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 throughout the 16th to 20th centuries. After several decades of economic hardship and social deprivation, the area now has several large-scale

urban renewal Urban renewal (also called urban regeneration in the United Kingdom and urban redevelopment in the United States) is a program of land redevelopment often used to address urban decay in cities. Urban renewal involves the clearing out of blighte ...

projects.

Geography

Woolwich is situated from

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; ...

. It has a 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 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 ...

towards the common, at and the ancient London–Dover Road, at . The ancient parish of Woolwich, more or less the present-day

wards Ward may refer to: Division or unit * Hospital ward, a hospital division, floor, or room set aside for a particular class or group of patients, for example the psychiatric ward * Prison ward, a division of a penal institution such as a priso ...

Woolwich Riverside and Woolwich Common, comprises . This included North Woolwich, which is now part of the

London Borough of Newham The London Borough of Newham is a London borough created in 1965 by the London Government Act 1963. It covers an area previously administered by the Essex county boroughs of West Ham and East Ham, authorities that were both abolished by the s ...

. The ancient parishes of

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 ...

and Eltham became part of the civil parish of Woolwich in 1930. 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,

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 ...

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 ...

Charlton Charlton may refer to: People * Charlton (surname) * Charlton (given name) Places Australia * Charlton, Queensland * Charlton, Victoria * Division of Charlton, an electoral district in the Australian House of Representatives, in New South Wale ...

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

History

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. 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 (

), perhaps also of Iron Age origin. Sandy Hill Road may be a remnant of this early path. London-Woolwich, St Mary Magdalene, interior 5

It is generally believed that the name Woolwich derives from an

Anglo-Saxon The Anglo-Saxons were a Cultural identity, cultural group who inhabited England in the Early Middle Ages. They traced their origins to settlers who came to Britain from mainland Europe in the 5th century. However, the ethnogenesis of the Anglo- ...

word meaning "trading place for wool". It is not clear whether Woolwich was a proper ''

-wich town A "-''wich'' town" is a settlement in Anglo-Saxon England characterised by extensive artisanal activity and tradean " emporium". The name is derived from the Anglo-Saxon suffix , signifying "a dwelling or fortified place". Such settlements were u ...

'', 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. 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. 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'' refer to North Woolwich, which was then uninhabited. Some of the Ghent lands passed to the royal

manor Manor may refer to: Land ownership *Manorialism or "manor system", the method of land ownership (or "tenure") in parts of medieval Europe, notably England *Lord of the manor, the owner of an agreed area of land (or "manor") under manorialism *Man ...

s of

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 ...

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 The Holy Trinity Priory, also known as Christchurch Aldgate, was a priory of Austin canons ( Black Canons) founded around 1108 by the English queen Matilda of Scotland near Aldgate in London.St Mary's Priory, Southwark, and land around

owned by Bartholomew de Burghersh, 2nd Baron Burghersh, later referred to as the Burrage Estate. 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. 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.

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 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 disa ...

to build his flagship ''

Henry Grace à Dieu ''Henry Grace à Dieu'' ("Henry, Thanks be to God"), also known as ''Great Harry'', was an English carrack or "great ship" of the King's Fleet in the 16th century, and in her day the largest warship in the world. Contemporary with ''Mary Rose'' ...

'' ("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 Sir Martin Bowes (1496/97 – 1566) was a very prominent and active civic dignitary of Tudor London whose career continued through the reigns of Henry VIII, Edward VI, Mary I and Elizabeth I.C.E. Challis, 'Bowes, Sir Martin (1496/7–1566)', ''Ox ...

who had gathered a fortune at the

Royal Mint The Royal Mint is the United Kingdom's oldest company and the official maker of British coins. Operating under the legal name The Royal Mint Limited, it is a limited company that is wholly owned by His Majesty's Treasury and is under an exclus ...

, 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. In the 1650s the

Board of Ordnance The Board of Ordnance was a British government body. Established in the Tudor period, it had its headquarters in the Tower of London. Its primary responsibilities were 'to act as custodian of the lands, depots and forts required for the defence ...

was given permission to

prove Proof most often refers to: * Proof (truth), argument or sufficient evidence for the truth of a proposition * Alcohol proof, a measure of an alcoholic drink's strength Proof may also refer to: Mathematics and formal logic * Formal proof, a con ...

