A. Charlton Cemetery

Originally there were high burial fees for non-parishioners and so tended to attract wealthy local families. As a result the cemetery contains numerous handsome monuments and statues.

B. Rotunda

The Rotunda began life as a vast tent originally erected in St. James’ Park in 1814 as part of premature celebrations of victory over Napoleon. It was converted into a permanent building by Nash in 1822.

C. Ha-Ha Road And Royal Artillery Barracks

A Ha-Ha is a sunken lane or wall built to prevent cattle wandering. This is a reminder of when animals grazed the common land. The Royal Artillery Barracks nearby has a facade that is over 1000 feet long.

D. Woolwich Common Estate

The Woolwich Common Estate was built on the site of a pub called the Barrack Tavern and an area of Regency terraced housing. This included 1 Kemp Terrace which was the birthplace and home of General Gordon.

E. Plumstead Common

The name Plumstead comes from the large number of orchards which once covered this area. The Manor of Plumstead changed hands many times until in 1876 its use by the military led to a serious riot. As a result the Local Authority of the time bought the Common from Queens College for £9000 so that it might be preserved as a public open space.

F. Plumstead Windmill
And The Slade

The 18th Century tower behind the Old Mill Pub is all that remains of the Plumstead Windmill. By 1848 it had stopped grinding wheat and began selling beer. The Slade gets its name from the ‘slide’ or ‘slip’ of the land which caused this deep ravine.

G. Winns Common And Bleak Hill

This area is reputed to have been inhabited since the days of the Ancient Britons. There are good views from here of the River Thames and Thamesmead.

H. Great Bartletts Woods And Wickham Lane

In 1887 a Roman lead coffin was discovered just off Wickham Lane. The area is also riddled with chalk caves.

I. Royal Arsenal Co-operative Society ‘Links’ Building

The building was designed in mock Tudor style to blend in with the (then) rural surroundings.

J. Shrewsbury Park

The park takes its name from the first house, built in 1789 by the Earl of Shrewsbury. The house had a long list of residents including HRH Princess Charlotte, only child of George IV and Queen Caroline.

K. Eaglesfield Recreation Ground & Shooters Hill Golf Course

The name Eaglesfield derives from the coat of arms granted to John Lidgbird, High Sheriff of Kent in 1741 which included two large eagles. This park marks the highest point on Shooters Hill, which is in fact fourteen feet higher than the top of the cross on the dome of St. Pauls Cathedral.

L. The Water Tower

The water tower was completed in 1910 at a cost of £3256 and is a prominent landmark for many miles around. Water is pumped up from the chalk wells at Orpington to here and to the reservoir on Academy Road. It then falls by gravity to a pumping station on Well Hall Road.

M. The Bull Public House

The original pub was built in 1749 and was rebuilt in 1881 but rumour has it that Henry VIII may have stopped at the Bull in 1697. The old inn was demolished in 1880 and a replacement built on an adjacent site in 1881.

N. Oxleas Meadows

Originally a large house called Wood Lodge occupied the site of the present pavilion but it was demolished in the 1930s.

Select an area 1 - 10 for an overview of that section on the Green Chain Walk.