69-624: Blackheath is an area in Southeast London, straddling the border of the Royal Borough of Greenwich and the London Borough of Lewisham . Historically within the county of Kent , it is located 1-mile (1.6 km) northeast of Lewisham , 1.5 miles (2.4 km) south of Greenwich and 6.4 miles (10.3 km) southeast of Charing Cross , the traditional centre of London. The area southwest of its station and in its ward
138-588: A royal residence in the 16th century. On the north side of the heath, Ranger's House , a medium-sized red brick Georgian mansion in the Palladian style, backs directly onto Greenwich Park. Associated with the Ranger of Greenwich Park, a royal appointment, the house was the Ranger's official residence for most of the 19th century (neighbouring Montagu House , demolished in 1815, was a royal residence of Caroline of Brunswick ). Since 2002, Ranger's House has housed
207-576: A UNESCO World Heritage Site centred on Christopher Wren 's Royal Naval College and the Old Royal Observatory . Greenwich Community College is the main publicly funded provider of further education in the borough, offering a range of academic and vocational courses and qualifications. Anglian College London is a private college offering further and higher education courses to students from around London and overseas. In September 2013, The Royal Borough of Greenwich Equestrian Centre –
276-767: A further campus of the university at Avery Hill in Eltham , and also, outside the borough, in Medway . The Faculty of Music of Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance (formerly known as Trinity College of Music) is also housed in the buildings of the former Greenwich Hospital . Ravensbourne University opened its new campus in September 2010 and is located next to The O2 on Greenwich Peninsula . Greenwich Council owns many sports centres and these are operated by Greenwich Leisure Limited (GLL). They also run an outdoor swimming pool, Charlton Lido . The largest football club in
345-482: A house with very large grounds adjoining the heath and its continuation Greenwich Park. The house which was originally built around 1720 remains, remodelled slightly, Vanbrugh Castle . In his estate he had 'Mince Pie House' built for his family, which survived until 1911. Its church, St John the Evangelist's , was designed in 1853 by Arthur Ashpitel . The Blackheath High School buildings on Vanbrugh Park include
414-536: A partnership between Hadlow College and the Royal Borough of Greenwich – opened. At present it offers Level 1 and Level 2 qualifications in horse care, as well as a range of part-time qualifications and a BSc (Hons) degree in Equine Sports Therapy and Rehabilitation. The University of Greenwich main campus is located in the distinctive buildings of the former Royal Naval College . There is
483-535: A wide list of animal species, including natterjack toads , hares , common lizards , bats , quail , ring ouzel and nightingale . Today, bats remain and migrating ring ouzel may occasionally be seen in spring. Extensive mineral extraction in the 18th and early 19th centuries, when gravel, sand and chalk were extracted left the heath transformed. This left large pits in many parts. In 1945 pits were filled with bomb rubble from World War II , then covered with topsoil and seeded with rye grass , leaving Vanbrugh Pits to
552-621: Is Blakelea House, near Marsden , West Yorkshire , though there was also a family home at Sandwell Hall (since demolished) in the Sandwell Valley in West Bromwich , and Patshull Hall , near Pattingham , Staffordshire . The district of Dartmouth Park in north London also belonged to the family, and the family also owned land in Lewisham in south London, hence the subsidiary title Viscount Lewisham. The heir presumptive
621-612: Is a London borough in southeast Greater London , England. The London Borough of Greenwich was formed in 1965 by the London Government Act 1963 . The new borough covered the former area of the Metropolitan Borough of Greenwich and most of the Metropolitan Borough of Woolwich to the east. The local council is Greenwich London Borough Council which meets in Woolwich Town Hall . Greenwich
690-500: Is below: In March 2011, the main forms of transport that residents used to travel to work were driving a car or van, 17.5% of all residents aged 16–74; train, 10.2%; bus, minibus or coach, 10.2%; underground, metro, light rail, tram, 9.7%; on foot, 4.1%; work mainly at or from home, 2.5%; and bicycle, 1.5%. Tourism is becoming an increasingly important factor in Greenwich's economy. In 2015, 18.5 million people were expected to visit
