Eltham ( ) is a district of

southeast 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 sepa ...

London London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...

, England, within 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 ...

. It is east-southeast of Charing Cross, and is identified in the

London Plan The London Plan is the statutory spatial development strategy for the Greater London area in the United Kingdom that is written by the Mayor of London and published by the Greater London Authority. The regional planning document was first pu ...

as one of 35 major centres in Greater London. The three wards of Eltham North, South and West have a total population of 35,459. 88,000 people live in Eltham.

History

Origins

Eltham developed along part of the road from London to

Maidstone Maidstone is the largest town in Kent, England, of which it is the county town. Maidstone is historically important and lies 32 miles (51 km) east-south-east of London. The River Medway runs through the centre of the town, linking it wi ...

, and lies almost due south of

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 thr ...

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 ...

, to the south, became part of the parish on the abolition of all

extra-parochial area In England and Wales, an extra-parochial area, extra-parochial place or extra-parochial district was a geographically defined area considered to be outside any ecclesiastical or civil parish. Anomalies in the parochial system meant they had no ch ...

s, which were rare anomalies in the parish system. Eltham College and other parts of Mottingham were therefore not considered within Eltham's boundaries even before the 1860s. From the sixth century Eltham was in the ancient Lathe of Sutton at Hone. In the

Domesday Book Domesday Book () – the Middle English spelling of "Doomsday Book" – is a manuscript record of the "Great Survey" of much of England and parts of Wales completed in 1086 by order of King William I, known as William the Conqueror. The manus ...

of 1086 its hundred was named ''Gren /vz'' (Greenwich), which by 1166 was renamed ''Blachehedfeld'' (Blackheath) because it had become the location of the annual or more frequent

hundred 100 or one hundred (Roman numeral: C) is the natural number following 99 and preceding 101. In medieval contexts, it may be described as the short hundred or five score in order to differentiate the English and Germanic use of "hundred" to des ...

gathering. By the 1880s the lathes and hundreds of Kent had become obsolete, with the civil parishes and other districts assuming modern governmental functions. Eltham was a

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 authorit ...

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 ...

until 1889 when it became part of the

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 ...

and from 1900 formed part of the

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 ...

. The metropolitan borough was abolished in 1965 and Eltham then became part of the then London Borough of Greenwich. Eltham today is one of the largest suburban developments in the borough with a population of almost 88,000 people.

Early development

Eltham lies on a high, sandy plateau which gave it a strategic significance. That, and the fact of its position close to the main route to the

English Channel The English Channel, "The Sleeve"; nrf, la Maunche, "The Sleeve" (Cotentinais) or ( Jèrriais), (Guernésiais), "The Channel"; br, Mor Breizh, "Sea of Brittany"; cy, Môr Udd, "Lord's Sea"; kw, Mor Bretannek, "British Sea"; nl, Het Kana ...

ports in Kent, led to the creation of the moated medieval Eltham Palace, still its most notable landmark. Daniel Lysons described its origins. The nearby manor of Well Hall was home to Sir John Pulteney, four times

Lord Mayor of the City of London Lord is an appellation for a person or deity who has authority, control, or power over others, acting as a master, chief, or ruler. The appellation can also denote certain persons who hold a title of the peerage in the United Kingdom, or are ...

, and later to wealthy Catholic William Roper and his wife Margaret (daughter of Sir Thomas More, known to Catholics as Saint

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 ...

, Chancellor to King Henry VIII). In 1733 Sir Gregory Page bought this estate for £19,000 and demolished Roper House, building Page House – later known as Well Hall House – on the site. Until its demolition in 1931, Well Hall House variously served as a home to

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 ...

John Arnold, and later to socialist

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 ...

and author

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

. Also of note is Avery Hill Park and its former mansion, accessed from Bexley Road and at various points along the three miles (5 km) of other streets that surround the park. Avery Hill was the home of Colonel North, who made his fortune working in the Chilean nitrate industry. A hothouse is still open to the public and contains temperate and tropical plants. There are also remnants of the formal gardens in the public park. Today the mansion is part of the

University of Greenwich , mottoeng = "To learn, to do, to achieve" , former_name = Woolwich Polytechnic(1890–1970)Thames Polytechnic(1970–1992) , established = , type = Public university , budget = £214.9 million (2020) , administrative_staff = , chancel ...

, which has been a significant presence on two sites in the area. However, in 2014 the university announced its intentions to withdraw from the site and has now done so.

