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95-531: Thamesmead ( / ˈ t ɛ m z m iː d / ) is an area of south-east London, England, straddling the border between the Royal Borough of Greenwich and the London Borough of Bexley . It is located 11 miles (18 km) east of Charing Cross , north-east of Woolwich and west of Erith . It mainly consists of social housing built from the mid-1960s onwards on former marshland on the south bank of

190-584: A canal was built by convicts to take materials such as timber from the River Thames to Woolwich Royal Arsenal . Much of this canal has been filled in, but part remains in Thamesmead West and is now called the Broadwater. A disused lock gate and swing bridge over the canal still exist beside the River Thames. Thamesmead as it is now was built at the end of the 1960s. Efforts were made to solve

285-453: A cathedral, with it being said that the neighbouring One Canada Square , if laid on its side, could fit in the station with room to spare. Westminster has a dramatic vertical void nearly 40 m (130 ft) deep. The size of the stations was a response to safety concerns—overcrowding and a lack of exits had been significant factors in the 1987 King's Cross disaster —and an attempt to " future-proof " stations by designing from

380-708: A collapse during the Heathrow Express project in October 1994, which used the same New Austrian Tunnelling method . Indeed, construction under Westminster had caused the Elizabeth Tower to tilt slightly. Other delays subsequently affected the project, including wildcat strikes by electricians and changes to the designs of the stations. The extension was supposed to have moving block signalling , designed by Westinghouse , in order to reach 36 trains per hour at peak times. As design of this overran, this

475-399: A common design philosophy and functional elements. Spaciousness was the most noticeable, along with the shared theme of grey and silver polished metal and concrete interiors. More subtly, many stations were designed to admit as much natural light as possible. At Bermondsey and to a lesser extent at Canada Water and Southwark , rotundas and shafts allow daylight to reach, or nearly reach,

570-582: A few "corner shops" were initially built at Tavy Bridge. From the start Thamesmead was cut off from Abbey Wood , the nearest town with shopping facilities, by a railway line; however a four-lane road bridge was built over the railway in the early 1970s. The area was then cut in two by the A2016, a new four-lane dual carriageway by-pass of the Woolwich to Erith section of the A206 (although this road only got as far as

665-579: A nine-hole course and driving range. Fishing at Birchmere Lake in Thamesmead West is organised by Thamesmead Town Angling Club. Fish include tench , bream , carp and pike . Thamesmead estate was featured prominently in the film The Optimists of Nine Elms (1973) starring Peter Sellers . Thamesmead is seen as a new and better alternative through the eyes of two small children who live in older, dilapidated flats in Nine Elms , Battersea . The Tavy Bridge area of Thamesmead South, including Southmere Lake,

760-714: A nursery in Hoveton Road, Thamesmead, named after John Robinson , Bishop of Woolwich . Thamesmead's location between the Thames and the South London escarpment (see North Downs ) makes it difficult to build new road and railway infrastructure. As a result, Thamesmead has no underground or above-ground rail lines. With a population of almost 32,000, it is one of the largest districts in Greater London with no railway infrastructure. Most residents travel by bus to

855-657: 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

950-635: 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 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)

1045-409: A rise of Afro-Caribbean people would move into the areas, from abroad (Countries like Ghana , Nigeria , and Jamaica ) and inner South London , due to re-housing and gentrification in areas like Peckham , Camberwell , Walworth and Brixton . Many of the black youths who would move into the area, will move around together to defend themselves against these racist gangs, seeing the early formation of

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1140-539: A transport network with much greater capacity than provided by the Docklands Light Railway (DLR). Initially, Olympia and York , the developers of Canary Wharf, proposed building a dedicated 'Waterloo and Greenwich Railway' from Waterloo through London Bridge to Canary Wharf and then to Westcombe Park in Greenwich, costing £400 million. However, London Transport resisted this, preferring to wait for

1235-423: A variety of projects promoting social development and work and training projects. Thamesmead West contains Gallions Ecopark a pioneering small social/affordable housing development with homes built to high energy efficiency and environmental standards. The estate also includes a small lake and a number of man-made landmarks created from recycled excavated material that serve as viewing platforms. The biggest of these

