Woolwich

• 1. Iron Age River Settlement

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  Woolwich has been inhabited since at least the Iron Age. Remains of a probably Celtic oppidum, established sometime between the 3rd and 1st century BCE, were found at the current Waterfront development site between Beresford Street and the Thames. This defensive earthwork encircled the landward sides of a riverside settlement, the only one of its kind so far located in the London area, that may have been a significant port, anterior to London. A path connected the riverside settlement with Watling Street (Shooter's Hill), perhaps also of Iron Age origin. Sandy Hill Road may be a remnant of this early path.

• 2. Military Industrial Complex

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  In 1512 it became home to Woolwich Dockyard, originally known as The King's Yard, founded by Henry VIII to build his flagship Henry Grace à Dieu. Many great ships were built here, such as the Prince Royal, the Sovereign of the Seas, the Naseby, the Dolphin and the Beagle. East of the dockyard a gun yard was established in the 1540s for storage and maintenance of ships' canons and armaments. The dockyard went through many ups and downs but survived for three and a half centuries, closing down in 1869. Following the establishment of the dockyard, Martin Bowes who had gathered a fortune at the Royal Mint, bought riverside holdings in Woolwich and Plumstead in the 1530s. His mansion was Tower Place, for some time the largest dwelling in Woolwich. In the 1650s the Board of Ordnance was given permission to prove guns in the grounds of the mansion. Twenty years later they purchased Tower Place itself. The Warren then developed from a place of storage into a collection of armament factories, military stores and research establishments, which were collectively named the Royal Arsenal by George III in 1805.

• 3. Class Divides And Demographics

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  Around 1500, at the beginning of the military and naval expansion, Woolwich had only a few hundred inhabitants. In 1665, when Samuel Pepys stayed here to escape the Great Plague, the population was estimated at 1,200 or more, of which about 300 worked in the dockyard. Around 1720, the town's population had risen to 6,500, reaching almost 10,000 in 1801. During the booming wartime decade that followed, population reached a peak of 17,000. Victorian Woolwich was a rich social mix with skilled engineers along with unskilled labourers including women and children working at the Arsenal and other factories. Large numbers of soldiers made up 10, 15% of the population and a small bourgeoisie consisted of military officers and the commercial and professional elite. Some areas of the town were notoriously overcrowded; the so-called Dusthole near the river was considered one of London's worst slums. In 1991 27% of the population of St Mary's Ward was unemployed; 84% lived in council housing.

• 4. Transport And Infrastructure

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  Until the arrival of the railways, the Thames was the principal artery connecting Woolwich to London. In 1834 the Woolwich Steam Packet Company greatly improved river traffic and in 1889 the Woolwich Free Ferry made it easier to live in North Woolwich and work in the Arsenal. The North Kent Line from London via Greenwich and Woolwich to Gillingham opened in 1849. The station building was rebuilt in 1906 and again in 1992, 93. Woolwich was also on the route of two London trams of the first generation running from 1881 to 1952. The post-war period brought massive changes to the town's fabric and infrastructure. Roads were widened and entire neighbourhoods pulled down to make room for modern housing, some of it in tower blocks. The widening of Woolwich High Street and Beresford Street left little of the old town. Woolwich was home to the experimental Auto Stacker car park. Built on the site of the Empire Theatre, it was officially opened in May 1961 by Princess Margaret. It never actually worked and was demolished in 1962.

• 5. Culture And Institutions

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  Woolwich Polytechnic was founded in 1891. As well as providing a higher education facility, it also provided secondary school facilities, including the still-extant Woolwich Polytechnic School for Boys. In the 20th century the Polytechnic grew steadily, taking up almost an entire block in the Bathway Quarter and later spreading to other areas. In 1970 it merged with other local colleges and became Thames Polytechnic. In 1992 it was granted university status and a year later was renamed the University of Greenwich. Woolwich had several theatres and cinemas. The Theatre Royal in Beresford Street, later renamed Empire Theatre or Woolwich Empire, was the biggest. Dating from the 1830s, it was enlarged in the 1880s and 1890s, seating about 2,000. Arsenal F.C. was founded in 1886 by workers at the Royal Arsenal. Initially known as Dial Square, then Royal Arsenal and then Woolwich Arsenal, they soon drew large crowds to their ground in Plumstead. In 1913 they moved to Arsenal Stadium in Highbury, North London.

• 6. Decline And Regeneration

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  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. Other employers like the Woolwich Building Society and Morgan Grampian Publishers were taken over by other companies and moved away from the town. Without major employers, the local economy was affected and unemployment soared. Recent and anticipated regeneration in the area means that it is expected that the district, identified in the London Plan as opportunity area, is expected to evolve from major centre to metropolitan centre within Greater London in the next few decades. Woolwich started to enjoy the beginning of a renaissance with the residential redevelopment of the former Royal Arsenal. Most historic buildings on the site have been renovated and converted into apartments. Several thousands of homes have been built or are under construction and thousands more are planned, mainly luxury apartments in tower blocks near the river. In 2017 it was announced that the borough has acquired five historic buildings around No 1 Street to create a £31 million creative district. The creative district opened as Woolwich Works in September 2021.