759-577: Is named Lee Park. Its northern neighbourhood of Vanbrugh Park is also known as St John's Blackheath and despite forming a projection has amenities beyond its traditional reach named after the heath. To its west is the core public green area that is the heath and Greenwich Park , in which sit major London tourist attractions including the Greenwich Observatory and the Greenwich Prime Meridian . Blackheath railway station
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#1732775364695828-485: Is nonetheless likely during the Black Death, given the established village and safe harbour (hithe) status of Greenwich . At those times the high death rate meant that a guaranteed churchyard burial became impractical. A key Celtic trackway (becoming a Roman road and later Watling Street ) scaled the rise that is shared with Greenwich Park and a peak 1 mile (1.6 km) east-by-southeast , Shooters Hill . In
897-546: Is one of the oldest documented rugby clubs in the world and was located until 2016 at Rectory Field on Charlton Road. The Blackheath club also organised the world's first rugby international (between England and Scotland in Edinburgh on 27 March 1871) and hosted the first international between England and Wales ten years later – the players meeting and getting changed at the Princess of Wales public house. Blackheath
966-689: Is recorded in an inscription on a memorial fountain. Just south of the railway station is the Blackheath Conservatoire of Music and the Arts . It is located close to Blackheath Halls , a concert venue today owned and managed by Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance . To the north of the railway station, in Tranquil Vale, All Saints' Parish Hall is a locally listed building in Arts and Crafts style , built in 1928. It has housed
1035-648: Is served by London Buses routes 53 , 54 , 89 , 108 , 202 , 286 , 335 , 380 , 386 , 422 , N53 and N89 . These connect it with areas including Bexleyheath , Bow , Catford , Charlton , Crystal Palace , Deptford , Elephant & Castle , Eltham , Greenwich , Kidbrooke , Lee , Lewisham , New Cross , Plumstead , North Greenwich , Sidcup , Slade Green , Stratford , Sydenham , Welling and Woolwich . Royal Borough of Greenwich The Royal Borough of Greenwich ( / ˈ ɡ r ɛ n ɪ tʃ / , / ˈ ɡ r ɪ n ɪ dʒ / , / ˈ ɡ r ɪ n ɪ tʃ / or / ˈ ɡ r ɛ n ɪ dʒ / )
1104-647: Is set with small rubies. Since 2000, for elections to the London Assembly , the borough forms part of the Greenwich and Lewisham constituency. The borough contains the constituencies of: All three have represented by Labour MPs continuously since the 1997 General Election. The borough's population in 2011 was 254,557. 52.3% of the community defined themselves as White British . The largest minority groups represented were of Black and Asian heritage. Approximately 44,500 international migrants arrived in
1173-404: Is south of the heath. The name is from Old English spoken words 'blæc' and 'hǣth'. The name is recorded in 1166 as Blachehedfeld which means "dark, or black heath field" – field denotes an enclosure or clearing. Lewis 's topological dictionary opines, considering the adjective developed equally into derived term bleak, that Blackheath "takes its name either from the colour of the soil, or from
1242-411: Is the location of the Greenwich prime meridian , on which all Coordinated Universal Time is based. The prime meridian running through Greenwich, and the Greenwich Observatory is where the designation Greenwich Mean Time , or GMT began, and on which all world times are based. In 2012, Greenwich was listed as a top ten global destination by Frommer's – the only UK destination to be listed. To mark
1311-736: The Church Army Chapel . Blackheath Park occupies almost all of former 0.4-square-mile (1.0 km) Wricklemarsh House . Developed into upper middle class homes by John Cator , it forms the south-east of Blackheath: from Lee Road, Roque Lane, Fulthorp Road and the Plantation to all houses and gardens of right-angled Manor Way. Built up in the late 18th and early 19th centuries, it contains large and refined Georgian and Victorian houses – particularly Michael Searles ' crescent of semi-detached/terrace houses linked by colonnades, The Paragon ( c. 1793-1807 ). Its alternate name,