1330-456: A £400 million contribution, the original cost estimate of the Waterloo and Greenwich Railway. In the end it cost £3.5bn, partly because of huge cost overruns during construction. Where initially the developers were to pay for a large part of the extension, their final contribution was less than 5%. The extension was authorised in 1990. A station was originally planned at Blackwall , but this

1425-581: Is 20 m (66 ft) high Gallions Hill with a spiral path leading to the summit. Part of Thamesmead West is also sometimes referred to as Gallions Reach Urban Village . This can lead to confusion, as it is on the opposite bank of the River Thames from Gallions Reach DLR station and Gallions Reach shopping park. There is no Docklands Light Railway , London Underground or rail station in Thamesmead West. Early 21st century new build properties in Thamesmead West have been blighted by social problems and mass repossessions, attracting national attention. Housing

1520-801: Is a combined swimming pool, fitness centre and library run by Greenwich Council and Greenwich Leisure Limited in Thamesmead Central (The Thamesmere Centre). Bexley Council run a library at Binsey Walk near Southmere Lake, and sailing and canoeing are run at Southmere Lake in Thamesmead South by Southmere Boating Centre (with Greenwich Yacht Club) and sailing only by the YMCA in association with Erith Yacht Club. Trust Thamesmead run an indoor climbing wall (The cave) near Southmere Lake. The Thamesview Golf Centre in Thamesmead North has

1615-484: Is also a shopping parade which has mainly service-based outlets such as hairdressers and estate agents. It features a clock tower and lake. Some of the original overhead pedestrian walkways have been demolished for reasons of public safety and some ground-floor garages have been unfilled, as incidents of crime deterred their use as parking space. Trust Thamesmead is a registered charity set up to provide community services across Thamesmead. It runs six community centres and

1710-461: Is also an elevated 'escape route' from the estate to be used in the event of flooding, which runs along the top of a grassed mound to the north of Lesnes neighbourhood. The first residence was occupied in 1968, but already there were rain penetration problems. The pre-1974 parts of Thamesmead are a mix of modernist town houses, medium-rise and 12-storey blocks system-built in concrete, which have featured in various films due to their 'rough urban look';

1805-480: 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 the borough is Charlton Athletic F.C. ,

1900-443: 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

1995-475: 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 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

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2090-546: Is on eastern edge of Thamesmead. The southern boundary is the covered Southern Outfall Sewer , which has been landscaped as an elevated footpath called the Ridgeway . Nearby areas are: Barking & Dagenham (across the Thames), Belvedere , Abbey Wood , Plumstead , Charlton , Welling , Woolwich , Bexleyheath , Erith and Greenwich . Thamesmead's population is increasing rapidly as new developments are being built in

2185-517: Is still under construction both by Gallions Housing Association (for rent and part rent/part buy) and by private developers (for outright sale). Another new development is under construction in 2010. The final phase of the Gallions Reach Urban Village (ecopark) is the creation of Gallions Reach Park, a 14.3-acre (5.8 ha) public open space land, between Gallions Hill and the River Thames. Water remains an important feature of

2280-512: 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 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

2375-546: 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,

2470-681: The Isthmian League Division One North . Thamesmead Town folded in October 2018. The Thamesmead Riverside Walk runs alongside the Thames through Thamesmead West, Thamesmead Central and Thamesmead North and is part of both the Thames Path Southeast Extension and National Cycle Route 1 . Thamesmead is also one of the starting points of the Green Chain Walk , which links to places such as Chislehurst and Crystal Palace . There

2565-640: 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

2660-812: 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

2755-602: The Millennium Dome deadline. The final construction cost of the extension was £3.5 billion. In March 2005, a criminal trial regarding corruption and insider information during the construction of the extension collapsed, after 21 months and a cost of £60m. The design of the extension is radically different from anything else on the London Underground. Stations are characterised by cavernous, stark interiors lined with polished metal panels and moulded concrete walls and columns. Canary Wharf has been compared to