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 The Royal Arsenal, Woolwich is an establishment on the south bank of the River Thames in Woolwich in south-east London, England, that was used for the manufacture of armaments and ammunition, proofing, and explosives research for the Britis ...

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. 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 Woolwich Garrison (now referred to as Woolwich Station) is a garrison or station of the British Army. Geographically it is in Woolwich, in the London Borough of Greenwich. In terms of command, it is within the Army's London District. At its ...

. 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.

Gallery

File:Greenwich Heritage Centre, Woolwich - RA & RMA exhibition 30.jpg, Tower Place and the old Royal Military Academy, 1775 File:Greenwich Heritage Centre, Woolwich - RA & RMA exhibition 19.jpg, The Royal Artillery Band marching through Woolwich, early 19th century File:Die Gartenlaube (1858) b 525.jpg, Open-air storage at the Royal Arsenal in the mid-19th century File:Woolwich, RMA, Royal Horse Artillery Review, W Ranwell 1850 LMA.jpg, Royal Horse Artillery Review at the Royal Military Academy 1850 File:Woolwich, Royal Artillery Barracks, c 1900.jpg, Royal Artillery Barracks, File:Greenwich Heritage Centre, Woolwich - RA & RMA exhibition 26 (cropped).jpg, Old Woolwich in 1929. On the hill: the parish church and the Red Barracks.

Economic development

Employment

Greenwich Heritage Centre, History of Royal Arsenal 2

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. 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.

Retail

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). 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. 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

Around 1500, at the beginning of the military and naval expansion, Woolwich had only a few hundred inhabitants. In 1665, when

Samuel Pepys Samuel Pepys (; 23 February 1633 – 26 May 1703) was an English diarist and naval administrator. He served as administrator of the Royal Navy and Member of Parliament and is most famous for the diary he kept for a decade. Pepys had no mariti ...

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

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

slum A slum is a highly populated urban residential area consisting of densely packed housing units of weak build quality and often associated with poverty. The infrastructure in slums is often deteriorated or incomplete, and they are primarily inh ...

s.Saint & Guillery (2012), pp. 9–17.

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 The Woolwich Ferry is a free vehicle and pedestrian ferry across the River Thames in East London, connecting Woolwich on the south bank with North Woolwich on the north. It is licensed and financed by London River Services, the maritime arm of ...

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 The North Kent Line is a railway line which branches off the South East Main Line at St Johns junction west of Lewisham station in Greater London and runs to Rochester Bridge Junction near Strood, Medway where it links to the Chatham Main Line ...

from London via Greenwich and Woolwich to Gillingham opened in 1849. The station building was rebuilt in 1906 and again in 1992–93. Woolwich was also on the route of two London trams of the first generation (1881–1952). 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 In a city or town, the old town is its historic or original core. Although the city is usually larger in its present form, many cities have redesignated this part of the city to commemorate its origins after thorough renovations. There are ma ...

. Woolwich was home to the experimental

Auto Stacker The Auto Stacker, also known as Autostacker, was an ambitious but ill-fated automated parking system in Woolwich, South East London in the early 1960s. The project was initiated by Woolwich Borough Council but failed to work and was demolished ...

car park. Built on the site of the Empire Theatre, it was officially opened in May 1961 by

Princess Margaret Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon, (Margaret Rose; 21 August 1930 – 9 February 2002) was the younger daughter of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother, and the younger sister and only sibling of Queen Elizabeth ...

. It never actually worked and was demolished in 1962. A multi-storey car park was built along Monk Street in 1971.

Education

2016 Woolwich, Calderwood St, Polytechnic 02

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. 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. 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.

Leisure

In the 18th century,

Woolwich Cricket Club Woolwich Cricket Club was an English cricket club based in the town of Woolwich, Kent. It was formed sometime in the first half of the 18th century, or earlier, and its earliest known record is in 1754 when its team played two matches against th ...

