meet. Clockwise from north these are: the east side of Trafalgar Square leading to St Martin's Place and then Charing Cross Road; the Strand leading to the City; ...

.Distance measured
using ''

Google Maps Google Maps is a web mapping platform and consumer application offered by Google. It offers satellite imagery, aerial photography, street maps, 360° interactive panoramic views of streets ( Street View), real-time traffic conditions, and rou ...

''''Nicholson Greater London Street Atlas Comprehensive Edition'' pp.21, 25, 164, 165, 184 and 184 (2003) shows borough boundary, place location, roads, and distance to Charing Cross In the past Well Hall was the grounds of a

manor house A manor house was historically the main residence of the lord of the manor. The house formed the administrative centre of a manor in the European feudal system; within its great hall were held the lord's manorial courts, communal meals w ...

, and then a

hamlet ''The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark'', often shortened to ''Hamlet'' (), is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare sometime between 1599 and 1601. It is Shakespeare's longest play, with 29,551 words. Set in Denmark, the play depicts ...

. Today it is a largely residential suburb and

housing estate A housing estate (or sometimes housing complex or housing development) is a group of homes and other buildings built together as a single development. The exact form may vary from country to country. Popular throughout the United States ...

absorbed by the development of Eltham and London. It is centred on the main road between Eltham and

Woolwich Woolwich () is a district in southeast London, England, within the Royal Borough of Greenwich. 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 throu ...

, on which many shops and businesses are located. Several major A roads including the South Circular Road and A2 road pass through the area, as does a railway line, serving Eltham station which is located in Well Hall. The Postcode that covers Well Hall and most of the Eltham area is SE9, and the 020 dialing covers the entire Royal Borough of Greenwich. Well Hall is split across two

electoral wards The wards and electoral divisions in the United Kingdom are electoral districts at sub-national level, represented by one or more councillors. The ward is the primary unit of English electoral geography for civil parishes and borough and dist ...

, Eltham West on the west side of Well Hall Road, and Eltham North on the east side of Well Hall Road. In 2015 the population of these two wards combined was recorded as 24,621, although the wards cover a larger area than just Well Hall.

Name and toponymy

In 1100 two manors were recorded in the Eltham area, ''East-Horne'' and ''Well-hawe'' or ''Well-hall'',Daniel Lysons, ''Eltham'' entry, in ''The Environs of London: Volume 4, Counties of Herts, Essex and Kent'' (London, 1796), pp. 394–421. ccessed 26 May 2017 from ''

British History Online ''British History Online'' is a digital library of primary and secondary sources on medieval and modern history of Great Britain and Ireland. It was created and is managed as a cooperative venture by the Institute of Historical Research, Univer ...

''

probably corresponding to the areas later named

Horn Park Horn Park is an area of south east London south west of Eltham. It is located southeast of Charing Cross on the southwest edge of the Royal Borough of Greenwich and borders both the London Borough of Lewisham and the London Borough of Br ...

and Well Hall. The place was recorded as ''Wellehawe'' in 1401, then as ''Welhawe'' in 1446, meaning "a hedged enclosure by a spring or stream" from the Old English word ''Wella'' or ''Welle'' a spring or stream, and ''haga'' or ''hawe'' a hedged enclosure.''A Dictionary of London Place Names'' (2001), by A.D. Mills pp. 264–265 "''Well Hall''" entry On a 1746 map published by

John Rocque John Rocque (originally Jean; c. 1704–1762) was a French-born British surveyor and cartographer, best known for his detailed map of London published in 1746. Life and career Rocque was born in France in about 1704, one of four children of a ...

it was recorded as ''Wale Hall'',''Map of Eltham and Kidbrooke'', Engraved by Richard Parr, surveyed and published by

, 1746 (ma

possibly erroneously. On a map by

Emanuel Bowen Emanuel Bowen (1694 – 8 May 1767) was a Welsh map engraver, who achieved the unique distinction of becoming Royal Mapmaker to both to King George II of Great Britain and Louis XV of France. Bowen was highly regarded by his contemporaries for p ...

from around 1762 it was also called ''Well Place''. It was recorded as ''Well Hall'' on a 1797 map by

Edward Hasted Edward Hasted (20 December 1732 OS (31 December 1732 NS) – 14 January 1812) was an English antiquarian and pioneering historian of his ancestral home county of Kent. As such, he was the author of a major county history, ''The History and T ...