2850-482: The Millennium Dome , which would open on 1 January 2000. The second phase between North Greenwich and Bermondsey opened on 24 September 1999. The extension was linked to the rest of the Jubilee line with the opening of the final phase on 20 November 1999. Westminster – complicated by the interface with the subsurface platforms, which remained in operation during construction – opened on 22 December 1999, shortly before

2945-553: The River Thames . Most of the land area of Thamesmead previously formed about 1,000 acres (4.0 km) of the old Royal Arsenal site that extended over Plumstead Marshes and Erith Marshes . There is some evidence of prehistoric human occupation of the area: flints, animal bones and charcoal were found in bore holes around Western and Central Way in 1997 by the Museum of London Archaeological Service (MOLAS). In Roman times,

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3040-482: The Royal Docks . As of 2019 , ridership on the line has increased substantially since the extension opened, becoming the 3rd busiest Underground line, with the Jubilee line having four of the 10 busiest stations . The stations themselves have subsequently been praised as exemplary pieces of 20th century architecture, with Canary Wharf was voted as the "most loved" tube station in London in 2013, and Westminster

3135-534: 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’ 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

3230-586: The "new town" at Thamesmead . A branch from Silvertown to Beckton would have provided a link to a new depot. This route is not dissimilar to the Crossrail route through the Docklands . Plans to extend the line were revived in the late 1980s, prompted by the proposed development of London Docklands and Canary Wharf, which substantially increased the predicted numbers of jobs in the Isle of Dogs and required

3325-562: 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 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

3420-538: The American withdrawal from Vietnam in the late 1970s, a small group of Vietnamese refugees built a community in the area. In the 1990s, another ultimately larger wave of emigration from West Africa (predominately Nigeria and Ghana ) began. The 2011 census revealed that 35.58% of residents in the Thamesmead Moorings ward described themselves as Black African, the highest percentage in both London and

3515-567: 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

3610-639: The DLR and in opening up access to parts of east London with formerly poor transport links. As such it allowed (theoretically - barring peak/off-peak timetable restrictions i.e. to Chesham or Mill Hill East etc.) access to all other London Underground stations with only a single change. The Jubilee line was considered an essential part of the public transport network for the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games , allowing access to major venues in Stratford and

3705-561: The London Underground (Jubilee) Act 1993. In May 1992, Olympia and York (the developers of Canary Wharf) went into administration following the early 1990s recession . This caused a delay to the project, as the Treasury did not wish to proceed without private sector investment. In September 1993, the financial restricting of Canary Wharf was completed, and it was agreed that the £400 million contribution would be maintained. In October 1993, Secretary of State for Transport John MacGregor gave

3800-727: 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 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

3895-525: The Thamesmead area, and local areas (such as Welling, Erith, Belvedere, Eltham & Plumstead). These groups (such as R.A.) felt inclined to defend their 'turf' and would often harass young black men and boys from Thamesmead, and surrounding local areas. These behaviour was shown within a famous murder within the area, which soon shaped the major change within the Thamesmead area from the 1990s onwards - The Murder of Rolan Adams . Rolan Adams (1975 - 1991)

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3990-575: The UK; Thamesmead East had the second highest at 34.88%. Thamesmead also adjoins the Thistlebrook travellers site which is situated just inside Abbey Wood . Thamesmead Moorings; Ethnicity Breakdown: Black or Black British 42.9% White 42.4% Asian or Asian British 7.8% Mixed Race 5.3% Other Ethnic Groups 1.7% Some estate residents claim that gang T-Block (Now known locally as Greenside or GS28) have been left untouched by police, due to

4085-764: The Year, with the chair of the judging panel calling it "comparable to the achievement of Haussmann when he constructed the great boulevards of Paris". For his work on the project, Roland Paoletti received the RIBA / Arts Council Award for "Client of the Year" 1999 and was appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the 2000 New Year Honours for "services to Architecture". The Architectural Review called him "the Medici of London Transport". Since

4180-795: The area include the Thamesmead Ecumenical Parish, with shared buildings and co-operation by the Methodist Church , Church of England , United Reformed Church and Roman Catholic Church , and the Redeemed Christian Church of God, Goodnews Haven on Nathan Way. The local football team was Thamesmead Town F.C. who played at the Bayliss Avenue ground. Thamesmead were champions of the Kent League in 2007–08, and were then promoted to