, later Royal Artillery Cricket Club, were well-known

cricket Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of eleven players on a field at the centre of which is a pitch with a wicket at each end, each comprising two bails balanced on three stumps. The batting side scores runs by striki ...

clubs. Cricket and other sports were mainly played by military officers and students at the Royal Military Academy.

Arsenal F.C. Arsenal Football Club, commonly referred to as Arsenal, is a professional football club based in Islington, London, England. Arsenal plays in the Premier League, the top flight of English football. The club has won 13 league titles (inclu ...

was founded in 1886 by workers at the

. Initially known as ''Dial Square'', then ''Royal Arsenal'' and then ''Woolwich Arsenal'', they soon drew large crowds to their ground in

. In 1913 they moved to Arsenal Stadium in Highbury, North London.

Royal Ordnance Factories F.C. Royal Ordnance Factories Football Club were a football club from south east London, England, that existed in the late 19th century. History In 1893, the former workers' team at the Royal Arsenal in Woolwich, Woolwich Arsenal FC, was by now a ...

was founded in response to Woolwich Arsenal joining the League but only lasted a few years. Woolwich had several theatres and

cinemas A movie theater (American English), cinema (British English), or cinema hall (Indian English), also known as a movie house, picture house, the movies, the pictures, picture theater, the silver screen, the big screen, or simply theater is a ...

. 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.

Local government

Woolwich, St Mary's Gardens around 1840, postcard 1905

The civil parish of Woolwich, roughly the area of the present-day

Woolwich Riverside and Woolwich Common, was formerly known as Woolwich Saint Mary. Until 1842, when the

Old Town Hall Old or OLD may refer to: Places *Old, Baranya, Hungary *Old, Northamptonshire, England *Old Street station, a railway and tube station in London (station code OLD) *OLD, IATA code for Old Town Municipal Airport and Seaplane Base, Old Town, Mai ...

was built, the vestry met in a room in the parish church of

St Mary Magdalene Mary Magdalene (sometimes called Mary of Magdala, or simply the Magdalene or the Madeleine) was a woman who, according to the four canonical gospels, traveled with Jesus as one of his followers and was a witness to his crucifixion and resurre ...

. 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

formed the Metropolitan Borough of Woolwich. In 1906 the new

Woolwich Town Hall Woolwich Town Hall is an early 20th-century town hall located in the historic Bathway Quarter in the centre of Woolwich, South East London. Until 1965 it was the seat of local government of the Metropolitan Borough of Woolwich, after which it ...

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

Post-war history

Decline

Woolwich declined as a town in the late 20th century, starting with the closure of the

Royal Ordnance Factory Royal Ordnance Factories (ROFs) was the collective name of the UK government's munitions factories during and after the Second World War. Until privatisation, in 1987, they were the responsibility of the Ministry of Supply, and later the Ministr ...

in 1967 and the

Siemens Siemens AG ( ) is a German multinational conglomerate corporation and the largest industrial manufacturing company in Europe headquartered in Munich with branch offices abroad. The principal divisions of the corporation are ''Industry'', '' ...

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 Equitable Building Society (later Woolwich Building Society or The Woolwich) was founded in Woolwich in 1847 and remained a local institution until after WWI when it began a modest regional expansion. This accelerated after WWII and ...

("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. At the same time the town's demographics changed, with initially mainly

Sikh Sikhs ( or ; pa, ਸਿੱਖ, ' ) are people who adhere to Sikhism, Sikhism (Sikhi), a Monotheism, monotheistic religion that originated in the late 15th century in the Punjab region of the Indian subcontinent, based on the revelation of Gu ...

s 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. In 1974, the United Kingdom's first branch of McDonald's opened in Powis Street. Amidst the decline, Woolwich was still considered to be a representative English town at the time. In 1974 the Provisional IRA bombed the Kings Arms pub in the town, killing two. During the

2011 England riots The 2011 England riots, more widely known as the London riots, were a series of riots between 6 and 11 August 2011. Thousands of people rioted in cities and towns across England, which saw looting, arson, as well as mass deployment of police ...

, 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, 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 Islamic extremism, Islamist extremism, or radical Islam, is used in reference to extremist beliefs and behaviors which are associated with the Islamic religion. These are controversial terms with varying definitions, ranging from academic unde ...

