20 Facts About Woolwich

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

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.

Woolwich's mansion was Tower Place, for some time the largest dwelling in Woolwich.

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, had gradually drifted towards the Royal Arsenal's main gatehouse, more or less at its present location.

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Victorian Woolwich was a rich social mix with skilled engineers along with unskilled labourers working at the Arsenal and other factories, large numbers of soldiers and a small bourgeoisie consisting of military officers and the commercial and professional elite.

Woolwich was on the route of two London trams of the first generation .

Woolwich was home to the experimental Auto Stacker car park.

Woolwich was the location of the first free kindergarten in the UK.

Royal Ordnance Factories F C was founded in response to Woolwich Arsenal joining the League but only lasted a few years.

Woolwich became part of the London metropolitan area in the mid-19th century, although was officially still in Kent at the time.

Woolwich declined as a town in the late 20th century, starting with the closure of the Royal Ordnance Factory in 1967 and the Siemens factory in 1968 and continuing as the Royal Arsenal scaled back operations and finally closed in 1994.

Amidst the decline, Woolwich was still considered to be a representative English town at the time.

Woolwich started to enjoy the beginning of a renaissance with the residential redevelopment of the former Royal Arsenal.

Royal Military Academy at the south end of Woolwich Common was designed by James Wyatt and has an almost equally long facade in Mock Tudor style.

The Royal Engineers' HQ was moved to Chatham in 1856, but a small detachment remained in Woolwich, quartered in what is Engineer House on Mill Hill, just off the Common.

Virtually nothing is left of the old town of Woolwich which was near the ferry and the parish church along the Thames.

Woolwich parish church, St Mary Magdalen is a plain brick 1730s building with a spireless tower.

Woolwich has one museum, the Greenwich Heritage Centre at the Royal Arsenal .

Woolwich is served by many bus services all provided by Transport for London.