4275-539: The area were appointed. Despite early proposals for the Jubilee Line Extension to go to Thamesmead, via the Isle of Dogs and the Royal Docks , Thamesmead was not included and after reaching the Greenwich Peninsula , the line heads north to Stratford (via Canning Town and West Ham ), despite Stratford also being on the major Central line tube link into London. The main reason cited for this decision

4370-399: The area. Based on mid-2018 estimates, the area's population has reached to 41,121, an increase of almost 30% in seven years over the 2011 figure of 31,824. Because of this, there is an increasing level of demand for the proposed DLR extension from Gallions Reach . In common with the rest of London, the ethnic make-up of Thamesmead has changed since it was first built. Initially, it was one of

4465-642: 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 Jubilee Line Extension The Jubilee Line Extension (JLE) is the extension of the London Underground Jubilee line from Green Park to Stratford through south and east London. An eastward extension of

4560-527: 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 ,

4655-457: 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 – 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

4750-532: The construction of a new depot to serve the extended line, given the increased number of trains could not be accommodated at the existing Neasden Depot - hence a site at Stratford Market was chosen. 59 1996 Stock trains were ordered as part of the extension, following cancellation of the plan to heavily refurbish the original 1983 stock trains. Main works were authorised by the London Underground Act 1992, with additional works allowed by

4845-514: The design of the newer buildings is more traditional and in brick. When the GLC was abolished in 1986, its housing assets and the remaining undeveloped land were vested in a non-profit organisation , Thamesmead Town Limited (TTL). TTL was a private company with an unusual form of governance. Its nine executive directors were local residents; they periodically submitted themselves to re-election. Subsequently six additional paid directors who did not live in

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4940-482: The extension, the Jubilee line terminated at Charing Cross . The section between Charing Cross and Green Park, which diverges to the northwest, is now unused for passenger services but is maintained for emergency use. The abandoned platforms are occasionally rented out by TfL as a film set e.g. Skyfall , Thor: The Dark World and Woman in Black II . The Jubilee line between Baker Street and Charing Cross

5035-543: The first on the Underground to have platform edge doors , and were built to have step free access throughout. Each of the stations was designed by a different architect, and the overall design of the project was led by Roland Paoletti . The stations have subsequently been praised as exemplary pieces of 20th-century architecture. The project was the single largest addition to the Underground in 25 years. The extension diverges just east of Green Park , eastward to: Before

5130-618: 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 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

5225-447: The gang T-Block (now known as Greenside or GS28) in 2002. The gang would fall into heavy beefs with local gangs Woolwich Boys , Cherry Orchard Boys and R.A. ( Welling & Erith ) but also form deep alliances with other local gangs, such as Glyndon Boys , Ferrier Estate Boys and Peckham Boys , during the mid-late 2000s and early 2010s The Bishop John Robinson CE School is a voluntary-aided Church of England primary school with

5320-543: The go ahead for the project. Contracts to build the project were awarded soon after, at a cost of around £1.2 billion. Construction of the project officially began on 8 December 1993, with a ceremony at Canary Wharf attended by Prime Minister John Major . Construction was expected to take 53 months, with an opening date of May 1998. Tunnelling began in August 1994 at North Greenwich. By August 1996, all tunnelling work had been completed. Tunnelling had been delayed after

5415-413: The high levels of drug-related crime and violence taking place in the Thamesmead area and local areas Abbey Wood and Plumstead . Gangs and crime have been prevalent in the area since the late 1970s due to increased rates of poverty, a failing economy and the rise of working class communities during The Tories' reign in government. However, in the 80s, there was a raise of racist gangs which ran riot within

5510-448: The industrial part of lower Belvedere: the extension to Erith was opened in 1999). Still, residential building continued, this time on the other side of the A2016, which cut this part of Thamesmead off from rail travel to central London. Over time more facilities developed, with a Morrisons supermarket and retail park near Gallions Reach. Bus services were improved and residents can now easily reach Abbey Wood railway station. In 2000, TTL