. The

16th Regiment Royal Artillery 16 Regiment Royal Artillery is a regiment of the Royal Regiment of Artillery in the British Army. It currently serves in the air defence role and is equipped with the Sky Sabre air defence missile system. One of its Rapier Batteries is always d ...

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 Princess is a regal rank and the feminine equivalent of prince (from Latin ''princeps'', meaning principal citizen). Most often, the term has been used for the consort of a prince, or for the daughter of a king or prince. Princess as a subst ...

and the King's Troop, Royal Horse Artillery, although the relocation of these has been announced for 2028.

Regeneration

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 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 ...

in the next few decades. Woolwich started to enjoy the beginning of a renaissance with the residential redevelopment of the former

. 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 Chickenshed (also known as Chicken Shed or the Chicken Shed Theatre Company) is a British theatre company based in Southgate, London. Chickenshed's membership programme comprises four Children's theatre groups and two Youth theatre groups for yo ...

, Protein Dance, Greenwich Dance and

Greenwich+Docklands International Festival 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 ...

. The creative district opened as

Woolwich Works Woolwich Works, also known as Woolwich Creative District, is a multi-disciplinary cultural venue on the south bank of the River Thames in Woolwich in southeast London, that opened in September 2021. It occupies a range of historic buildings at th ...

in September 2021.

Woolwich Arsenal DLR station Woolwich Arsenal station is a National Rail and Docklands Light Railway (DLR) paired interchange station in the heart of Woolwich in the Royal Borough of Greenwich. It has two parts; its raised, south-western part of the station is on the semi ...

, the terminus of the Docklands Light Railway's London City Airport branch, opened on 10 January 2009. The

2012 Summer Olympics The 2012 Summer Olympics (officially the Games of the XXX Olympiad and also known as London 2012) was an international multi-sport event held from 27 July to 12 August 2012 in London, England, United Kingdom. The first event, the ...

and

Paralympics The Paralympic Games or Paralympics, also known as the ''Games of the Paralympiad'', is a periodic series of international multisport events involving athletes with a range of physical disabilities, including impaired muscle power and impaired ...

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. London, Woolwich-Centre, Love Lane, Library02

London, Woolwich-Centre, Love Lane, Library02

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, 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), and a 259-home housing development with an Tesco hypermarket, completed in 2014. 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". The same development was later (2022) also the subject of a potential £44m claim against its supply chain by developer Willmott Dixon for cladding replacement. Applications for development of the southwestern section of the site (along the South Circular Road) were made in late 2021. On the other side of General Gordon Square the 1930s Woolwich Equitable building was refurbished. Next to

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. 2015-London-Woolwich, demolition Connaught Estate 02

2015-London-Woolwich, demolition Connaught Estate 02

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. In September 2012 Greenwich Council approved a plan to convert the building into apartments and retail. 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). Redevelopment plans for the Spray Street Quarter in 2018 included a proposal to demolish the 1936 market hall.

Heritage

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 Royal Navy Dockyards (more usually termed Royal Dockyards) were state-owned harbour facilities where ships of the Royal Navy were built, based, repaired and refitted. Until the mid-19th century the Royal Dockyards were the largest industrial ...

early in the 16th century, later eclipsed by the

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.

Royal Arsenal

The older parts of the Royal Arsenal constitute a

conservation area Protected areas or conservation areas are locations which receive protection because of their recognized natural, ecological or cultural values. There are several kinds of protected areas, which vary by level of protection depending on the ena ...

. 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). File:London, Woolwich, Beresford Sq, Royal Arsenal Gatehouse.jpg, Royal Arsenal Gatehouse File:Royal Arsenal Brass Foundry.jpg, Royal Brass Foundry File:Oldmilitaryacademywoolwich.jpg, Cannon near the Old Royal Military Academy File:London-Woolwich, Royal Arsenal, Major Draper St, Cafe 2.jpg, Converted warehouses at the Royal Arsenal

Woolwich Dockyard and 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 In the history of the United Kingdom and the British Empire, the Victorian era was the period of Queen Victoria's reign, from 20 June 1837 until her death on 22 January 1901. The era followed the Georgian period and preceded the Edwardian ...