Suburban development after 1900

The village streets adjacent to the Palace, and the surrounding land, remained rural until Archibald Cameron Corbett bought the Eltham Park Estate and developed it with well-built suburban housing between 1900 and 1914. The Bexley Heath Railway (see below) had opened what came to be known as the Bexleyheath Line in 1895. Suburban development of the district accelerated when the Government, through His Majesty's Office of Works, built the Progress Estate in

. In the early years it was called, rather pretentiously, "Well Hall Garden City". Its name was changed to " Progress Estate" when it was purchased by 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 ...

in 1925. It compares well with later groups of municipal housing in south London – which is surprising given the fact that it was constructed rapidly between February and December 1915 and is sub-divided by the South Circular Road and (until about 1988) by the even busier A2 Trunk Road. The Progress Estate was made a Conservation Area in 2007. Urban Development File:Eltham map 1870.jpg, Map 2. Eltham in 1870 File:Eltham map 1898.jpg, Map 3 Eltham in 1898 File:Eltham map 1908.png, Map 4.Eltham in 1908 File:Eltham map 1928.png, Map 5. Eltham in 1928 File:Eltham map 2014.png, Map 6. Eltham in 2014 Source Open Street Map After World War I the building of housing estates continued unabated. By the beginning of World War II, four large estates were in existence: the Progress Estate (1915), the Page Estate (1923), Middle Park (1931–36), and Horn Park (begun 1936, completed 1950s). The latter two were built on Eltham Palace's former hunting parks. Coldharbour Estate was built in 1947. The small council estates of Pippenhall and Strongbow Crescent were completed about 1960. Since that time new house building has been limited to small private "infill developments" and replacements for demolished properties. Eltham residents occupy a housing stock of mixed age, particularly towards Eltham Park and the multiple streets with 'Glen' in their names. There are some fine houses scattered around Eltham. At least two roads, North Park and Court Road, contain million pound homes, and some of the older Victorian buildings have been subdivided into apartments. A

Micropub A micropub is a very small, modern, one room pub founded on principles set up by Martyn Hillier of the first micropub, The Butchers Arms in Herne, Kent, which are "based upon good ale and lively banter". Definition A micropub, according to ...

, The Long Pond, was opened in December 2014 - the first pub in Eltham Park for at least 115 years as Archibald Cameron Corbett would not give permission for pubs and put a restrictive covenant on the land. However, since the

Licensing Act 2003 The Licensing Act 2003 (c 17) is an act passed by the Parliament of the United Kingdom. The act establishes a single integrated scheme for licensing premises in England and Wales used to sell or supply of alcohol, provide regulated entertainment ...

was implemented in 2005, Premise Licences are now granted by the local authority ( Greenwich London Borough Council) instead of magistrates, as long as the applicant satisfies the council and the "responsible authorities" (such as Police, Environmental Health, Fire Service) that they will uphold the four licensing objectives (prevention of crime and disorder; public safety; prevention of public nuisance, protection of children from harm), then a licence will be granted. Several licensed premises in Eltham Park now offer "Off Sales". Domestic Architecture File:Eltham houses 1.jpg, The Lord Chancellor's Lodging 1420 File:Eltham houses 11.jpg, Clapboard cottage 1750 File:Eltham houses 12.jpg, Pair of cottages 1800 File:Eltham houses 13.jpg, Villas 1880 File:Eltham houses 14.jpg, Terrace houses 1880 File:Eltham houses 2.jpg, "Corbett Houses" Eltham Park 1905 File:Eltham houses 3.jpg, "Corbett Houses" Well Hall 1905 File:Eltham houses 4.jpg, Progress Estate. Built 1915 File:Eltham houses 5.jpg, Semi-detached houses. Built 1938 File:Eltham houses 6.jpg, Local authority houses 1955 File:Eltham houses 15.jpg, Flats 1980. Replaced Victorian villas File:Eltham houses 16.jpg, Flats 2012. Replaced old swimming pool

Incidents

In 1990, an IRA bomb outside the Eltham Palace headquarters of the

Royal Army Educational Corps The Royal Army Educational Corps (RAEC) was a corps of the British Army tasked with educating and instructing personnel in a diverse range of skills. On 6 April 1992 it became the Educational and Training Services Branch (ETS) of the Adjutant Gen ...

injured seven people (see

1990 Eltham bombing Year 199 ( CXCIX) was a common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was sometimes known as year 952 ''Ab urbe condita''. The denomination 199 for this year has been used since the ...

). The area was targeted three times by the Mardi Gra bomber in the 1990s.

Geography

Description and location

Eltham has a varied

topography Topography is the study of the forms and features of land surfaces. The topography of an area may refer to the land forms and features themselves, or a description or depiction in maps. Topography is a field of geoscience and planetary sc ...