5605-438: The latter to Lewisham . In anticipation of this, the tunnels of the first phase of the line continued eastward from Charing Cross under Strand almost as far as Aldwych . This plan was modified shortly before the Jubilee line opened in 1979. Under the new plan (known for planning purposes as the River Line ), it would run to Fenchurch Street as before and continue via the Isle of Dogs , Royal Docks and Woolwich Arsenal to

5700-552: The line of around 50%. During October 2004, TfL published a report showing "substantial benefits" as a result of the extension, including development of the Canary Wharf financial district, reduced travel time for residents along the line and improved modal share . As part of the development of the Crossrail project, TfL estimated that agglomeration benefits as a result of the JLE led to a benefit–cost ratio of around 3, an increase from 1.56 calculated in 1989. The extension has proved extremely successful in relieving congestion on

5795-449: The line was first proposed in the 1970s. As part of the development of London Docklands , the line was extended to serve Canary Wharf and other areas of south and east London. Construction began in 1993, and it opened in stages from May to December 1999, at a cost of £3.5 billion. The 11 new stations were designed to be " future-proof ", with wide passageways, large quantities of escalators and lifts, and emergency exits. The stations were

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5890-454: The lower tier was reorganised into metropolitan boroughs , two of which were called Greenwich and Woolwich . The London Borough of Greenwich 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 '

5985-405: The most homogenous estates of its type in London, being predominately white and working class. The lack of London Underground services and at the very edge of the metropolis may have meant Thamesmead was not first port of call for immigrants arriving in London. The housing selection policy that favoured relatives of existing residents reinforced this aspect. However, after the Fall of Saigon and

6080-811: The nearest rail stations. There is, however, a disused railway trackbed from Plumstead which originally served the Royal Arsenal . The London Assembly proposed on 4 October 2016 to build an extension of the DLR from Gallions Reach to Thamesmead, and a public consultation about the proposed extension was launched in February 2024. Many bus routes serve the area, all provided by Transport for London . The nearest stations are Abbey Wood , Belvedere , Plumstead and Woolwich Arsenal for Southeastern and services towards Crayford , Dartford , London Cannon Street , London Charing Cross , Elizabeth line services to Paddington and Thameslink services towards Rainham via Dartford and Luton via Blackfriars. The Ridgeway cycle path, owned by Thames Water , passes through

6175-434: The number of residents to around 80,000. While a railway extension from Barking Riverside was mooted for several years, Transport for London secured funding in 2020 for a potential Docklands Light Railway extension to Thamesmead on the network's branch to Beckton . A public consultation about the proposed extension was launched in February 2024. Thamesmead is located 11 miles (18 km) east of central London, being on

6270-407: The opening of the extension in 1999, areas along the line such as Canary Wharf, the Greenwich Peninsula and Stratford have seen substantial commercial and residential development. Canary Wharf has become London's second financial district, rivalling the City of London . Research by KPMG and Savills for Transport for London (TfL) indicated that the extension led to increases in land value along

6365-406: The platforms. The platforms saw another innovation: full-height platform edge doors , to improve airflow, prevent people from jumping or falling onto the track, prevent litter depositing upon the track and stop dirt circulating around the network, amongst other features. These are the first doors to be installed on a commercial railway in Great Britain. Upon opening, the Jubilee Line Extension

6460-416: The results of studies into new railway construction. One of these, the East London Railway Study, recommended an extension of the Jubilee line from Green Park to Westminster, then following the route of the Waterloo and Greenwich Railway, continuing to Stratford via Canning Town alongside the North London Line . This option was adopted, with an estimated cost of £2.1 billion to which Olympia and York would make

6555-419: The river level was significantly lower, and work by MOLAS in 1997 around Summerton Way revealed evidence of field ditches and pottery and quernstones from Germany dating from around the 3rd or 4th century. After the Roman era, river levels rose again and the area reverted to marshland. According to Hasted , some areas of this marshland were drained by 1279 by the monks of Lesnes Abbey . Between 1812 and 1816,