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 Siemens Brothers and Company Limited was an electrical engineering design and manufacturing business in London, England. It was first established as a branchThe company started with a small factory at 12 Millbank Row, Westminster SW1, London, ne ...

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 The Woolwich foot tunnel crosses under the River Thames in Woolwich, in East London from Old Woolwich in the Royal Borough of Greenwich to North Woolwich in the London Borough of Newham. The tunnel offers pedestrians and cyclists an alternative ...

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. File:London, Woolwich Dockyard, gatehouse 1.jpg, Woolwich Dockyard entrance gate File:London, Woolwich Dockyard, 1840s chimney 3.jpg, The Dockyard chimney File:WoolwichTunnelSouthEntrance.jpg, Entrance building

File:Thames Barrier (14802757784).jpg, Thames Barrier

Other military buildings

Woolwich Royal Military Academy Main Building 3

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 A boxing ring, often referred to simply as a ring or the squared circle, is the space in which a boxing match occurs. A modern ring consists of a square raised platform with a post at each corner. Four ropes are attached to the posts and pulled p ...

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 Tudor Revival architecture (also known as mock Tudor in the UK) first manifested itself in domestic architecture in the United Kingdom in the latter half of the 19th century. Based on revival of aspects that were perceived as Tudor architecture ...

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 Initially the Herbert Hospital, renamed in 1900, the Royal Herbert Hospital was built as a restorative facility for British veterans of the Crimean War, and remained a military hospital until 1977. It was situated in southeast London, on the sout ...

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 ...

. 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 The Corps of Royal Engineers, usually called the Royal Engineers (RE), and commonly known as the ''Sappers'', is a corps of the British Army. It provides military engineering and other technical support to the British Armed Forces and is heade ...

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 The Royal Marine Barracks, Woolwich was a military installation occupied by the Royal Marines and located in Frances Street, just south of Woolwich Dockyard. After the Royal Marines' departure from Woolwich it was renamed Cambridge Barracks, while ...

for the Woolwich Division of the

Royal Marines The Corps of Royal Marines (RM), also known as the Royal Marines Commandos, are the UK's special operations capable commando force, amphibious light infantry and also one of the five fighting arms of the Royal Navy. The Corps of Royal Marine ...

, 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. File:London, Woolwich, Royal Garrison Church 02.jpg, Ruined Garrison Church (1863) File:London-Woolwich, Rotunda 04.jpg, John Nash's Rotunda (1814/20) File:London, Woolwich, Connaught Mews 02.jpg, Former Connaught Barracks (1780) File:London-Woolwich, Gunner Lane 02.jpg, Engineer House (1858) File:2016 Woolwich, Government House, main entrance.jpg, Government House (1781) File:2015 London-Woolwich, Red Barracks wall 13.JPG, Former Red Barracks gate (1860) File:2015 London-Woolwich, Cambridge Barracks gate house 13.JPG, Gatehouse Cambridge Barracks (1848) File:2015 London-Woolwich, Rushgrove House 03.JPG, 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. London-Woolwich, Woolwich New Rd , St Peter's

London-Woolwich, Woolwich New Rd , St Peter's

In nearby Powis Street and Hare Street some late

Victorian Victorian or Victorians may refer to: 19th century * Victorian era, British history during Queen Victoria's 19th-century reign ** Victorian architecture ** Victorian house ** Victorian decorative arts ** Victorian fashion ** Victorian literature ...

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 New Wine Church (also known as Gateway House) is a non-denominational Christian megachurch in Southeast London. The church originally met in a leased facility. They then purchased and renovated one of four cinemas in Woolwich. The 3,000-membe ...

) 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 Mary Magdalene (sometimes called Mary of Magdala, or simply the Magdalene or the Madeleine) was a woman who, according to the four canonical gospels, traveled with Jesus as one of his followers and was a witness to his crucifixion and resurre ...

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 Augustus Welby Northmore Pugin ( ; 1 March 181214 September 1852) was an English architect, designer, artist and critic with French and, ultimately, Swiss origins. He is principally remembered for his pioneering role in the Gothic Revival st ...