''The History and Topographical Survey of the County of Kent: Volume 3'' by

(map) (Canterbury, 1797), posted at ''

'' and in an 1801

Ordnance Survey , nativename_a = , nativename_r = , logo = Ordnance Survey 2015 Logo.svg , logo_width = 240px , logo_caption = , seal = , seal_width = , seal_caption = , picture = , picture_width = , picture_caption = , formed = , preceding1 = , di ...

map. The Hall part of the name refers to a Tudor mansion house that previously existed there built in the early sixteenth century.

History

In 1100 Jordan de Briset Lord of Clerkenwell was recorded as owning two manors in the Eltham area ''East-Horne'' and ''Well-hawe'' or ''Well-hall''; the manor of Well Hall was also sometimes described as a mansion. These manors were recorded as being passed down and sold to numerous people including lawyer and member of parliament,

William Roper William Roper ( – 4 January 1578) was an English lawyer and member of Parliament. The son of a Kentish gentleman, he married Margaret, daughter of Sir Thomas More. He wrote a highly regarded biography of his father-in-law. Life William Roper ...

and his wife, writer and translator,

Margaret More Margaret More or Moore may refer to: *Margaret Roper (1505–1544), née More, English writer and translator, daughter of Sir Thomas More *Margaret Clement (1508–1570), née Giggs, English noblewoman, adopted daughter of Sir Thomas More *Kate Bar ...

, daughter of

Thomas More Sir Thomas More (7 February 1478 – 6 July 1535), venerated in the Catholic Church as Saint Thomas More, was an English lawyer, judge, social philosopher, author, statesman, and noted Renaissance humanist. He also served Henry VIII as Lord ...

in the sixteenth century. In around 1525

Tudor Barn Tudor most commonly refers to: * House of Tudor, English royal house of Welsh origins ** Tudor period, a historical era in England coinciding with the rule of the Tudor dynasty Tudor may also refer to: Architecture * Tudor architecture, the fin ...

which still stands today was constructed for William Roper next to the Well Hall manor house. In the 1730s, art collector, landowner, and

baronet A baronet ( or ; abbreviated Bart or Bt) or the female equivalent, a baronetess (, , or ; abbreviation Btss), is the holder of a baronetcy, a hereditary title awarded by the British Crown. The title of baronet is mentioned as early as the 14th ...

, Sir Gregory Page bought the property of Well Hall for £19,000 and had the mansion which was then dilapidated, demolished, but the moat and the Tudor Barn were left and remain to this day."Well Hall" entry of ''London Gazetteer'' by Russ Willey, (

Chambers Chambers may refer to: Places Canada: *Chambers Township, Ontario United States: *Chambers County, Alabama * Chambers, Arizona, an unincorporated community in Apache County * Chambers, Nebraska * Chambers, West Virginia * Chambers Township, Hol ...

2006) (online extrac

Page had another mansion built on the grounds, known as ''Page House'', and ''Well Hall House'', which stood for two centuries before being demolished in 1930 or 1931. By 1746 Well Hall appeared on maps as a

on a country lane junction, with Eltham close by on the road to the south,

Shooters 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 ...

, then Woolwich on the road to the north, and

Kidbrooke Kidbrooke is an area of South East London, England, in the Royal Borough of Greenwich south-east of Charing Cross and north west of Eltham. The district takes its name from the Kyd Brook, a watercourse which runs from Orpington to Lewisham ...

on the road to the west. Author

Edith Nesbit Edith Nesbit (married name Edith Bland; 15 August 1858 – 4 May 1924) was an English writer and poet, who published her children's literature, books for children as E. Nesbit. She wrote or collaborated on more than 60 such books. She was also ...