. Map 6 shows contours, spot heights and water courses. The centre of Eltham is on a plateau at about the 60m level with the High Street running along its centre. There is a scarp slope to the west of the plateau from the top of which are unrestricted views across South London. Eltham Palace occupies a commanding position on the edge of the scarp. Eltham Hill offers the steepest descent from the plateau, starting at Eltham High Street and descending 30m over 1 km due west at the ''Yorkshire Grey'' (now a

McDonald's McDonald's Corporation is an American multinational fast food chain, founded in 1940 as a restaurant operated by Richard and Maurice McDonald, in San Bernardino, California, United States. They rechristened their business as a hambur ...

outlet). The land to the north of Eltham rises to form the southern slope of Shooter's Hill, one of the highest points in London at a height of . The recently (2014) restored 18th century belvedere Severndroog Castle offers wide views from its observation platform which is above sea level. From Eltham Church at the High Street rises gently to and continues east as Bexley Road at a slightly lower level. To the south the plateau slopes gently downwards to

(at ) and

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 ...

(at ) Eltham is devoid of any major water features, although the

River Thames The River Thames ( ), known alternatively in parts as the River Isis, is a river that flows through southern England including London. At , it is the longest river entirely in England and the second-longest in the United Kingdom, after the R ...

is approximately away from Eltham's northern limits. The most prominent body of water is the

River Quaggy The River Quaggy (often the Quaggy River or simply Quaggy) is a river, in length, passing through the south-east London boroughs of Bromley, Greenwich and Lewisham. In its lower reaches it is an urban river, in its upper reaches further from L ...

which runs to the south-west of Eltham and joins the River Ravensbourne at Lewisham. The Quaggy receives additional water from a tributary named Little Quaggy, flowing from the lake of The Tarn in Mottingham, and feeds the wetlands in Sutcliffe Park. The only other significant watercourse is the

River Shuttle The River Shuttle is a small tributary of the River Cray in London, United Kingdom. The river rises at two or more springs between Avery Hill and Eltham in the Royal Borough of Greenwich at the junction of the permeable Blackheath Beds and the ...

, which rises in Avery Hill Park and flows east to join the

River Cray The River Cray is the largest tributary of the Darent. It is the prime river of outer, south-east Greater London, rising in Priory Gardens, Orpington, where rainwater percolates through the chalk bedrock of the Downs to form a pond where the ...

. Other Nearby Areas *

Blackfen Blackfen is an area of south-east London, England, north of Sidcup in the London Borough of Bexley. Prior to 1965 it was in the county of Kent. "Blackfen" means a black, marshy area. The soil is dark and fertile and the area around Blackfen R ...

* Catford * Charlton * Chislehurst *

Downham Downham is a district of south-east London, England, within the London Borough of Lewisham. It borders the London Borough of Bromley, and is located north of Bromley and south of Catford. Downham was named in honour of Lord Downham, who was ...

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 ...

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 ...

* Grove Park * Lewisham * Plumstead * Sidcup *

Welling Welling is an area of South East London, England, in the London Borough of Bexley, west of Bexleyheath, southeast of Woolwich and of Charing Cross. Before the creation of Greater London in 1965, it was in the historical county of Kent. E ...

Parks and open spaces

There is a large variety of open green space in Eltham, in the form of parkland, fields and woodland. " Green Chain Walks" are signposted footpaths that run through or link the green spaces. Some are also bridleways or cycle routes. *''

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 aviar ...

Park'' is large, open parkland, to the east. It is most notable for its Winter Garden, a hothouse containing tropical trees and plants from around the world. The parkland was acquired by the

London County Council London County Council (LCC) was the principal local government body for the County of London throughout its existence from 1889 to 1965, and the first London-wide general municipal authority to be directly elected. It covered the area today kno ...

in 1902. *''Oxleas Woods, Castle Wood and Jack Wood'', directly north of Eltham, is a Site of Special Scientific Interest. Oxleas Wood covers and is at least 8,000 years old. The wood is home to specimen of tree including oak, silver birch, hornbeam and coppice hazel. Severndroog Castle, built in 1784 as a memorial to William James of the East India Company, stands in Castle Wood. *'' Sutcliffe Park'' is a park at the westernmost point of Eltham. Previously known as Harrow Meadow, the parkland was reclaimed from the

in the 1930s. The Quaggy was diverted into culverts, and the park officially opened in 1937 as Sutcliffe Park, named after the Borough's engineer. On 26 June 1954, the athletics track in Sutcliffe Park was opened, and has since been home to the Cambridge Harriers. In 2003, the park was re-landscaped as a wetland area. The River Quaggy was allowed to flow above-ground in the area, for the first time in 70 years. The park borders the

Ferrier Estate The Ferrier Estate was a large housing estate located in Kidbrooke, Greenwich, south London. Built as social housing between 1968 and 1972, it was demolished as part of the Kidbrooke Vision scheme between 2009 and 2012 and replaced with housing ...