1380-640: The Devil's Toothpick ). Nearby, within the Blackheath Park conservation area, is Our Lady of Christians Church , a Catholic church built from 1890 to 1891 and designed by Alfred Edward Purdie in the Gothic Revival style . It has a complete set of stained glass windows by Hardman & Co. and it is a Grade II listed building. The Church of the Ascension (see local II* listed buildings )
1449-637: The Diamond Jubilee of Elizabeth II , Greenwich became a Royal Borough on 3 February 2012, due in part to its historic links with the royal family , but also to its UNESCO World Heritage Site status as home of the Prime Meridian. The area of the modern borough had historically been part of the county of Kent . From 1856 the area was governed by the Metropolitan Board of Works , which was established to provide services across
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#17327753646951518-546: The Greenwich Peninsula . It includes an indoor arena , a music club, a Cineworld cinema, an exhibition space, piazzas , bars, and restaurants. The following table shows the religious identity of residents residing in Greenwich according to the 2021 census. Arms were originally granted to the London Borough by letters patent dated 1 October 1965. Although much of the 1965 design has been retained,
1587-640: The London Borough of Tower Hamlets and between Woolwich and North Woolwich in the London Borough of Newham . The Woolwich Ferry takes vehicle traffic and links the North Circular Road to the South Circular Road which runs through the borough. A cable car crossing linking Greenwich Peninsula to the Royal Docks opened on 28 June 2012. The Thames Clippers commuter ferry service runs from Woolwich to Canary Wharf and
1656-868: The London Cable Car , Eltham Palace (which expected over 100,000 visitors in 2015), Charlton House and the Thames Barrier . In addition, the Royal Arsenal in Woolwich is starting to promote itself as a tourist attraction. The borough contains the Greenwich Royal Park . A small part of the Metropolitan Green Belt is within the borough. The O2 (formerly the Millennium Dome ) is located on
1725-776: The Mary Evans Picture Library since 1988. The heath was host to an annual fireworks display on the Saturday in November closest to Guy Fawkes Night . This was jointly organised and financed by the London Boroughs of Greenwich and Lewisham, but Greenwich Council withdrew its share of the funding in 2010. The event was suspended during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, and central government funding cuts forced its suspension from 2021. In September 2014,
1794-656: The Third Anglo-Dutch War . In 1709–10, army tents were set up on Blackheath to house a large part of the 15,000 or so German refugees from the Palatinate and other regions who fled to England, most of whom subsequently settled in America or Ireland. With Watling Street carrying stagecoaches across the heath, en route to north Kent and the Channel ports, it was also a notorious haunt of highwaymen during
1863-554: The Wernher Collection of art. The Pagoda is a notably exquisite home, built in 1760 by Sir William Chambers in the style of a traditional Chinese pagoda. It was later leased to the Prince Regent , principally used as a summer home by Caroline of Brunswick. Blackheath was a rallying point for Wat Tyler 's Peasants' Revolt of 1381, and for Jack Cade 's Kentish rebellion in 1450 (both recalled by road names on
1932-520: The metropolis of London. In 1889 the Metropolitan Board of Works' area was made the County of London . From 1856 until 1900 the lower tier of local government within the metropolis comprised various parish vestries and district boards . In 1900 the lower tier was reorganised into metropolitan boroughs , two of which were called Greenwich and Woolwich . The London Borough of Greenwich
2001-566: The 17th and 18th centuries. As reported in Edward Walford's Old and New London (1878), "In past times it was planted with gibbets , on which the bleaching bones of men who had dared to ask for some extension of liberty, or who doubted the infallibility of kings, were left year after year to dangle in the wind." In 1909 Blackheath had a local branch of the London Society for Women's Suffrage . The Vanbrugh Pits, known locally as
2070-519: The Cator Estate, extends to lands earlier those of Sir John Morden , whose Morden College (1695) is a landmark in the north, with views of the heath. The estate has 1950s and '60s Span houses and flats with gardens with discreet parking. Its Anglican church ( St Michael & All Angels ) is dubbed the Needle of Kent in honour of its tall, thin spire (it is also nicknamed the Devil's Pick or