, also lived in a house in the grounds of the Tudor Barn from 1899 to 1921 with her husband

Hubert Bland Hubert Bland (3 January 1855 – 14 April 1914) was an English author and the husband of Edith Nesbit. He was known for being an infamous libertine, a journalist, an early English socialist, and one of the founders of the Fabian Society. Early ...

who died there in 1914. During the Second World War, on 14 February 1944, Iris Miriam Deeley, a leading aircraftwoman with No 1 Balloon Centre

RAF Kidbrooke RAF Kidbrooke was a Royal Air Force base, situated in Kidbrooke in south-east London, in the Royal Borough of Greenwich. The site was operational from 1917 to 1965 and was mainly used as a stores, maintenance and training facility. History Esta ...

was murdered near Well Hall railway station as she was returning to the Royal Air Force base. Ernest Kemp, was arrested a week later. He was tried and convicted of the murder at the

Old Bailey The Central Criminal Court of England and Wales, commonly referred to as the Old Bailey after the street on which it stands, is a criminal court building in central London, one of several that house the Crown Court of England and Wales. The s ...

and was executed at

Wandsworth Prison HM Prison Wandsworth is a Prison security categories in the United Kingdom, Category B men's prison at Wandsworth in the London Borough of Wandsworth, South West (London sub region), South West London, England. It is operated by His Majesty's Pri ...

on 6 June 1944.

History of administration

As part of the

civil parish In England, a civil parish is a type of administrative parish used for local government. It is a territorial designation which is the lowest tier of local government below districts and counties, or their combined form, the unitary authority ...

of Eltham, Well Hall was historically within the Hundred of Blackheath, in the

Lathe of Sutton at Hone The Lathe of Sutton-at-Hone historically included a large part of Kent: the present-day boroughs of Dartford, Bexley, Greenwich, Bromley, Lewisham, Sevenoaks District and small parts of the Borough of Tonbridge and Malling and Borough of Tunbr ...

, in the west division of the county of

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 ...

.''Parishes: Eltham'' entry, of ''The History and Topographical Survey of the County of Kent: Volume 1'' by

(Canterbury, 1797), pp. 455–491. Available at

(Online entry: ritish History Online http://www.british-history.ac.uk/survey-kent/vol1/pp455-491 ccessed 27 May 2017 In 1889 the parish of Eltham became part of the newly created

County of London The County of London was a county of England from 1889 to 1965, corresponding to the area known today as Inner London. It was created as part of the general introduction of elected county government in England, by way of the Local Government A ...

; in 1900 the County of London was divided into new districts, Well Hall and Eltham became part of the newly created

Metropolitan Borough of Woolwich The Metropolitan Borough of Woolwich was a metropolitan borough in the County of London from 1900 to 1965. It was formed from the civil parishes of Eltham, Plumstead and Woolwich. Its former area is now part of the Royal Borough of Greenwich and ...

.GB Historical GIS / University of Portsmouth, Borough of Woolwich CP through time , Census tables with data for the Parish-level Unit, A Vision of Britain through Time. http://www.visionofbritain.org.uk/unit/10235698 Date. Retrieved 19 February 2015F. Youngs, ''Local Administrative Units: Southern England'' (London: Royal Historical Society, 1979), p. 645. (accessed from A Vision of Britain through Tim

In 1965

Greater London Greater may refer to: *Greatness, the state of being great *Greater than, in inequality (mathematics), inequality *Greater (film), ''Greater'' (film), a 2016 American film *Greater (flamingo), the oldest flamingo on record *Greater (song), "Greate ...

was created, Eltham and Well Hall along with most of the Metropolitan Borough of Woolwich became part of the

London 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 ...

,F. Youngs, ''Local Administrative Units: Southern England'' (London: Royal Historical Society, 1979), p. 305. (available at A Vision of Britain Through Tim

later renamed ''Royal Borough of Greenwich'' in 2012.

History of transport

Black and white photograph of a tram travelling on Well Road

In 1905 the

council built Well Hall Road, a straight paved road, replacing the smaller winding country lane named ''Well Hall Lane'', and ''Woolwich Lane'', which went north from Eltham High Street through Well Hall toward Woolwich. In 1910 trams started running along Well Hall Road from Woolwich to Eltham.''Eltham and Woolwich tramways'' (Middleton, 1996) In 1913 bus, motorised buses began being used in the Woolwich borough and gradually replaced the

horsebus A horse-bus or horse-drawn omnibus was a large, enclosed, and sprung horse-drawn vehicle used for passenger transport before the introduction of motor vehicles. It was mainly used in the late 19th century in both the United States and Europe ...