, which was completed in 1970 and demolished by 2012 to make way for "Kidbrooke Village". *The ''Royal Blackheath Golf Course'' and the adjoining ''Tarn'' date back to Tudor times. The golf club, founded in 1766 to the north in Blackheath and to the south since its merger with Eltham Golf club in 1923, is the oldest golf club in the world outside Scotland. The club house Eltham Lodge is a grade I listed building. *Well Hall Pleasaunce – formal gardens, ponds and woodland, originally the site of a manor house, in

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 ...

, southwest of Eltham High Street, a public park in Horn Park, with grassland, woodland, playground, football pitch and skate park. Eltham Parks North and South, Avery Hill, Sutcliffe Park, The Tarn, Well Hall Pleasaunce and Horn Park all have Green Flag status. In the 1990s the defence of Oxleas Wood to the north east of the town became a focus for a pan-European campaign to resist high capacity urban roads. Significantly the European Court of Justice found the UK government at fault for not adequately assessing the environmental impact of the planned road, that would have joined

Beckton Beckton is a suburb in east London, England, located east of Charing Cross and part of the London Borough of Newham. Adjacent to the River Thames, the area consisted of unpopulated marshland known as the East Ham Levels in the parishes of Barki ...

to Falconwood and perhaps – if objectors' fears are to be believed – been a first stage of a wider orbital road through Catford (a revival of a Greater London Council-backed Ringway Two). Green places in Eltham File:Eltham parks 1.jpg, King John's Walk (Green Chain Walk) File:Eltham parks 2.jpg, Butterfly Lane File:Eltham parks 3.jpg, Avery Hill Park (Green Chain Walk) and the Winter Gardens File:Eltham parks 4.jpg, Oxleas meadows (Green Chain Walk) File:Eltham parks 5.jpg, Well Hall Pleasaunce - Woodland Garden File:Eltham parks 6.jpg, Well Hall Pleasaunce - Tudor Barn The Royal Borough of Greenwich maintains an online directory of open spaces. Most parks have active Friends groups

Demographics

In December 2010, the population of Eltham parliament constituency was 63,059, although this figure includes the wards of Coldharbour and New Eltham, Kidbrooke with Hornfair and Shooter's Hill. 63,082 people live in the SE9 postcode district; of these, 30,398 are male and 32,684 are female. People over 65 make up 17.9% of Eltham's electorate.

Migration and ethnicity

At the census of 2011, the white population of Eltham was recorded at 80.95%; the largest minority group in Eltham was Black-African and Black- Caribbean people, who comprised 7.46% of the total population with Asians comprising 6.62%. Eltham's proportion of white residents is significantly higher than the

average of 62.5%. Eltham's population by ward in 2011 was as follows:

Culture, identity and community

Eltham has an unusually high quotient of green space, with large areas of woodland to the north and east, including the historic woodland of Shooters Hill and Oxleas Wood, the Woodlands Farm community holding, Eltham Parks north and south and extensive parkland heading into Avery Hill park. Thus it is both 'suburban' and 'urban', and it forms part of the

, an

Inner London Inner London is the name for the group of London boroughs which form the interior part of Greater London and are surrounded by Outer London. With its origins in the bills of mortality, it became fixed as an area for statistics in 1847 and was u ...

borough. The town centre supports a loyal core of shoppers, diners, and drinkers, but the nightlife is modest. In recent years there has been great effort by local town centre businesses and other important Eltham stakeholders, to drive business, community and tourism improvements, that will help sustain the town centre. These efforts have resulted in the formation of an Eltham town centre partnership (ETCP), chaired by an elected local stakeholder. Greenwich council have member and officer representatives and the University of Greenwich whose Avery Hill Campus borders the Town Centre is also represented. The ETCP have encouraged the development of A new town centre commerce Association – The Association of Commerce for Eltham (ACE). ACE has established a new Town Centre web portal, which, as well as providing a basic business directory also provides mechanisms for encouraging interaction between business and community groups. The ETCP is currently trying to encourage the University of Greenwich, to undertake research projects into business and community development, based on Eltham town centre. In 2007, the new Eltham Centre opened just off the High Street including council offices and a new swimming pool and incorporating the early 20th century library. The Eltham Society was founded in 1965 with the aim of "Preserving the past, Conserving the present, and Protecting the future". In 1993 it erected the Eltham Town sign in the high street. The Society is responsible for various publications. In 2006 the community magazine "SEnine" was launched. It is published monthly and distributed free. As well as news and discussion of current affairs it also lists forthcoming events. It also carries many illustrated articles about Eltham history. Digitised copies of old issues are available on the SEnine website. A community website "This is Eltham" provides updates on current events. High Street and environs File:Eltham highstreet 1.jpg, Eltham bus and train stations built 1986 File:Southern Side of the Church of St John the Baptist, Eltham (I).jpg, St. Johns, a Church of England congregation File:Cliefden House, Eltham.jpg, The 18th-century Cliefden House, a Grade II listed building File:Eltham highstreet 3.jpg, The Bob Hope Theatre File:Buildings along the Northern Side of Eltham High Street.jpg, Buildings along the High Street, Eltham File:Eltham highstreet 4.jpg, Old Greyhound Inn File:Eltham highstreet 5.jpg, Sunday market and the Eltham town sign File:Eltham highstreet 7.jpg, Eltham CofE School. founded 1814 File:Eltham highstreet 8.jpg, St. Mary's Community Centre File:Eltham Library (I).jpg, Eltham Library File:Christ Church Catholic Church and Adjacent Presbytery, Eltham.jpg, Christ Church (RC) and Priory File:The Western Face of the Church of Holy Trinity, Eltham.jpg, The Church of Holy Trinity On 22 April 1993, 18-year-old black student