), and two Sikh gurdwaras, one a former Methodist church, the other a former Masonic hall. File:London, Woolwich-Centre, Wellington St, Woolwich Town hall1.jpg,

File:London-Woolwich, Polytechnic St, old Polytechnic College.jpg, Former Woolwich Polytechnic College File:2016 Woolwich, Powis St, former RACS Central Stores.jpg, Victorian RACS building File:London-Woolwich, former RACS department store 03.JPG, Art deco former RACS department store File:London, Woolwich, John Wilson St, Gateway House02.jpg, Former Odeon Cinema File:Christ Faith Tabernacle Cathedral4.jpg, Former Granada Cinema File:London-Woolwich, John Wilson St - Calderwood St 2.jpg, Gurdwara Sahib File:2015 London-Woolwich, view from Anglesea Rd 08.JPG, Gurdwara Ramgarhia

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 Tom Cribb (8 July 1781 – 11 May 1848) was a world champion English bare-knuckle boxer of the 19th century. Cribb was born near Bristol but moved to London before starting professional fighting. He undertook a series of fights between 1805 and ...

's memorial, a lion rests its paw on an urn, stands near the northeast entrance. The park features a

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, Zim ...

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 Oxleas Wood is one of the few remaining areas of ancient deciduous forest in Eltham in the Royal Borough of Greenwich (with a small amount passing over the boundary into the London Borough of Bexley), in southeast London. Some parts date back ov ...

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. File:London-Woolwich, St Mary's Gardens 07.jpg, St Mary's Gardens File:London-Woolwich, Royal Arsenal, Wellington Park, Shell Foundry Gate 01.jpg, Wellington Park File:2016 Woolwich, Royal Brass Foundry.jpg, Dial Arch Square File:London, Woolwich, Royal Arsenal, park03.jpg, New Riverside Park File:2015London, Woolwich-Plumstead, Shrewsbury Park 06.jpg, Shrewsbury Park File:London, Plumstead Common 05.jpg, Plumstead Common File:2015 London, Woolwich Common 11.jpg, Woolwich Common File:2015 London-Woolwich, Green Hill-Repository Woods 09.JPG, Repository Woods

Sports and leisure

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 Non-League football describes football leagues played outside the top leagues of a country. Usually, it describes leagues which are not fully professional. The term is primarily used for football in England, where it is specifically used to de ...

clubs:

Bridon Ropes F.C. Bridon Ropes Football Club is a football club based in Charlton, Royal Borough of Greenwich, England. They are currently members of the and play at Meridian Sports & Social Club. History The club was established in 1935 as a works team of th ...

and

Meridian F.C. Meridian Valley Park Football Club is a football club located in Charlton, in the Royal Borough of Greenwich, London, England. Affiliated to the Kent FA, they are currently members of the and play at the Meridian Sports & Social Club. History ...

, who both play at Meridian Sports & Social Club.

Barrack Field Barrack Field is located on the grounds of the Royal Artillery Barracks in Woolwich, southeast London (formerly part of Kent). It was once part of Woolwich Common, then used as a venue for cricket matches in the 18th century and as the home of Wo ...

at the Royal Artillery Barracks was a famous

cricket ground Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of eleven players on a field at the centre of which is a pitch with a wicket at each end, each comprising two bails balanced on three stumps. The batting side scores runs by strikin ...

in the 18th century but is now merely used for recreational sports. Royal Arsenal Rugby Club plays

rugby Rugby may refer to: Sport * Rugby football in many forms: ** Rugby league: 13 players per side *** Masters Rugby League *** Mod league *** Rugby league nines *** Rugby league sevens *** Touch (sport) *** Wheelchair rugby league ** Rugby union: 1 ...

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

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. Woolwich currently has no movie theatres. Cinemas are included in the plans for Spray Street quarter and the Island site. The town was used as a location for the 2006 film ''

Children of Men ''Children of Men'' is a 2006 dystopian action thriller film co-written and directed by Alfonso Cuarón. The screenplay, based on P. D. James' 1992 novel '' The Children of Men'', was credited to five writers, with Clive Owen making uncredi ...