es that were previously used. In 1932 another tram route was created along Westhorne Avenue running through Well Hall. The trams ran until the early 1950s when they were gradually phased out. In 1952 the trams in the Metropolitan borough of Woolwich ceased running and were the last in London to be withdrawn.''The Woolwich Story, 1890–1965'' by Edward Francis Ernest Jefferson (Woolwich & District Antiquarian Society, 1970) (online extrac

In the late nineteenth century, there were several proposals to build a railway line from London to Bexleyheath along different routes by numerous companies. The Bexleyheath Line was constructed, passing through Well Hall and eventually opened on 1 May 1895 with five stations including

Well Hall Well Hall is a place to the north of Eltham in the Royal Borough of Greenwich in southeast London, England, with no present formal boundaries and located east-southeast of Charing Cross.File:Eltham_map_1898.jpg but was later changed to Eltham, Well Hall. The railway station to the south of Eltham, was opened earlier in 1866 and was already using the name Eltham, this was later renamed to

Mottingham Mottingham is a district of south-east London, England, which straddles the border of both the London Borough of Bromley and the Royal Borough of Greenwich. It is located south of Eltham, southeast of Charing Cross. It is within the historic ...

. In 1908 another railway station opened on the Bexleyheath line, just under 500 metres to the east of Well Hall station, for the convenience of the first class passengers living in that area, it originally named Shooters Hill & Eltham, but was renamed to Eltham Park in 1927 when the Bexleyheath line was

electrified Electrification is the process of powering by electricity and, in many contexts, the introduction of such power by changing over from an earlier power source. The broad meaning of the term, such as in the history of technology, economic history ...

. In 1932 the buildings of Well Hall and some other stations on the line were rebuilt. In 1985 a new railway station and a bus station was constructed on the east side of Well Hall Road, on 17 March 1985 the new station, simply named Eltham opened and Eltham Well Hall and Eltham Park stations closed. Well Hall station was completely demolished, but the street level entrance building at Eltham Park station still remains.

Eltham Well Hall rail crash

On 11 June 1972 at approximately 21:35, a train with a diesel locomotive and 10 coaches derailed near Eltham Well Hall station, when the driver took a sharp bend too fast. The speed limit for that section of track was , but according to eyewitness accounts, the train entered the bend travelling at about . The locomotive and first four coaches left the rails and came to rest at an angle to the track, the second and third coaches on their sides. The next five coaches were derailed but the 10th was not. Train driver Robert Wilsdon and five passengers were killed in the derailment, plus another 126 people were injured. An investigation revealed that the driver was intoxicated by alcohol.

Murder of Stephen Lawrence

On the evening 22 April 1993,

Stephen Lawrence Stephen or Steven is a common English first name. It is particularly significant to Christians, as it belonged to Saint Stephen ( grc-gre, Στέφανος ), an early disciple and deacon who, according to the Book of Acts, was stoned to death; ...

an 18-year-old

Black British Black British people are a multi-ethnic group of British citizens of either African or Afro-Caribbean descent.Gadsby, Meredith (2006), ''Sucking Salt: Caribbean Women Writers, Migration, and Survival'', University of Missouri Press, pp. 76–7 ...

man from

Plumstead Plumstead is an area in southeast London, within the Royal Borough of Greenwich, England. It is located east of Woolwich. History Until 1965, Plumstead was in the historic counties of England, historic county of Kent and the detail of mu ...

was murdered in a racially motivated attack while waiting for a bus in Well Hall Road. The case became a

cause célèbre A cause célèbre (,''Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged'', 12th Edition, 2014. S.v. "cause célèbre". Retrieved November 30, 2018 from https://www.thefreedictionary.com/cause+c%c3%a9l%c3%a8bre ,''Random House Kernerman Webs ...

and one of the highest profile racial killings in UK history; its fallout included profound cultural changes to attitudes on racism and the police, and to the law and police practice, and the partial revocation of

double jeopardy In jurisprudence, double jeopardy is a procedural defence (primarily in common law jurisdictions) that prevents an accused person from being tried again on the same (or similar) charges following an acquittal or conviction and in rare case ...

laws, before two of the perpetrators were convicted almost 20 years later in 2012.