6650-399: The same latitude as Westminster. In Thamesmead East, the River Thames makes its most northerly incursion within Greater London near the Crossness Sewage Treatment Works. Thamesmead consists of four distinct areas: Belmarsh Prison , Isis Prison and Thameside Prison are located on the western edge of the area, while the sewage processing works at Crossness , built in the Victorian era

6745-635: The several parks and open spaces. In November 2007, Bexley Council marked Thamesmead's 40th birthday with a motion proposed by local Councillor David Leaf and seconded by Councillor John Davey. In 2014, Gallions, Tilfen Land and Trust Thamesmead were taken over by Peabody Trust , a London housing association. In 2015, two Housing Zones in Thamesmead were announced by the Mayor of London for delivery of 2,800 homes. The zones are Abbey Wood and South Thamesmead , between Abbey Wood station and Southmere Lake, and Abbey Wood, Plumstead and Thamesmead . Peabody said in 2018 that it will deliver 20,000 new homes, increasing

6840-439: The social problems that had already started to affect earlier estates. These were believed to be the result of people being uprooted from close-knit working-class communities and sent to estates many miles away, where they did not know anybody. The design of the new estates meant that people would feel more isolated than they would have done in the terraced housing that had been typical in working-class areas. The solution proposed

6935-404: The south bank of the River Thames between Deptford and Thamesmead . It has an area of 5,044 hectares. Because of 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

7030-461: The start for a high use. Most platforms and halls are full only in a busy rush hour, all provide step-free access, platforms have emergency exits at both ends, ventilation, as well as fireproof lifts. To ensure passenger flow, a large quantity of escalators (at least three per station) were installed, totalling 115 over the entire extension, increasing the total number of escalators over the entire Underground network by almost half. The extension

7125-427: The town from Plumstead Railway station to Crossness Sewage Treatment works, dividing the town into North and South Thamesmead. There are a wide variety of active community groups and local bands (The Bargains and a member of post-rock act From The Sky ) and a short-range commercial radio station - 106.8 Time FM - that grew from the original cable (subsequently FM) service "Radio Thamesmead". Places of worship in

7220-561: 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 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

7315-470: Was a Black British boy who was murdered as the result of a racist hate crime which was committed in 1991. He is frequently associated in connection to Stephen Lawrence , another teenager from a neighbouring area Eltham in Southeast London, who was later killed in a similar incident, exposing the public view of racially motivated attacks in London, England at the time. From the late 1990s onwards,

7410-494: Was also built with a wider tunnel diameter of 4.35 m allowing a passenger walkway used for emergency purposes; unfortunately wider trains are not possible due to the narrower tunnel dimension northwards of Green Park . A number of leading architects were employed to design the stations, overseen by Roland Paoletti and a small team of in-house JLE Architects. It was decided from the outset that although each station would be designed as an individual entity, they would be linked by

7505-576: Was also shot in Thamesmead. The Firm (1989), starring Gary Oldman , was filmed in Thamesmead. The music video for New York rapper A$ AP Rocky 's and London rapper Skepta 's song " Praise the Lord (Da Shine) " was partially filmed at the Thamesmead Estate, with the estate featuring prominently alongside shots of New York throughout the music video. The music video for American producer Skrillex and British producer Four Tet 's song Butterflies

7600-506: Was briefly considered as the name for the new borough. Greenwich Council applied for city status in 2002, but 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

7695-427: Was decommissioned around 2000; properties connected to it had wet radiator systems installed by the landlord. The Tavy Bridge area is now being redeveloped by Gallions in partnership with Wates Group ; the plans include homes with dwelling space at ground-floor level, making them susceptible to any future flooding. Thamesmead now features a retail park finished in brick anchored around a Morrisons Supermarket; there

7790-552: Was designed around futuristic ideas, and indeed, looked impressive at first from a distance. It provided walkways between its blocks of homes and later between sections in North Thamesmead. The walkways quickly became littered and abused. They were not considered safe places to walk. Pathways set out for people to walk on were put in without regard to how people would wish to get about, so some were ignored in favour of more direct routes over grassed areas. Much of Thamesmead

