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Woolwich
Woolwich maps
Historic maps of Woolwich and the local area, hand-drawn by Ordnance Survey and Samuel Lewis. View all Woolwich maps
Woolwich area books
Displaying 1 of 13 books about Woolwich and the local area. View all books for this area
You can read extracts and browse photos from these books.
Memories of Woolwich
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memories of Woolwich.
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Pre-War Woolwich And Shooter's Hill
As a very young lad I lived on Ankerdine Crescent on Shooter's Hill, but Mum frequently took me down to Woolwich for shopping on the market. I can clearly remember a butcher's stall close to Powis Street where the cry related to 'Lamb's tickers' (lamb's hearts), something I sorely miss these days, living here in Sweden. What the Swedes do with the lamb's tickers I'll never know. We also took trips across the river on the old paddle-wheel steam ferries. Our next-door neighbour but one was one of the engineers on the ferry, and we often looked in at the control room where he stood at the controls of one of the paddle wheels. It was fascinating seeing the shiny piston rods at work, and all the polished brasswork. You got into trouble if you simply went to and fro on the ferry, so we used to go ashore on the north side, wait for that ferry boat to return, and then came back to our south shore again. And yes... Read more
Woolwich Ferry
There has been a ferry at Woolwich for many centuries but the people of Woolwich complained in the 1880s that West London had free access across the River Thames by bridges so why couldn't they have free travel? The river was too busy to put a bridge over and there was not room to put in a tunnel so the newly formed London County Council decided to provide a free ferry service with boats large enough to accomodate vehicles. It was opened on 23rd March 1889 and there were three ferries Gordon, Duncun and Hutton. The second generation of paddle steamers were Squires and Gordon (again!) built in 1922 and Will Crooks and John Benn built in 1930. By the 1960s the ferry traffic was clogging up Woolwich where the traffic waiting to board the ferry often streached back into the main shopping streets. So three new bigger boats were built in 1963, John Burns, James Newman and (pictured here) Ernist Bevin. They were 'Roll on, Roll off' type boats... Read more
A Day Out to Woolwich
During the early years after the Second World War my mother would take me to Woolwich as a special treat. I was about 8 year old then. We would catch the 696 trolleybus from Dartford market and arrive at the Woolwich Arsenal around lunch time. Our first stop was Manzie's Pie and Eel shop - absolutely delicious after the wartime food. From there we would walk past Woolwich Empire on our way to the ferry. On the way we would watch the trams changing their electric shoes and then proceed to the ferry pier. When we boarded I immediately went down to see the steam engines at work. They had polished brass bearing and well-oiled pistions. The smell of steam, coal, and oil still remains with me. Arriving at the other side we would simply walk to the Royal Victoria Gardens (still there) and, after an hour or so return to Woolwich. It doesn't seem much now but after the blitz it was really a great day out.
Over The Water !
The Woolwich Ferry was the only way I can remember in the 1950s and 60s that we could go 'over the water ' from South to North London. I can remember trips with my Nannie as a child , catching a bus from Eltham to Woolwich and then on the Ferry when she went to visit a Methodist Church on the other side of the Thames. The Thames at that time was so smelly she used to give me a hankie with lavender water to hold to my nose! I loved going on the ferry and can remember the noise and smell of the engine room and the excitement of landing on the other side. To me it was a journey to another land !
Never Seen Aunt Fanny by Gaslight !!
Woolwich Market ..what a hoot ! I can hear the stallkeeper at the far left there now back in 1959...
'ere y'are luv..step right up...step right up..see these 'ere brand new silk bloomers ...never seen dayloit, never seen moonloit and never seen Aunt Fanny by gasloit 'aven't these 'ere bloomers...wot'lyer give me then...three pairs a shilling then...come on nah....
I lived on Mill Lane up by the barracks...used to love wandering around the market on a Saturday, I did.
Woolwich Town Centre
I remember very fondly Woolwich market & town centre in the 60's & 70's. Cuffs department store always seemed so imposing with polished wooden floors, we had to go there to get my school uniform for Notre Dame Convent in Eglington Road. Christmas time always meant a visit to the store to see Santa's grotto, and a ride up in the lift which was always manned. My favourite department was the downstairs jewellery dept, (still love a bit of bling now) it had a wood and glass case which revolved round and you pressed a button to stop it at your favourite item. Mum used to treat herself and have her hair done there too. Garretts Store was mainly furniture and there was a lovely toy shop, Branstons, at the top of Powis Street.
My Saturdays consisted of going swimming to Woolwich Baths, drying our hair outside the building round the back from the warm air outlet pipes, getting a bag of chips and pickled onion and eating... Read more
Woolwich, Powis Street
I remember Woolwich town centre in the 1960's when I was a kid. In this picture I believe you can just see Garrets department store on the left which was a big rival to Cuffs department store a bit further back (out of shot). It was Cuffs store that provided my school uniform for Eglinton school. I also remember going to the restaurant upstairs in the RACS, not often as it was a silver service restaurant, a bit posh for us, as we lived in a prefab in Cleanthus Road, Shooters Hill. Is there any one who has similar memories, in particular anyone living in the prefabs Cleanthus Road between 1962 and 1967.
I Really Hope Someone Can Help me .
My mum apparently worked in a cafe in Woolwich during 1955/56, it may have been near the market. I really need to know about all the cafes that were there at that time, who owned them? And does anyone remember the following names from then: Sid (cafe owner. Jeff, who sold things on the market. A man that had one leg, a tall handsome man called John (he may have been of mixed race such as half Cypriot?). Any information, no matter how small, will be very helpful. Thankyou,from Linda