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; ...

was fatally stabbed in

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.sundown town Sundown towns, also known as sunset towns, gray towns, or sundowner towns, are all-white municipalities or neighborhoods in the United States that practice a form of racial segregation by excluding non-whites via some combination of discriminator ...

" a name used to describe communities in America's Deep South where black people were advised for their own safety to not be out in public after dark. Eltham was, for example, compared to

Jasper, Texas Jasper is a city in and the county seat of Jasper County, Texas, United States. Its population was 6,884 at the 2020 U.S. Census, down from 7,590 at the 2010 U.S. Census. Jasper is situated in the Deep East Texas subregion, about west of the Te ...

. During the 2011 England riots, Eltham received national attention when, for three nights, a

vigilante group Vigilantism () is the act of preventing, investigating and punishing perceived offenses and crimes without legal authority. A vigilante (from Spanish, Italian and Portuguese “vigilante”, which means "sentinel" or "watcher") is a person who ...

of 300–400 people occupied the centre of Eltham, saying they were protecting people and property from rioters. Extra police from other UK forces were sent to maintain order. The group gathered after rumours that Eltham would be the latest place to be hit by unrest. A small number claimed to be EDL members. BBC reporters tracked fans of

Millwall Millwall is a district on the western and southern side of the Isle of Dogs, in east London, England, in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. It lies to the immediate south of Canary Wharf and Limehouse, north of Greenwich and Deptford, eas ...

and Charlton walking along Eltham High St, with riot police following at a distance. Police were forced to move the crowds on for fear of violence, and were involved in minor clashes, but Eltham did not have any riot damage.

Education

Primary schools in Eltham include: Alderwood, Christ Church (Shooters Hill Rd), Deansfield, Gordon, Middle Park, Ealdham, Eltham C of E (Founded 1814), Gordon, Haimo, Henwick, Holy Family, Kidbrooke Park, St Mary's, St Thomas More and Wingfield. Secondary schools in Eltham include Eltham Hill School for Girls,

Harris Academy Greenwich Harris Academy Greenwich (formerly Eltham Foundation School) is a coeducational secondary school and sixth form with academy status, located in the Eltham area of the Royal Borough of Greenwich in London, England. History Eltham Foundation Scho ...

, St Thomas More Catholic School and Stationers' Crown Woods Academy (built upon the land of King Henry VIII's hunting grounds). One campus of the

is in

Park, on the borders of Eltham and

Sport and leisure

In 1654, three men were prosecuted at Eltham for playing

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 str ...

on a Sunday, one of the sport's earliest references. Eltham Cricket Club, founded in 1863 and the last club for whom WG Grace played, are based at Footscray Rugby Club. Eltham has a Non-League football club

Cray Valley Paper Mills F.C. Cray Valley Paper Mills Football Club is a football club currently based in Eltham, in the Royal Borough of Greenwich, England. They are currently members of the and play at the Badgers Sports Ground. History The club was established in 1919 ...

, which plays at Badgers Sports Ground (shared with Greenwich Borough F.C.) in Middle Park. Cray Valley plays an annual charity match against their local non-league rivals Eltham Old Boys Football Club. Eltham's parks provide many facilities for sports and fitness. Eltham Park South has a jogging track and six tennis courts. The Pleasaunce has a bowling green and pavilion. Avery Hill Park has changing rooms and half a dozen football and rugby pitches and with cricket pitches laid out in the summer. The land adjoining Avery Hill is occupied by many sports grounds which include Footscray RUFC, London Electricity Sorts and Social Club, Charlton Park RFC, Sparrows Lane Sports Ground, Cambridge Mission Sports Ground, Unilever Sports Ground, Metrogas Amateur Sports Association, St James Mar Thoma Amateur Sports Ground and the SRC2 Sports Club. The same area is also home to the training ground of professional football club Charlton Athletic at Sparrows Lane. Adjacent to Well Hall Pleasaunce is University of Greenwich Athletics Ground. This has a pavilion with changing rooms and six pitches for football and rugby Preserving these sports areas from the encroachments of property developers is a constant battle for Elthams environmental and community groups. Currently (2014) the focus is on the long disused Gaelic Sports Field in Avery Hill Road, for which there is a planning application to build 150 houses.