2139-567: The City . All stations except Woolwich are served by Southeastern . Woolwich is served by the Elizabeth line . Abbey Wood is served by both. The only London Underground station in the borough is North Greenwich on the Jubilee line . It was opened in 1999 and it is close to the Millennium Dome , which is now The O 2 . The DLR serves Greenwich more extensively and a list of the stations
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2208-694: The Colonies and First Lord of Trade between 1772 and 1775. The American Ivy League school Dartmouth College in Hanover, New Hampshire , was named for the second Earl by Congregational minister Eleazar Wheelock . The second earl's eldest son, the third Earl , was summoned to the House of Lords through a writ of acceleration as Baron Dartmouth in June 1801. Soon after, in July 1801, he succeeded his father in
2277-543: The Dips, are on the north-east of the heath. A former gravel workings site, it has long been reclaimed by nature and form a feature in its near-flat expanse; particularly attractive in spring when its gorse blossoms brightly. The remains of the pits and adjoining neighbourhood Vanbrugh Park, a north-east projection of Blackheath with its own church, so also termed St John's Blackheath , are named after Sir John Vanbrugh , architect of Blenheim Palace and Castle Howard , who had
2346-734: The Earl of Dartmouth and, as to that part that was the Royal Manor of Greenwich, the Crown Estate . The heath's chief natural resource is gravel, and the freeholders retain rights over its extraction. In 1608, according to tradition, Blackheath was the place where golf was introduced to England – the Royal Blackheath Golf Club (based in nearby Eltham since 1923) was one of the first golf associations established (1766) outside Scotland . Blackheath also gave its name to
2415-536: The Lewisham, Lee, Charlton and Greenwich vestries or civil parish councils and Kidbrooke liberty, which assembled into Greenwich , Plumstead (in final years called Lee) and Lewisham Districts then re-assembled with others into Greenwich and Lewisham metropolitan boroughs in 1900. An urban myth is Blackheath could derive from the 1665 Plague or the Black Death of the mid-14th century. A local burial pit
2484-522: The Long Pond (also known as Folly Pond), close to the main entrance of Greenwich Park. On the Lewisham side are three ponds, with Hare and Billet pond considered to be the most natural and probably the best wildlife habitat. Lewisham retains important areas of acid grassland that support locally rare wild plants such as Common stork's bill , Fiddle dock and Spotted medick . Key areas are to the east of Granville Park between South Row and Morden Row and on
2553-532: The Marathon start routes runs past the entrance to Blackheath High School for Girls, home of Blackheath Fencing Club. There is also a long history of kite flying on the heath. Blackheath is one of the largest areas of common land in Greater London , with 85.58 hectares (211.5 acres) of protected commons. The heath is managed by Lewisham and Greenwich councils. Highlights on the Greenwich side include
2622-560: The Royal Borough between the years 2001 and 2011. Of these, 25% arrived from EU member states, 24.5% arrived from central and western Africa, and 18.9% arrived from southern Asia. The most common country of birth in this period was Nigeria . The Royal Borough in 2015 had a general fertility rate of 72.7 live births per 1,000 aged 15–44, higher than the London average of 63.9 and the England average of 62.5. Central Greenwich Town contains
2691-625: The Southern Department between 1710 and 1713 and in 1711 was created Viscount Lewisham , in the County of Kent, and Earl of Dartmouth , in the Peerage of Great Britain. William was succeeded by his grandson, the second Earl . He was the only surviving son of George Legge, Viscount Lewisham (d. 1732), eldest son of the first Earl, who had died before his father. He was also an influential politician and served as Secretary of State for
2760-667: The arms have been altered in 2012 by the addition of a representation of the Thames . In addition a crest and supporters were added to the arms. The Royal Borough of Greenwich is twinned with: 51°27′N 0°03′E / 51.450°N 0.050°E / 51.450; 0.050 Earl of Dartmouth Earl of Dartmouth is a title in the Peerage of Great Britain . It was created in 1711 for William Legge, 2nd Baron Dartmouth . The Legge family descended from Edward Legge, Vice-President of Munster . His eldest son William Legge
