Charlton, London
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Charlton is an area in south-east London, in the London Borough of Greenwich, located between Greenwich and Woolwich. Formerly in Kent, Charlton is unique amongst suburbs of south east London in that it has very much retained its village feel and retains a strong community atmosphere, exemplified by attachment to local facilities and institutions such as Charlton Athletic F.C.
The core of the area is known as "The Village", which is on a hillside overlooking the River Thames. Old postcards from the 19th century depict the layout of the Village then as being similar to that of today. Moving away from the Village, in the opposite direction to Woolwich and Shooters Hill, the area termed as present day Charlton branches out towards Blackheath Royal Standard in one direction and steeply downhill in the opposite direction towards an industrial and shopping area. This urban sprawl has led to the name New Charlton being applied to a large area reaching down to the south bank of the river, roughly where the Thames Barrier crosses the river, although the barrier itself is located at Woolwich Reach. The area beyond the Village towards Woolwich and Shooters Hill is largely residential.
Charlton is also home to several parks of varying features, namely Maryon Park, Maryon Wilson Park, Hornfair Park, named in reference to the old Horn Fair, held in October, for which Charlton was renowned in previous centuries, and Charlton Park, which is largely made up of sports pitches or playing fields. Maryon Wilson Park provided the location for the classic 1960s movie Blow-Up, and is home to a great variety of enclosed wildlife such as deer, geese, sheep, and horses.
The architecture of Charlton is of great diversity, and offers a vivid insight into how different parts of the area were built up, as it evolved from a Thames side village into the London suburb that it is today. Charlton is home to the magnificent Charlton House, and has links with the classic architect Inigo Jones, a street being named after him. Other streets in Charlton named after prominent figures or places include Montcalm, Prince Henry, Canberra, and Kashmir.
There are four main pubs within the vicinity of Charlton Village and several more on the Woolwich Road. These include The Bugle Horn which has the authentic feel of an English village pub, in the shared opinion of many reviewers of London's pub scene. Other landmarks of interest include the village's Drinking Fountain and the impressive Catholic Church on the Charlton Road which is known as Our Lady of Grace and its historic links with the Irish community in south east London are evident in the statue of Saint Patrick on display inside. Charlton Village is also home to the historic Saint Luke's Church and then Charlton New Testament Church of God on Charlton Church Lane.
The contemporary population is a mixture of long established families, young professionals, and various ethnic groups, and has become more accessible for commuters in recent times due to its proximity to North Greenwich tube station. New Charlton also houses many shops and a cinema on the borders of North Greenwich as well as being in close proximity to The O2 Dome.
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[edit] History
The name "Charlton" is formed from the Old English words "ceorl", for "free peasant" or "villein", and "tun", for "homestead" or "village". It might best be understood to mean 'village of the villeins'.[1]
Charlton is assessed in the Domesday Book of 1086 at one "sulung", which is commonly held to have been the equivalent of two hides. In 1086 it was in the fee of Gundulf, bishop of Rochester, but in 1066 it had been held from the king as two estates, by two brothers, named Godwine and Alweard. Though assessed at only one sulung, it had a slightly higher value than might be expected, at £7, both in 1066 and in 1086.
In 1093, the manor of Charlton was given to Bermondsey Abbey by Bishop Robert Bloet of Lincoln. In 1268, the Abbey was granted a Monday market at Charlton, as well as an annual fair of three days, centred on Trinity Sunday, the eighth Sunday after Easter.[2]
In the early 18th century, Charlton was described by Daniel Defoe as:
a village famous, or rather infamous for the yearly collected rabble of mad-people, at Horn-Fair; the rudeness of which I cannot but think, is such as ought to be suppressed, and indeed in a civiliz'd well govern'd nation, it may well be said to be unsufferable. The mob indeed at that time take all kinds of liberties, and the women are especially impudent for that day; as if it was a day that justify'd the giving themselves a loose to all manner of indecency and immodesty, without any reproach, or without suffering the censure which such behaviour would deserve at another time. (from A Tour through Great Britain)
Apart from the Barrier, the area's other most notable feature is Charlton House, a Jacobean mansion by architect John Thorpe, built for Sir Adam Newton between 1607 and 1612. Sir Adam was tutor to Prince Henry, son of King James I of England, and was also responsible for building nearby St Luke's Church — burial place of Spencer Perceval (1762-1812), the only British Prime Minister to be assassinated, and of murdered civil servant Edward Drummond. Sir William Langhorne, 1st Baronet, is also buried there. On the northern edge of the garden of Charlton House is a mulberry tree planted in 1608 by order of King James in an effort to cultivate silkworms.
Later, Charlton House became the home of the Maryon-Wilson family, after whom a nearby park, location for the film Blow-Up, is named. Since 1925, the house has been owned by the London Borough of Greenwich and has functioned as a library and community centre.
The flat land adjoining the Thames at New Charlton has been a significant industrial area since Victorian times. A notable establishment was the Siemens Brothers Telegraph Works opened in 1863, which manufactured two new transatlantic cables in the 1880s[3], and contributed to PLUTO in World War 2.
[edit] Sport
In sport, Charlton is best known as the home of Charlton Athletic F.C. The club plays at The Valley (a former chalk pit) situated to the north of the village, close to the main road and railway line between Greenwich and Woolwich. Further south, close to Blackheath Standard, is the Rectory Field, home of the venerable Blackheath Rugby Club.
[edit] Famous residents
- Children's author Bernard Ashley, after whom a street is named.
- Civil engineer William Henry Barlow (1812-1902) lived at Highcombe, 145 Charlton Road, SE7.
- TV presenter Dave Berry.
- Andy Fordham, World darts champion was born and raised in Charlton.
- Sir William Langhorne, 1st Baronet, an early administrator of British India, purchased the Manor of Charlton on his return to England in 1680.
- Poet Walter de la Mare (1873-1956) was born in 83 Maryon Road (demolished in 1960s).
- Biblical scholar, writer, and minister Joseph Bryant Rotherham (1828 - 1910)
- English Egyptologist, Sir William Matthew Flinders Petrie (1853-1942) born at Maryon Road, Charlton, SE7.
- Italian-born novelist Italo Svevo (1861-1928) lived at 67 Charlton Church Lane, SE7.
[edit] Education
- For education in Charlton, London see the main London Borough of Greenwich article
[edit] Transport
[edit] Nearest tube stations
[edit] Docklands Light Railway
- Woolwich Arsenal DLR station scheduled to open in February 2009
[edit] Nearest railway stations
[edit] Road transport
Charlton lies to the east of the southern approach to the Blackwall Tunnel crossing of the River Thames and close to the A2 road.
[edit] Nearest places
[edit] References
- ^ Ekwall, E., The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Place-Names, 4th edn., Oxford University Press, 1960, pp. 96, 482. Cf. modern "churlish", and Daniel Lysons, 'Charlton', in The Environs of London: volume 4: Counties of Herts, Essex & Kent (1796), pp. 324-42. URL: http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.asp?compid=45480. Date accessed: 03 October 2007.
- ^ Annales Monastici, Luard, H.R. (ed., 5 vols., Rolls Series), 3, 1866.
- ^ A Visit to the Works of Messrs. Siemens Bros, The Telegraphist, June 2 1884.
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