7885-500: Was filmed on the Thamesmead Estate. 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 / ) 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

7980-509: Was in the late 1980s, when there was a controversial proposal to alter the shape of London's South Circular inner orbital road to run through Oxleas Woods. Houses in Plumstead were compulsorily purchased but the plans fell through. Since then, Thamesmead has grown significantly, limiting the number of potential sites for a new river crossing. The most significant design failure was the almost complete lack of shopping facilities and banks: only

8075-547: Was initially built by the Greater London Council (GLC) for rent to families moving from overcrowded back-to-back Victorian housing (also referred to as slums) in south eastern parts of Inner London . The area had been inundated in the Flood of 1953 , so the original design placed living accommodation at first floor level or above, used overhead walkways and left the ground level of buildings as garage space. There

8170-675: Was intended to be the first phase of the Fleet Line (as the Jubilee line was originally called). In the first version of the Fleet Line Extension plan, the line ran from Charing Cross via Aldwych and Ludgate Circus to Fenchurch Street station, then via tunnel under the River Thames to connect to the East London line north of Surrey Docks (now Surrey Quays) from where it would take over Underground services to New Cross Gate and New Cross with tunnels continuing from

8265-499: 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

8360-545: Was planned in Spring 1999. By November 1998, a phased opening throughout 1999 was being considered. By February 1999, the cost of the extension had increased to a total of £3.3 billion. The first phase of the extension from Stratford to North Greenwich was opened by the Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott on 14 May 1999. There was concern that the entire line would not be open in time for

8455-465: Was postponed in favour of more traditional signalling. Twelve years later these features were completed, allowing for up to 33 trains per hour. By November 1997, a September 1998 date was planned. The new Stratford Market Depot was completed in March 1998 - allowing for testing and commissioning of the new 1996 Stock trains, as well as the testing of the new extension itself. By June 1998, opening

8550-469: Was replaced by diverting the line between Canary Wharf and Stratford underneath the Thames to serve the Greenwich peninsula at North Greenwich station. Plans for the Millennium Dome did not yet exist, and this diversion was made to provide for a planned housing development on the site of disused gasworks. British Gas plc contributed £25 million to the scheme. The stations at Southwark and Bermondsey were not initially certain. The project also required

8645-651: Was that many workers in Canary Wharf lived in Essex and could change from National Rail to the Jubilee line at Stratford and West Ham . Thamesmead is also cut off from the north of the River Thames and is in the centre of the 15-mile (24 km) gap between the Blackwall Tunnel and the Dartford Tunnel / QE2 Bridge . Various proposals have been made for a new river crossing, the closest of which

8740-464: Was that once the initial residents had moved in, their families would be given priority for new housing when it became available. Another radical idea of the GLC division architect Robert Rigg was taken from housing complexes in Sweden , where it was believed that lakes and canals reduced vandalism and other crime, mainly among the young. He used water as a calming influence on the residents. Thamesmead

8835-686: Was used as a setting for the Stanley Kubrick film A Clockwork Orange and also the play and Channel 4 gay coming-of-age film Beautiful Thing . The British TV drama Misfits was also filmed in Thamesmead. Many scenes take place around Southmere Lake, while Bexley College was once also used as a setting. The estate featured in The Libertines video What Became of the Likely Lads . The video of " Come to Daddy " by electronic musician Aphex Twin , directed by Chris Cunningham ,

8930-485: Was widely welcomed, with praise for the architecture, accessibility and expansion of the Tube to south-east and east London. Many of the new stations subsequently received individual awards and commendations for their architecture, including Westminster and Canary Wharf being jointly awarded the 2000 Civic Trust Building of the Year. The Royal Fine Art Commission named the extension as a whole their Millennium Building of

9025-403: Was wound down and two new organisations were formed. In broad terms, Gallions Housing Association took over the ownership and management of the housing assets whilst Tilfen, later Tilfen Land, took over the remaining undeveloped land. Tilfen is jointly owned by Gallions and Trust Thamesmead. District heating and cable radio broadcasting were pioneered in Thamesmead. The District heating system

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