2829-477: The bends of the river, its waterfront is as long as 8.5 miles. Travelling south away from the waterfront, the ground rises: Shooters Hill in the east and the high ground of Blackheath in the west bookend the borough, Eltham to the south of these hills falls away slightly. Greenwich is bounded by the London Boroughs of Bexley to the east, Bromley to the south, Lewisham to the west and across the River Thames to
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2898-427: The bleakness of its situation" before adding, reflecting Victorian appreciation, mention of "numerous villas with which it now abounds...it is pleasantly situated on elevated ground, commanding diversified and extensive views of the surrounding country, which is richly cultivated, and abounds with fine scenery". It was an upland, open space that was the meeting place of the hundred of Blackheath . By 1848 Blackheath
2967-527: The borough for a day or more, generating over £1.2 billion; this figure was expected to increase by more than 25% by 2018. Evidence of the tourism boom included the construction of a 452-room InterContinental Hotel near the O2 Arena (opening in 2015). Apart from the many museums and historic buildings in Greenwich town and Greenwich Park , the main tourist attractions are the Cutty Sark , The O2 Arena ,
3036-698: The borough is Charlton Athletic F.C. , a professional club playing in the EFL League One , There are three non-League football clubs, Bridon Ropes F.C. and Meridian F.C. , who both play in Charlton at Meridian Sports & Social Club and Cray Valley Paper Mills F.C. who play in Eltham at Badgers Sports Ground. There are several rugby clubs, most notably Blackheath F.C. , who played at Rectory Field for 158 years, moving to Eltham in 2016. Blackheath Cricket Club still plays at Rectory Field. Greenwich
3105-936: The commons of Hackney, Tooting Bec and Clapham, its transfer was agreed at no expense, because the Earl of Dartmouth agreed to allow the encroachment to his manorial rights. It is held in trust for public benefit under the Metropolitan Commons Act of 1886. It passed to the London County Council in 1889, then to the Greater London Council , then in 1986 to the two boroughs of Greenwich and Lewisham, as to their respective extents. No trace can be found of use as common land but only as minimal fertility land exploited by its manorial owners ( manorial waste ) and mainly for small-scale mineral extraction. Main freeholds (excluding many roads) vest in
3174-415: The cricket field east of Golfers Road. The heath's habitat was well known to early botanists. In the 18th century Carl Linnaeus reportedly fell to his knees to thank God when he first saw the gorse growing there. However, this disputed account is more often attributed to Putney Heath . This environment supported both the flora and fauna of wild grassland. In 1859, Greenwich Natural History Society recorded
3243-455: The death of George V in 1936. The seventh earl's only son, William Legge, Viscount Lewisham, was killed at El Alamein in 1942, and Dartmouth was consequently succeeded by his younger brother, Humphry, the eight Earl . As of 2018, the titles are held by Humphry's grandson, the tenth Earl , who succeeded his father in 1997. Lord Dartmouth was a Member of the European Parliament for the UK Independence Party between 2009 and 2019, but left
3312-452: The earldom. Lord Dartmouth held office as President of the Board of Control between 1801 and 1802. On his death, the titles passed to his eldest son, the fourth Earl , who had briefly represented Milborne Port in Parliament before succeeding in the earldom. The fourth earl's only surviving child from his first marriage, the fifth Earl , was a Conservative politician and also served as Lord Lieutenant of Staffordshire . His eldest son,
3381-412: The first hockey club, established during the mid 19th century. In the 18th century, Blackheath was the home of Greenwich Cricket Club and a venue for cricket matches. The earliest known senior match was Kent v London in August 1730. A contemporary newspaper report said "the Kentish champions would have lost their honours by being beat at one innings if time had permitted". The last recorded match
3450-416: The gardens of the Earl of Dartmouth and given to the British Museum . Certain monarchs passed through and their senior courtiers kept residences here and in Greenwich. Before the Tudor -built Greenwich Palace and Stuart-built Queen's House , one of the most frequently used was Eltham Palace about 2.5 miles (4.0 km) to the southeast of the ridge, under the late Plantagenets , before cessation as