Transport

Rail

Eltham, along with most other suburbs in south east London, is not served by the

London Underground The London Underground (also known simply as the Underground or by its nickname the Tube) is a rapid transit system serving Greater London and some parts of the adjacent counties of Buckinghamshire, Essex and Hertfordshire in England. The ...

. Commuters rely on two rail lines to central London, and the road network. Trains through Eltham terminate at London Charing Cross, London Cannon Street or

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 ...

in a westerly direction, and Crayford, Dartford, Slade Green, Gravesend, Gillingham or

Rochester Rochester may refer to: Places Australia * Rochester, Victoria Canada * Rochester, Alberta United Kingdom *Rochester, Kent ** City of Rochester-upon-Medway (1982–1998), district council area ** History of Rochester, Kent ** HM Prison ...

in an easterly direction. Given the lack of London Underground access, the two suburban rail lines work at, or above, their capacity during peak-hour commuting to central London. Fast trains take as little as 20 minutes to get to London Charing Cross. Eltham's closest London Underground station is

North Greenwich tube station North Greenwich is a London Underground station served by the Jubilee line. Despite its name, it is not in the local area historically known as North Greenwich, on the Isle of Dogs, north of the River Thames; a completely different North Green ...

, a few miles to the northwest. Bexleyheath line Originally opened on 1 May 1895 by a private company, the Bexleyheath Line was taken over by the South Eastern Railway after it suffered bankruptcy. There were originally two stations in Eltham: Eltham Well Hall and Eltham Park. Eltham Well Hall station opened in 1895. Eltham Park station opened (after a prolonged legal wrangle) on 1 July 1908. On 11 June 1972, a London-bound train came off the track at Well Hall, killing 6 and injuring 126. Both Eltham stations were closed in 1985 and replaced by a new ‘ Eltham’ station; this coincided with the construction of the Rochester Way Relief Road part of which was built on the site of Eltham Well Hall station. Glenlea Road between Well Hall Road and Archery Road was replaced by the station forecourt and a bus station (this had previously been adjacent to Well Hall station). The new rail station was built above the new road at the point it travels through what is sometimes referred to as 'the Eltham tunnel'. The new station has a modernist feel. Dartford Loop The Dartford Loop line, about south of Eltham High Street, was opened by the South Eastern Railway on 1 September 1866. It is commonly known by locals as the ' Dartford line via Sidcup'. There are two stations on this line that serve the population living to the south of Eltham: Mottingham station, originally named 'Eltham Station' until 'Eltham Well Hall' opened, and New Eltham station. Neither station is as large as Eltham station, but both have been heavily upgraded since opening.

Roads

Eltham High Street lies on the A210, the original A20 London to

road. But the A20 has now been diverted southwards, passing through Mottingham, and it is a dual carriageway that connects to the M20 motorway in Kent. Similarly, to the north, the dual carriageway A2 has replaced the Rochester Road section, which was always very congested (the old road had dangerous readings of lead pollution, close to schools, before the advent of lead-free petrol). The upgrading of these two arterial routes in and out of London means that Eltham is handily positioned between the A20 and A2. Driving on either of these roads into London soon results in congestion, although the A2 does connect through to the

Blackwall Tunnel The Blackwall Tunnel is a pair of road tunnels underneath the River Thames in east London, England, linking the London Borough of Tower Hamlets with the Royal Borough of Greenwich, and part of the A102 road. The northern portal lies just south ...

under the

Thames The River Thames ( ), known alternatively in parts as the River Isis, is a river that flows through southern England including London. At , it is the longest river entirely in England and the second-longest in the United Kingdom, after the R ...

, and thus into east London, all on dual carriageway. Driving eastwards allows access to the Dartford Tunnel, and the

countryside, in as little as 20 minutes in off-peak hours. Crossing the two from north to the south is the A205 South Circular road, a busy arterial route. The back streets of Eltham have been largely traffic-calmed by the local Council, but there are chronic rat-runs as many of the measures are ineffective or insufficient. Provision for cyclists is modest, while there are some interesting footpaths along ancient rights of way, for example in Oxleas Wood and Avery Hill Park.