''. 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'

studio A studio is an artist or worker's workroom. This can be for the purpose of acting, architecture, painting, pottery (ceramics), sculpture, origami, woodworking, scrapbooking, photography, graphic design, filmmaking, animation, industrial design ...

s. 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

entrances features a large mural in tiles by Michael Craig-Martin.

Transport

National Rail

The nearest stations are Woolwich Arsenal and Woolwich Dockyard 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,

Gravesend Gravesend is a town in northwest Kent, England, situated 21 miles (35 km) east-southeast of Charing Cross (central London) on the Bank (geography), south bank of the River Thames and opposite Tilbury in Essex. Located in the diocese of Ro ...

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 ...

and

London Charing Cross Charing Cross railway station (also known as London Charing Cross) is a central London railway terminus between the Strand and Hungerford Bridge in the City of Westminster. It is the terminus of the South Eastern Main Line to Dover via Ashf ...

Docklands Light Railway

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

Stratford International Stratford International is a National Rail station in Stratford and a separate Docklands Light Railway (DLR) station nearby, located in East Village in London. Despite its name, no international services stop at the station; plans for it to ...

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 Heathrow Airport (), called ''London Airport'' until 1966 and now known as London Heathrow , is a major international airport in London, England. It is the largest of the six international airports in the London airport system (the others be ...

Buses

Woolwich is served by many bus services all provided by Transport for London. These connect Woolwich with areas including

, Bluewater, Catford,

Central London Central London is the innermost part of London, in England, spanning several boroughs. Over time, a number of definitions have been used to define the scope of Central London for statistics, urban planning and local government. Its characteris ...

Chislehurst Chislehurst () is a suburban district of south-east London, England, in the London Borough of Bromley. It lies east of Bromley, south-west of Sidcup and north-west of Orpington, south-east of Charing Cross. Before the creation of Greater L ...

, Crystal Palace,

, Elephant & Castle, Eltham,

Erith Erith () is an area in south-east London, England, east of Charing Cross. Before the creation of Greater London in 1965, it was in the historical county of Kent. Since 1965 it has formed part of the London Borough of Bexley. It lies nort ...

, Greenwich, Lewisham, North Greenwich, Orpington,

Peckham Peckham () is a district in southeast London, within the London Borough of Southwark. It is south-east of Charing Cross. At the United Kingdom Census 2001, 2001 Census the Peckham ward had a population of 14,720. History "Peckham" is a Saxon p ...

, Sidcup, Thamesmead and Welling.

Woolwich Ferry

The free Woolwich Ferry service operates across the River Thames to North Woolwich in the

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

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 upstream from the tunnel and ferry.

Notable people

* Garry Bushell (born 1955), journalist and political activist, born in Woolwich. *

, 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 Stella Frances Silas Duffy (born 1963) is a London-born writer and theatremaker. Born in London, she spent her childhood in New Zealand before returning to the UK. Early life and education Born in London in 1962 to a New Zealand father and an ...

, 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 Culture Club are an English pop band formed in London in 1981. The band comprises Boy George (lead vocals), Roy Hay (guitar and keyboards), Mikey Craig (bass guitar) and formerly included Jon Moss (drums and percussion). Emerging in the New ...

, raised in Woolwich * Jeremy Healy, DJ and member of

Haysi Fantayzee Haysi Fantayzee were a short lived British pop band of the early 1980s. Their best known songs are "John Wayne Is Big Leggy", released in 1982 and " Shiny Shiny", released in 1983. Career Haysi Fantayzee was an avant-garde, new wave pop proj ...

, 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 Joseph Grimaldi (18 December 1778 – 31 May 1837) was an English actor, comedian and dancer, who became the most popular English entertainer of the Regency era.Byrne, Eugene"The patient" Historyextra.com, 13 April 2012 In the early 1800s, ...

(1778–1837), pantomime clown, lived in Woolwich during the early 1830s before moving to

Islington Islington () is a district in the north of Greater London, England, and part of the London Borough of Islington. It is a mainly residential district of Inner London, extending from Islington's High Street to Highbury Fields, encompassing the ar ...

. * 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 Jonathan Guy Lewis (born 20 May 1963) is a British actor known for his role as Chris Hammond in ''London's Burning (TV series), London's Burning''. Early life Lewis was educated at St Dunstan's College, After attending university, Lewis was an of ...