3519-481: The green is in the Westcombe Park neighbourhood, which has its own railway station about 400 metres north – part of East Greenwich. The total 0.35-hectare (0.9-acre) green and fountain sub-green was at first one village green , known during the 18th century as Sheepgate Green, beside a crossroads of what was the London-Dover road. Around 1885 local philanthropist William Fox Batley had it refurbished and it became known as Batley Green or Batley Park; Batley's contribution
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#17327753646953588-511: The inaugural On Blackheath festival was hosted on the heath. The line-up included Massive Attack , Frank Turner and Grace Jones . The festival was repeated in September in 2015 (included Elbow , Madness and Manic Street Preachers ), 2016 (included Primal Scream , James and Squeeze ), 2017 (included The Libertines , Travis and Metronomy ), and 2018 (included Squeeze, De La Soul and Paloma Faith ) then moved to July in 2019 (included Jamiroquai , Grace Jones, Soul II Soul ). The event
3657-421: The lord mayor and aldermen of London, in their robes of state, attended by 400 of the principal citizens, clothed in scarlet, came hither in procession to meet Henry V of England on his triumphant return from the Battle of Agincourt . Blackheath was, along with Hounslow Heath , a common assembly point for army forces, such as in 1673 when the Blackheath Army was assembled under Marshal Schomberg to serve in
3726-435: The north lie Tower Hamlets, Newham and Barking and Dagenham. The local authority is Greenwich Council, which meets at Woolwich Town Hall and has its main offices at the adjoining Woolwich Centre. Shaped like an astrolabe, the 18-carat gold badge on the mayor's chain depicts the time-ball on the principal building of the old Greenwich Royal Observatory, the meridian line , and lines of latitude and longitude. The ‘time-ball’
3795-437: The north-east side and Eliot Pits in the south-west. Infilled areas stand out, especially in late spring and early summer, from their deep-green rye grass. Two clusters of amenities vie for retail and leisure: the "Village" around Blackheath railway station to the south of the heath and the "Standard" in the north of St Johns/Vanburgh Park i.e. beyond the A2 road, named after the Royal Standard pub (in Greenwich ). The north of
3864-411: The party in 2018, becoming an independent member. Several other members of the Legge family have also gained distinction. The Hon. Henry Bilson-Legge , fourth son of the first Earl, was a politician and served three times as Chancellor of the Exchequer . Sir Arthur Kaye Legge , sixth son of the second Earl, was an admiral in the Royal Navy . The Hon. Edward Legge , seventh son of the second Earl,
3933-443: The sixth Earl , was also a Conservative politician and served twice as Vice-Chamberlain of the Household . The latter was succeeded by his eldest son, the seventh Earl , who married Lady Ruperta, daughter of the 1st Marquess of Lincolnshire . Lady Ruperta inherited a share of the office of Lord Great Chamberlain from her father, and after his father-in-law's death in 1928, Lord Dartmouth acted as Deputy Lord Great Chamberlain until
4002-408: The west side of the heath). After camping at Blackheath, Cornish rebels were defeated at the foot of the west slope in the Battle of Deptford Bridge (sometimes called the Battle of Blackheath) on 17 June 1497. In 1400, Henry IV of England met here with Byzantine Emperor Manuel II Palaiologos who toured western royalty to seek support to oppose Bayezid I (Bajazet) , the Ottoman Sultan. In 1415,
4071-400: The west this traversed the mouth of Deptford Creek (the River Ravensbourne ) (a corruption or throwback to earlier pronunciation of deep ford). Other finds can be linked to passing trade connected with royal palaces. In 1710, several Roman urns were dug up, two of which were of fine red clay, one of a spherical, and the other of a cylindrical, form; and in 1803, several more were discovered in
4140-463: Was Bishop of Oxford . The Hon. Heneage Legge , second son of the third Earl, sat as Member of Parliament for Banbury . Arthur Legge , fourth son of the third Earl, was a general in the British Army and Member of Parliament for Banbury. The Hon. Augustus Legge , fifth son of the fourth Earl, was Bishop of Lichfield . The Hon. Heneage Legge , sixth son of the fourth Earl, was Member of Parliament for St George's Hanover Square . The family seat