Buses

Scheduled coaches, marketed as part of the

National Express National Express Group is a British multinational public transport company headquartered in Birmingham, England. It operates bus, coach, train and tram services in the United Kingdom, Ireland (National Express operates Eurolines in conjunction ...

network, link Eltham Green to Pimlico and

Victoria Victoria most commonly refers to: * Victoria (Australia), a state of the Commonwealth of Australia * Victoria, British Columbia, provincial capital of British Columbia, Canada * Victoria (mythology), Roman goddess of Victory * Victoria, Seychelle ...

in central London and to several destinations on the Kent coast via Bluewater (a retail-based development on a grand scale in Dartford borough) and

Canterbury Canterbury (, ) is a cathedral city and UNESCO World Heritage Site, situated in the heart of the City of Canterbury local government district of Kent, England. It lies on the River Stour. The Archbishop of Canterbury is the primate of ...

. Eltham Green is one of the few places in south London served by National Express coaches. Eltham is served by Transport for London bus routes 122, 124, 126, 132, 160, 161, 162, 233, 286, 314, 321, B15 and B16. These routes connect Eltham to

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 ...

, Bexley, Bexleyheath, Blackfen,

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, c ...

, Catford, Charlton, Chinbrook, Chislehurst,

Crystal Palace Crystal Palace may refer to: Places Canada * Crystal Palace Complex (Dieppe), a former amusement park now a shopping complex in Dieppe, New Brunswick * Crystal Palace Barracks, London, Ontario * Crystal Palace (Montreal), an exhibition building ...

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 ...

, Grove Park,

, Kidbrooke, Lee, Lewisham, Middle Park,

New Addington New Addington is a town in South London, England, within the London Borough of Croydon. It is located 5 miles south east of Croydon, south of Addington Village and north of Biggin Hill. History Until the 1930s, the area now known as New Addingt ...

New Cross New Cross is an area in south east London, England, south-east of Charing Cross in the London Borough of Lewisham and the SE14 postcode district. New Cross is near St Johns, Telegraph Hill, Nunhead, Peckham, Brockley, Deptford and Greenwic ...

, North Greenwich, Plumstead,

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 ...

, Sidcup,

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 ...

, Well Hall, Welling and Woolwich.

Notable residents

* John Arnold – Internationally renowned

; lived in ''Well Hall House'' * John Ayldon – An operatic bass-baritone and former member of the

D'Oyly Carte Opera Company The D'Oyly Carte Opera Company is a professional British light opera company that, from the 1870s until 1982, staged Gilbert and Sullivan's Savoy operas nearly year-round in the UK and sometimes toured in Europe, North America and elsewhere. The ...

– Socialist and 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. T ...

; lived in ''Well Hall House'' from 1899 to 1922 *

Billy Bonds William Arthur Bonds (born 17 September 1946) is a former professional footballer and manager, who is most often associated with West Ham United with whom he spent 27 years as player and manager. He played 799 first-team games for West Ham in a ...

, MBE – Former Charlton Athletic and

West Ham United West Ham United Football Club is an English professional football club that plays its home matches in Stratford, East London. The club competes in the Premier League, the top tier of English football. The club plays at the London Stadium, hav ...

footballer and former Millwall F.C. manager * Bridget of York – Princess, seventh daughter of Edward IV *

Kate Bush Catherine Bush (born 30 July 1958) is an English singer, songwriter, record producer and dancer. In 1978, at the age of 19, she topped the UK Singles Chart for four weeks with her debut single " Wuthering Heights", becoming the first female ...

– Singer and musician * Conflict – Anarcho-punk band, some of whose members originated in Eltham * Stephen Courtauld – Millionaire, war veteran and philanthropist; lived at Eltham Palace from the mid-1930s to 1944 * Robert Devereux, 3rd Earl of Essex – Commander of the Parliamentary Army; last resident of Eltham Palace, where he died *

Bernardine Evaristo Bernardine Anne Mobolaji Evaristo, (born 28 May 1959) is a British author and academic. Her novel '' Girl, Woman, Other'', jointly won the Booker Prize in 2019 alongside Margaret Atwood's '' The Testaments'', making her the first woman with Bla ...

– Novelist, critic, poet, playwright and academic *

Boy George George Alan O'Dowd (born 14 June 1961), known professionally as Boy George, is an English singer, songwriter, DJ, author and mixed media artist. Best known for his soulful voice and his androgynous appearance, Boy George has been the lead singer ...

– Singer, raised in Middle Park, Eltham *

W. G. Grace William Gilbert Grace (18 July 1848 – 23 October 1915) was an English amateur cricketer who was important in the development of the sport and is widely considered one of its greatest players. He played first-class cricket for a record-equal ...

– Cricketer * Lord Healey (Denis Healey, Baron Healey) – Politician and Deputy Leader of the Labour Party, once lived in the Eltham "Hutments" *

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 ...