(born 1963), actor, born in Woolwich. *

William Livingstone Robe Lieutenant William Livingstone Robe (1791 – 19 June 1815) was a British Army officer of the Royal Horse Artillery who was noted for his distinguished conduct in battles of the Peninsular War. He died at the Battle of Waterloo. Biography Robe w ...

(1791–1815), army officer, born in Woolwich. *

Forbes Macbean Lieutenant-General Forbes Macbean (1725 – 11 November 1800) was a British Army officer of the Royal Artillery. Biography Macbean was born 28 June 1725, the son of the Reverend Alexander MacBean of Inverness and his wife Marjory, daughter of ...

FRS (1725–1800), army officer, lived and died in Woolwich. *

Carlo Martelli Carlo Martelli (born 12 December 1935) is an English composer and viola player of Italian extraction who saw early success and high profile performances with his orchestral and chamber music concert works, but later turned to light music and film ...

, (born 1935) has lived in Woolwich since the early 1960s. * Scott Maslen (born 1971), actor and model, born in Woolwich. *

Keith Milow Keith Milow (born 29 December 1945 in London) is a British artist. He grew up in Baldock, Hertfordshire, and lived in New York City (1980–2002) and Amsterdam (2002–2014), now lives in London. He is an abstract sculptor, painter and printmak ...

(born in 1945), painter and sculptor, lives in Woolwich. *

Glenn Morris Glenn Edgar Morris (June 18, 1912 – January 31, 1974) was a U.S. track and field athlete. He won a gold medal in the Olympic decathlon in 1936, setting new world and Olympic records. He attended Colorado A&M — now known as Colorado State U ...

(1983), footballer, born in Woolwich. * Noizy (born 1986),

Albanian Albanian may refer to: *Pertaining to Albania in Southeast Europe; in particular: **Albanians, an ethnic group native to the Balkans **Albanian language **Albanian culture **Demographics of Albania, includes other ethnic groups within the country ...

musician and actor, lived in Woolwich. *

William Ranwell William Ranwell (26 July 1797 - 5 October 1861) was an English landscape artist during the early 19th century. Ranwell exhibited as a Royal Academician and with Suffolk Street Galleries. He married Frances Rutherford on 19 October 1828 in St Ma ...

(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 Colonel Sir William Robe (18 February 1765 – 5 November 1820) was a British Army officer of the Royal Artillery who served in the Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars. He was praised as an artillery commander in combat and an organiser of mili ...

(1765–1820), army officer and architect, born and died in Woolwich. * John Shownmi (born 1986), musician, producer and entrepreneur, lived in Woolwich. *

John Tapner John Charles Tapner (8 March 1823 – 10 February 1854) was an English convicted murderer who was the last person executed by Guernsey. Tapner was from Woolwich, London, England, and was living in St Martin when 74-year-old Elizabeth Saujon was ...

(c. 1823 – 10 February 1854), last person executed in the island of

Guernsey Guernsey (; Guernésiais: ''Guernési''; french: Guernesey) is an island in the English Channel off the coast of Normandy that is part of the Bailiwick of Guernsey, a British Crown Dependency. It is the second largest of the Channel Islands ...

, came from Woolwich. * Glenn Tilbrook (born 1957), guitarist, born in Woolwich. * Neil Vartan (1962–1994), cricketer, born in Woolwich. *

Lesley Vickerage Lesley Francesca Vickerage is an English actress best known for her roles as WPC Jenny Dean in the television series '' Between the Lines'', as Lieutenant (later Captain) Kate Butler in ''Soldier Soldier'', as Helen Lynley in the television seri ...

(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.

References

External links

Woolwich
''Royal Borough of Greenwich'' website
History of Woolwich
''Ideal Homes: a history of South-East London Suburbs'' website.
S.E.18: Impressions of a London Suburb
– 1964 film about Woolwich

* Digital Public Library of America
Works related to Woolwich
various dates {{Authority control Areas of London Districts of London on the River Thames Districts of the Royal Borough of Greenwich Major centres of London Market towns in London