Transport

Roads

There are several A roads in and around Well Hall. The main road running through Well Hall, is named ''Well Hall Road'', it runs in a north south direction and is part of the A208 road, to the south it crosses Eltham High Street, changes its name to ''Court Road'' and goes toward Mottingham. On the west side of Well Hall is ''Westhorne Avenue'', a dual carriageway which is part of the A205 road, London's South Circular Road, it runs mainly in a southwest–northeast direction and joins with Well Hall Road at the north side Well Hall, at

roundabout A roundabout is a type of circular intersection or junction in which road traffic is permitted to flow in one direction around a central island, and priority is typically given to traffic already in the junction.''The New Shorter Oxford En ...

named ''Well Hall Roundabout''. From ''Well Hall Roundabout'' the South Circular A205 road continues north toward

, but no longer a dual carriageway and keeps the name of Well Hall Road; to the southwest Westhorne Avenue goes toward

, then

Hither Green Hither Green is a district in south-east London, England, in the London Borough of Lewisham. It forms the southern part of Lewisham, 6.6 miles (10.6 km) south-east of Charing Cross, and on the Prime Meridian. Growing extensively with ...

where it also ceases to be a dual carriageway and changes its name. ''Rochester Way Relief Road'' cuts through Well Hall in a mainly east–west direction, it is a major dual carriageway road and part of the A2 road; it passes under Well Hall Road with no junction and crosses over Wethorne Avenue with a fly over and a grade separated junction. To the west the A2 road travels to

where it turns north toward 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 ...

, to the east, the A2 road goes through

Bexley Bexley is an area of south-eastern Greater London, England and part of the London Borough of Bexley. It is sometimes known as Bexley Village or Old Bexley to differentiate the area from the wider borough. It is located east-southeast of Char ...

and eventually

and the coast. ''Eltham High Street'', part of the

A210 road A, or a, is the first letter and the first vowel of the Latin alphabet, used in the modern English alphabet, the alphabets of other western European languages and others worldwide. Its name in English is ''a'' (pronounced ), plural ''aes'' ...

, is to the south of Well Hall, it passes through in an east–west direction, to the west it goes to Lee and

Lewisham Lewisham () is an area of southeast London, England, south of Charing Cross. It is the principal area of the London Borough of Lewisham, and was within the Historic counties of England, historic county of Kent until 1889. It is identified i ...

, and east toward

Avery Hill Avery Hill is an area of South East London mainly within Royal Borough of Greenwich, and with some parts in the London Borough of Bexley. It is located east of Eltham and north west of Sidcup. It is believed that the area is named after an aviary ...

and

Buses

There are several bus stops along both sides of Well Hall Road,Transport for London ''Buses from Eltham Station and Eltham Church'' map accessed fro

/ref>Transport for London ''Buses from Eltham High Street'' map accessed fro

/ref> plus a bus station on the east side of the road adjacent to the train station. Six

London Buses London Buses is the subsidiary of Transport for London (TfL) that manages most bus services in London, England. It was formed following the Greater London Authority Act 1999 that transferred control of London Regional Transport (LRT) bus se ...

routes serve Well Hall, three terminate and begin there at

Eltham railway station Eltham railway station is in the Well Hall area of Eltham, South East London, within the Royal Borough of Greenwich. It is measured from . It is in Travelcard Zone 4. The station is operated by Southeastern. The station has two platforms: pla ...

, and three pass through; all six of these also pass through or across Eltham High Street to the south, where another seven London Bus routes also serve. Route 162 begins at Well Hall by Eltham railway station and visits Eltham,

New Eltham New Eltham is an area of south east London, in the London Boroughs of Greenwich and Bexley. It lies south east of Eltham and north west of Sidcup. History New Eltham is a largely residential suburb of Greater London developed on former farmla ...

, Chislehurst,

Bickley Bickley is a district and a local government electoral ward in South East London, within the London Borough of Bromley. It is located 10.4 miles (16.7 km) south east of Charing Cross, bordering Elmstead, London, Elmstead to the north, Chis ...

Bromley Bromley is a large town in Greater London, England, within the London Borough of Bromley. It is south-east of Charing Cross, and had an estimated population of 87,889 as of 2011. Originally part of Kent, Bromley became a market town, char ...

and

Beckenham Beckenham () is a town in Greater London, England, within the London Borough of Bromley, in Greater London. Until 1965 it was part of the historic county of Kent. It is located south-east of Charing Cross, situated north of Elmers End and E ...

