Woolwich, London (In Kent until 1889)
Woolwich Common, London
Woolwich Common, which was originally known as the Charlton and Woolwich Commons, is to the south of Woolwich itself. The common is bordered on the eastern side by the A205 South Circular Road which leads down to the Ferry. The Common is about a quarter of a mile wide and about half a mile long, stretching up to Shooter's Hill Road. On the western side is the Queen Elizabeth Hospital, formerly a military hospital.
The southern edge of the barracks was marked by a ha-ha, giving its name to the road which runs beside it. It is thought that the ha-ha may have been built by convicts from the Woolwich Hulks. It was originally called the haw-haw.
On the far side of the A205 was a row of large terraced houses, one of which was the home for a while to General Gordon, and I can remember it carrying a blue plaque. Behind these houses was the maze of streets where the family lived. All were destroyed in the 1979's and the area covered with new houses. Some of the old road names were kept. Although there is no longer an Engineer Road, there is an Engineer Close.
Below are some photos are of the Common area and the ha-ha where Mum played and the water fountain and horse trough, which she remembers well.