4209-523: Was Kent v London in August 1769, Kent winning by 47 runs. Cricket continued to be played on the 'Heath' but at a junior level. By 1890, London County Council was maintaining 36 pitches. Blackheath Cricket Club has been part of the sporting fabric of the area, joining forces with Blackheath Rugby Club in 1883 to purchase and develop the Rectory Field as a home ground in Charlton. Blackheath Cricket Club hosted 84 first-class Kent County matches between 1887 and 1971. Blackheath Rugby Club , founded in 1858,
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#17327753646954278-422: Was a Royalist army officer and close associate of Prince Rupert of the Rhine . On the Restoration , Charles II offered to create him an earl , but Legge declined. His son George Legge was a prominent naval commander, who in 1682 was raised to the Peerage of England as Baron Dartmouth , of Dartmouth in the County of Devon. George's son William , the second Baron, notably served as Secretary of State for
4347-574: Was cancelled during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 and 2021. Blackheath station serves the area with National Rail services to London Victoria , London Charing Cross , London Cannon Street , Slade Green via Bexleyheath , Dartford via Bexleyheath or via Woolwich Arsenal and Gravesend . Westcombe Park station also serves northern parts of Blackheath, with National Rail services to Luton via London Blackfriars , London Cannon Street, Barnehurst via Woolwich Arsenal, Crayford via Woolwich Arsenal and Rainham via Woolwich Arsenal. Blackheath
4416-417: Was created in 1965 under the London Government Act 1963 . It covered the combined area of the two metropolitan boroughs of Greenwich and Woolwich, with the exception that North Woolwich , on the north side of the River Thames , went instead to the London Borough of Newham . The name ' Charlton ' was briefly considered as the name for the new borough. Greenwich Council applied for city status in 2002, but
4485-416: Was founded by Susannah Graham late in the 17th century. Its rebuilding was arranged about 1750 by her descendant, the 1st Earl of Dartmouth . Further rebuilding took place in the 1830s leaving at least parts of the east end from the earlier rebuild. At this time galleries for worshippers overlooked three sides. In 1871 the management of the heath passed by statute to the Metropolitan Board of Works . Unlike
4554-622: Was noted as a place with two dependent chapels under Lewisham vestry and another, St Michael and All Angels , erected 1828-1830 designed by George Smith . The latter made use of £4000 plus land from land developer John Cator , plus a further £11,000 from elsewhere. The name of Blackheath gained independent official boundaries by the founding of an Anglican parish in 1854 (construction of the parish church, All Saints , began in 1857), then others (in 1859, 1883 and 1886) which reflected considerable housing built on nearby land. In local government, Blackheath never saw independence; at first split between
4623-433: Was one of the 12 founding members of the Football Association in 1863, as well as nearby Blackheath Proprietary School and Percival House (Blackheath) . Along with neighbouring Greenwich Park , Blackheath is the start point of the London Marathon . This maintains a connection with athletics dating back to the establishment of the Blackheath Harriers (now Blackheath and Bromley Harriers Athletic Club ) in 1869. One of
4692-423: Was one of the five host boroughs for the 2012 Summer Olympics and hosted 34 events in nine sports at three venues across the borough. Greenwich Park hosted equestrian events and modern pentathlon ; the Royal Artillery Barracks in Woolwich hosted shooting events; and The O2 arena hosted gymnastics and basketball finals. There are foot tunnels under the River Thames between Greenwich and Island Gardens in
4761-452: Was turned down. In 2012, to mark the Diamond Jubilee of Elizabeth II , the borough was given the additional honorific status of being a royal borough , in recognition of the area's historic links with the Royal Family and its status as home of the Prime Meridian and as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The borough lies along the south bank of the River Thames between Deptford and Thamesmead . It has an area of 5,044 hectares. Because of
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