.162 bus route map and bus stop list, accessed fro
tfl.gov.uk
/ref> route 233 starts at Well Hall by Eltham railway station, and travels through Eltham, New Eltham,

Sidcup Sidcup is an area of south-east London, England, primarily in the London Borough of Bexley. It is south-east of Charing Cross, bordering the London Boroughs of Bromley and Greenwich. Before the creation of Greater London in 1965, it was in the ...

Foots Cray Foots Cray is an area of South East London, England, within the London Borough of Bexley, Greater London. Prior to 1965 it was in the historic county of Kent. It is located south-east of Sidcup. History It took its name from Godwin Fo ...

Ruxley Ruxley is a small settlement in southeast London, England, with no present formal boundaries. It is located southeast by east of Charing Cross,Nicholson Greater London Street Atlas Comprehensive Edition p.186 (2003) shows borough district b ...

and

Swanley Swanley is a town and civil parish in the Sevenoaks District of Kent, England, southeast of central London, adjacent to the Greater London boundary and within the M25 motorway periphery. The population at the 2011 census was 16,226. History ...

.233 bus route map and bus stop list, accessed fro
tfl.gov.uk
/ref> route 314 starts at Well Hall by Eltham railway station, and travels through Eltham, New Eltham,

Elstead Elstead is a civil parish in Surrey, England with shops, houses and cottages spanning the north and south sides of the River Wey; development is concentrated on two roads that meet at a central green. It includes Pot Common its southern neighbo ...

, Sundridge, and

.314 bus route map and bus stop list, accessed fro
tfl.gov.uk
/ref> route 132 begins at

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 ...

then goes to

, Well Hall, Eltham, Avery Hill, Bexley and

Bexleyheath Bexleyheath is a town in south-east London, England. It had a population of 31,929 as at 2011. Bexleyheath is located south-east of Charing Cross, and forms part of the London Borough of Bexley. It is identified in the London Plan as one of ...

.132 bus route map and bus stop list, accessed fro
tfl.gov.uk
/ref> route 161 begins at Greenwich then goes to Woolwich, Well Hall, Eltham,

and Chislehurst.161 bus route map and bus stop list, accessed fro
tfl.gov.uk
/ref> route 286 begins at Greenwich then goes to Kidbrooke, Well Hall, Eltham, Avery Hill and Sidcup.286 bus route map and bus stop list, accessed fro
tfl.gov.uk
/ref> Eltham High Street, to the south is also served by London Buses 124, 126,

160 Year 160 ( CLX) was a leap year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Atilius and Vibius (or, less frequently, year 913 '' Ab urbe condita''). ...

321 Year 321 ( CCCXXI) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. In the Roman Empire, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Crispus and Constantinus (or, less frequently, year 1074 ' ...

, B15, B16, and night bus N21.

Rail

is on the east side of Well Hall Road, built in 1985, partially above the A2 road, replacing the stations at Eltham Well Hall and Eltham Park on the same line. The railway line crosses east to west passing over both Well Hall Road and Rochester Way, to the east is central London stations, and to the west Dartford and other Kent stations. It is in

Travelcard Zone 4 Fare zone 4 is an outer zone of Transport for London's zonal fare system used for calculating the price of tickets for travel on the London Underground, London Overground, Docklands Light Railway and, since 2007, on National Rail services. It ...

, operated by

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 ...

and on the Bexleyheath Line. The station has two platforms, platform 1 for services to Central London and platform 2 for

Dartford Dartford is the principal town in the Borough of Dartford, Kent, England. It is located south-east of Central London and is situated adjacent to the London Borough of Bexley to its west. To its north, across the Thames estuary, is Thurrock in ...

. There are two trains per hour to London Charing Cross,

London Cannon Street Cannon Street station, also known as London Cannon Street, is a central London railway terminus and connected London Underground station in Travelcard zone 1 located on Cannon Street in the City of London and managed by Network Rail. It is ...

London Victoria Victoria station, also known as London Victoria, is a central London railway terminus and connected London Underground station in Victoria, in the City of Westminster, managed by Network Rail. Named after the nearby Victoria Street (not the Q ...

, and four trains per hour to Dartford.

