Woolwich
Woolwich is a town in south-east London, England in the London Borough of Greenwich, on the south side of the River Thames.
It is notable as a river crossing point, having the Woolwich Ferry (and the lesser-known Woolwich foot tunnel), and as the one-time home of the Woolwich Building Society (now relocated in Bexleyheath and owned by Barclays Bank).
Its history is strongly associated with Britain's military past. It was home to the Woolwich Dockyard (founded in 1512), the Woolwich Arsenal (dating back to 1671) and the Royal Military Academy (1741); it still retains an army base and military museum.
Football club Arsenal F.C. was founded in Woolwich in 1886 by workers at the Arsenal - the club was initially known as Dial Square then became Woolwich Arsenal, dropping the Woolwich prefix sometime after 1891. It moved to Highbury in north London in 1913.
Woolwich Polytechnic, founded in 1892, after merging with other colleges, became Thames Polytechnic in 1970. In 1992, as the University of Greenwich, it was granted university status.
Famous residents
- Hubert Bland, early socialist and co-founder of the Fabian Society was born in Wood Street, now Wood Hill, Woolwich in 1855
- Tom Cribb, English bare-knuckle boxing champion in the early 19th century, retired to, died, and was buried (1848) in Woolwich
- General Charles George Gordon of Khartoum was born at 29 Woolwich Common and educated at the Royal Military Academy
- Ian Wright former Arsenal footballer (later a television personality) was born and raised in Woolwich
- Richard Lovelace, poet
- Henry Maudslay engineer and tool-maker, born in Salutation Alley (now demolished) and buried in the parish churchyard
- diarist Samuel Pepys
- Oswald Hope Robertson, the medical pioneer who invented blood banks, was born in Woolwich in 1886
Transport
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The free Woolwich Ferry service operates across the River Thames to North Woolwich in the London Borough of Newham carrying trucks, cars, cyclists and pedestrians during the hours of daylight. Woolwich foot tunnel is also available for use by pedestrians at any time.
See Also
Referenced By
A205 road | Alan Brooke | Alan Brooke Alanbrooke | Alan Francis Brooke, 1st Viscount Alanbrooke | Alanbrooke | Arsenal F.C. | Blackheath railway station | British Road Numbering Scheme | Charles Beresford | Charles George Gordon | Charles Orde Wingate | Charlton | Charlton, London, England | Deptford railway station | Docklands Light Railway | Edward Sabine | Ferries | Ferry | Fifty-Third Parliament of the United Kingdom | Frederick Hobson Leslie | George Everest | Governor FitzRoy | Great Harry | Greenwich Foot Tunnel | H.M.S. Beagle | HMS Antelope | HMS Beagle | HMS Grampus | HMS Indefatigable | HMS Liverpool | HMS Macedonian | HMS Ocean (1805) | HMS Triumph | HMS Vanguard | Henri Grace à Dieu | Henry Maudslay | Hubert Bland | Ian Wright | Institution of Civil Engineers | John Robinson | John Smeaton | List of Docklands Light Railway stations | List of places in London | List of places in London, England | List of towns in England | London Borough of Greenwich | London City Airport | MPs elected in British Elections 2001 | MPs elected in the UK general election, 2001 | Mary Wollstonecraft | Metropolitan Borough of Woolwich | North Woolwich | Orde Wingate | Peter Barlow | Peter Bottomley | Peter James Bottomley | Peter W. Barlow | Places in London | Richard Lovelace | Robert FitzRoy | Royal Military Academy | Royal Military Academy Sandhurst | Royal Military College, Sandhurst | Royal Naval College | Royal Ordnance | Sandhurst Military Academy | Shooter's Hill | South Circular Road | Thames Barrier | Tom Cribb | Will Crooks | William Henry Barlow | Woodlands Art Gallery | Woolwich Arsenal | Woolwich Arsenal railway station | Woolwich Ferry | Woolwich foot tunnel
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