, KBE – Actor and Hollywood film star, born in Eltham in 1903 ( blue plaque at 44, Craigton Road). In 1982, the ''Eltham Little Theatre'' was renamed '' The Bob Hope Theatre'' in his honour, following his donations that saved the theatre from closure. * Jack Hope – Film and television producer; elder brother of Bob Hope *

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 ...

– Comedian and comic actor, born in

York York is a cathedral city with Roman origins, sited at the confluence of the rivers Ouse and Foss in North Yorkshire, England. It is the historic county town of Yorkshire. The city has many historic buildings and other structures, such as a ...

, but moved to Eltham as a young child * Peter Howitt – Actor and film director * Commodore Sir William James – Naval commander; settled in Eltham at Park Farm Place in 1759 and is commemorated by Severndroog Castle on nearby Shooter's Hill *

James Jameson James Purvis Jameson Justice of the Peace, JP (5 April 1824 – 6 September 1896) was Mayor of Christchurch in 1870–1871. A linen draper from the Manchester area, he emigrated with his family to Christchurch in 1863. He was involved with many ...

– British Army Surgeon-General; lived in Eltham and died at his home, ''Newlands'', in September 1904 * Richard Jefferies – Naturalist and writer; blue plaque at 59, Footscray Road * John of Eltham, Earl of Cornwall – Prince of England *

Ruth Williams Khama Ruth Williams Khama, Lady Khama (9 December 1923 – 22 May 2002) was the wife of Botswana's first president Sir Seretse Khama, the Paramount Chief of its Bamangwato tribe. She served as the inaugural First Lady of Botswana from 1966 to 1980. ...

– first lady of Botswana * Delroy Lindo – Actor * Sir Dermot Milman, 8th Baronet – Rugby union player and first-class cricketer *

Herbert Morrison Herbert Stanley Morrison, Baron Morrison of Lambeth, (3 January 1888 – 6 March 1965) was a British politician who held a variety of senior positions in the UK Cabinet as member of the Labour Party. During the inter-war period, he was Minis ...

– Labour Cabinet minister and leader of

; lived at 55, Archery Road (1929–1960) *

– Author, writer of "

The Railway Children ''The Railway Children'' is a children's book by Edith Nesbit, originally serialised in ''The London Magazine'' during 1905 and published in book form in the same year. It has been adapted for the screen several times, of which the 1970 fil ...

" and wife of

; lived in ''Well Hall House'' * Ellis O'Reilly – Former Irish international gymnast and Olympian * Katharine O'Shea – Housewife, mistress and later wife of Charles Stewart Parnell * John Partridge – '' EastEnders'' actor * Gavin Peacock – Former Charlton Athletic,

Chelsea Chelsea or Chelsey may refer to: Places Australia * Chelsea, Victoria Canada * Chelsea, Nova Scotia * Chelsea, Quebec United Kingdom * Chelsea, London, an area of London, bounded to the south by the River Thames ** Chelsea (UK Parliament consti ...

, and

Queens Park Rangers Queens Park Rangers Football Club, commonly abbreviated to QPR, is a professional football club based in Shepherd's Bush, West London, England, which compete in the . After a nomadic early existence, they have played home matches at Loftus Ro ...

footballer; former football pundit for the BBC * Philippa Plantagenet, 5th Countess of Ulster *

Louise Redknapp Louise Elizabeth Redknapp (née Nurding, born 4 November 1974) is an English singer, songwriter and media personality. She was a member of Eternal, an R&B girl group which debuted in 1993 with their quadruple-platinum studio album '' Always & ...

– Singer *

Steve Peregrin Took Steve Peregrin Took (born Stephen Ross Porter; 28 July 1949 – 27 October 1980) was an English musician and songwriter, best known for his membership of the duo Tyrannosaurus Rex with Marc Bolan. After breaking with Bolan, he concentrated on ...

– Musician * Dudley Stamp,

CBE The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations, and public service outside the civil service. It was established o ...

– Geologist and geographer * Alan White – Former drummer of British rock band Oasis

References

Bibliography

* * Kennet, John. Eltham - a Pictorial History. (1995). Philimore and Co . * Lysons, Daniel. (1796) The Environs of London. Vol 4. Pages 394–421."Eltham" http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=45484

External links

Greenwich Council
* Eltham Palace (English Heritage) http://www.elthampalace.org.uk/ * The Eltham Society https://web.archive.org/web/20130818133208/http://theelthamsociety.org.uk/index.php {{Authority control Areas of London Districts of the Royal Borough of Greenwich Major centres of London Former civil parishes in the London Borough of Bromley Former civil parishes in the Royal Borough of Greenwich Cricket in Kent English cricket in the 14th to 17th centuries