Education

Progress Estate

The

Progress Estate The Progress Estate is a housing estate located in Well Hall, Eltham, in the Royal Borough of Greenwich, South East London. It was built in 1915 to house some of the senior and skilled workers employed at the nearby Royal Arsenal munitions fac ...

is a

located immediately east of Well Hall Road, north of

and Rochester Way. It was built in 1915 as a wartime measure under the Housing Act, 1914 by HM Office of Works and was visited by Queen Mary in 1916. It was not known as The

until 1925, when it was sold on to 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 ...

. It was built on the tram route along the recently created Well Hall Road, which linked the area to

, to house some the senior and skilled workers from the nearby Woolwich Arsenal munitions factories which were in use during the

First World War World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

. The estate comprises 1,086 houses and 212 flats and has been described as "the first and most spectacular of the garden suburbs built by the government during the First World War to house munitions workers" Its unique design makes the area popular today. In 1975, the estate was granted Conservation Area status.

Well Hall Pleasaunce and Tudor Barn

On the west side of Well Hall Road in Well Hall Pleasaunce is the

, a large brick barn, despite the stone plaque stating the year 1568, it is believed to be built around 1525, for

and his wife Margaret More, the daughter of

It was built next to his family home ''Well Hall'' a moated manor house, now demolished, which gave its name to the place. Today Tudor Barn is a

Grade II* listed In the United Kingdom, a listed building or listed structure is one that has been placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, Historic Environment Scotland in Scotland, in Wales, and the Northern Irel ...

building as Well Hall Art Gallery. In 1933 the

council opened ''Well Hall Pleasaunce'' and the recently refurbished Tudor Barn served as a centrepiece to the new park. Originally there were plans to open a library and museum in the barn, but instead an art gallery was opened on the ground floor in 1936, and the space upstairs was used as a restaurant and reception room for weddings and other events. The path that runs along the southern edge of Well Hall Pleasaunce is named ''Edith Nesbit Walk'' after the author that lived there for over twenty years at the beginning of the twentieth century.

Coronet Cinema

The Coronet Cinema is located on Well Hall Road, by Well Hall Roundabout, it is a

grade II listed building In the United Kingdom, a listed building or listed structure is one that has been placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, Historic Environment Scotland in Scotland, in Wales, and the Northern Ir ...

with

Historic England Historic England (officially the Historic Buildings and Monuments Commission for England) is an executive non-departmental public body of the British Government sponsored by the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport. It is tasked wit ...

in the

streamline moderne Streamline Moderne is an international style of Art Deco architecture and design that emerged in the 1930s. Inspired by aerodynamic design, it emphasized curving forms, long horizontal lines, and sometimes nautical elements. In industrial design ...

style. It was designed by Andrew Mather and Horace Ward for Odeon Theatres and opened in 1936. In 1981 it became the Coronet Cinema but closed in 2000. The building became derelict and remained unused for over a decade, it was eventually converted and extended into 53 flats and a parade of shops including a

Tesco Express Tesco plc () is a British multinational groceries and general merchandise retailer headquartered in Welwyn Garden City, England. In 2011 it was the third-largest retailer in the world measured by gross revenues and the ninth-largest in th ...

, and a gym and fitness centre, but the main front of the building remains intact.Coronet Cinema.
Cinema Treasures. Retrieved 4 February 2018.

Blackheath F.C.

Blackheath Football Club is a

rugby union Rugby union, commonly known simply as rugby, is a close-contact team sport that originated at Rugby School in the first half of the 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand. In its m ...

club, whose grounds are located on Kidbrook Lane, north of Well Hall Pleasaunce and hold 1650 spectators, 550 seated. They play

National League 1 National One (last season known as National League 1 and previously known before September 2009 as National Division Two), is the third of three national leagues in the domestic rugby union competition of England. It was known as Courage Leagu ...

, the third tier of the

English rugby union system Men's Rugby union in England consists of 106 leagues, which includes professional leagues at the highest level, down to amateur regional leagues. Promotion and relegation are in place throughout the system. Women's Rugby union in England cons ...

, in Well Hall, having moved from the famous

Rectory Field Rectory Field is a sports ground in Blackheath in the Royal Borough of Greenwich in south-east London. It was developed in the 1880s by Blackheath Cricket, Football and Lawn Tennis Company and became the home ground of rugby union team Blackhe ...

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 ...

at the end of the 2015–16 season. The club was founded in 1858 and is the oldest open rugby club in the world since becoming open in 1862 and is also the third-oldest rugby club in continuous existence in the world.

Notable people

, (c. 1496 – 1578) lawyer and member of parliament, owned and lived at Well Hall in the 16th century with his wife Margaret, and ordered the building of

Margaret Roper Margaret Roper (1505–1544) was an English writer and translator. Roper, the eldest daughter of Sir Thomas More, is considered to have been one of the most learned women in sixteenth-century England. She is celebrated for her filial piety and sch ...

, (1505–1544) writer and translator, daughter of

Sir Thomas More Sir Thomas More (7 February 1478 – 6 July 1535), venerated in the Catholic Church as Saint Thomas More, was an English lawyer, judge, social philosopher, author, statesman, and noted Renaissance humanist. He also served Henry VIII as Lord ...

, lived in Well Hall in the 16th century. *

Sir Gregory Page, 2nd Baronet Sir Gregory Page, 2nd Baronet (c. 1695 – 4 August 1775), was an English art collector and landowner, and a baronet in the Baronetage of Great Britain. He was the eldest son of Sir Gregory Page, 1st Baronet, and his wife Mary, the daughter of Lond ...

, (c. 1695 – 1775) art collector, landowner, and

, bought Well Hall manor in the 1730s and had it demolished and rebuilt. * John Arnold, (1736–1799)

watchmaker A watchmaker is an artisan who makes and repairs watches. Since a majority of watches are now factory-made, most modern watchmakers only repair watches. However, originally they were master craftsmen who built watches, including all their part ...

and inventor, owned watchmaking factory in Well Hall, in the 1780s and 90s where he died. *

, (1858–1924) author (mainly of children's books), co-founder of the

Fabian Society The Fabian Society is a British socialist organisation whose purpose is to advance the principles of social democracy and democratic socialism via gradualist and reformist effort in democracies, rather than by revolutionary overthrow. The Fa ...

, lived in Well Hall from 1899 to 1921. *

, (1855–1914) husband of Edith Nesbit, journalist, and socialist. Lived with his wife at Well Hall from 1899 until his death there in 1914. *

Bob Hope Leslie Townes "Bob" Hope (May 29, 1903 – July 27, 2003) was a British-American comedian, vaudevillian, actor, singer and dancer. With a career that spanned nearly 80 years, Hope appeared in Bob Hope filmography, more than 70 short and ...

, (1903–2003) actor, singer and comedian was born in a terraced house, at 44 Craigton Road in Well Hall. A Blue memorial plaque, issued in 1996 is present on the front of the house. *

Frankie Howerd Francis Alick Howard (6 March 1917 – 19 April 1992), better known by his stage-name Frankie Howerd, was an English actor and comedian. Early life Howerd was born the son of soldier Francis Alfred William (1887–1934)England & Wales, Deat ...

, (1917–1992) comedian and actor lived in Well Hall as a child in Arbroath Road. The church hall of St Barnabas' Church on Rochester Way was renamed ''The Frankie Howerd Centre'' in the 1980s, he was a member of the choir at the church in his youth. * Sylvia Syms, (b. 1934) movie, television and movie actress. Grew up in Well Hall in Maudsley Road in the 1930s.

Nearest areas

References

Bibliography

*''Nicholson Greater London Street Atlas Comprehensive Edition'' *''A Dictionary of London Place Names'' (2001), by A.D. Mills pp. 264–265 "''Well Hall''" entry *''The History and Topographical Survey of the County of Kent: Volume 1'' by

(Canterbury, 1797) *''London Gazetteer'' by Russ Willey, (

2006) *''The Woolwich Story, 1890–1965'' by Edward Francis Ernest Jefferson (Woolwich & District Antiquarian Society, 1970) *''Eltham and Woolwich tramways'' (Middleton, 1996)

External links

Eltham
at

.
Tudor Barn
at www.greenwichheritage.org
Well Hall
at hidden-london.com

at www.yellins.co.uk
Well Hall Pleasaunce
at historicengland.org.uk
Recreating the lost Well Hall House
at somersetwriters.wordpress.com
Well Hall
at www.wellhall.org.uk {{LB Greenwich Areas of London Districts of the Royal Borough of Greenwich Eltham