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Roots - where I grew up

August 2020 - April 2024
Nostalgic visits to the parts of South East London where I grew up. Read more
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  • TravelerRoots - where I grew up
    Day 1

    Erith 1 - Town

    August 24, 2020 in England ⋅ ⛅ 18 °C

    I was born in Erith; it was then within the historic county of Kent, but has formed part of the London Borough of Bexley in South East London since 1965.
     
    In Victorian times, Erith enjoyed a brief spell as a riverside resort due its pier and the day-trippers arriving on Thames pleasure boats.  The town suffered heavy bomb damage in the Second World War, mainly due its position on the riverside near the Royal Arsenal at Woolwich. This bomb damage and a gradual decline in local trade prompted major redevelopment in the 1960s; in 1961, plans were put forward to redevelop Erith into a modern, sleek shopping and working environment.....
     
    One of the first films I saw with my mother was the 1963 version of "Jason and the Argonauts" - with its amazing dynamation sequences by Ray Harryhausen - at the Erith Odeon cinema (it is still one of my favourite films ). I used to go there and see A and B films for sixpence (6d) and did not appreciate at the time that the building was in the Art Deco style.  The Odeon became a large Bingo Hall before being demolished and rebuilt as flats and office units; the picture shows things as they are now on the same site.
     
    The old Erith High Street and its side streets are long gone and this area has been replaced by the Riverside Shopping Centre.  Walking towards the river, we reach the end of what was the High Street; the White Hart pub is still there (albeit a restaurant now with a Thames Barge mural on one side), as is the Erith Playhouse and the Cross Keys pub (also a restaurant now).  At the river, we see Erith Pier (more correctly Erith Deep Water Wharf) - the longest pier in London (see Erith 2 - Riverside); from here, it is a short walk up West Street to see the Church of Saint John the Baptist. Doubling back and proceeding up Walnut Tree Road we reach the old library - Grade II listed and in a state of disrepair - before reaching the main roundabout, which has a De Luci fish mosaic sculpture at its centre; behind it we see the tall spire of Christ Church.    Read more

  • TravelerRoots - where I grew up
    Day 1

    Erith 2 - Riverside

    August 24, 2020 in England ⋅ ⛅ 19 °C

    We start at Riverside and Erith Pier; many years ago, there were plans to make Erith a resort because of its location - these did not work out, although it still has the longest pier in London as a result of this and it is popular with anglers. There is talk of a proposed ferry connection between Erith and Rainham in order to close the missing link of the London Loop, but what goes round comes round - there was once a ferry to Erith from the other side of the Thames which was mainly used by pilgrims on their way to Canterbury! Close to this plaque is an interesting sign showing that Robinson Crusoe stopped at Erith on his way home…

    Further along and through the Erith Riverside Gardens , we reach the place where the Swimming Pool used to be (I learnt to swim here - it was demolished in 2010 and replaced by flats) before reaching the older part of Riverside.    Read more

  • TravelerRoots - where I grew up
    Day 8

    Walk 1 - Erith to Slade Green

    August 31, 2020 in England ⋅ ⛅ 17 °C

    The walk from Erith to Slade Green is interesting and forms part of the London Outer Orbital Path, more usually known as the "London LOOP", a 150-mile (242 km) signed walk along public footpaths and through parks, woods and fields around the edge of Outer London.

    We start at Riverside and then it is a long slog via Manor Road; there is a lot of industry here and it is not possible to walk by the river. We double back to the river at a small industrial estate housing the Bexley Brewery (excellent beer). This is overshadowed by a 285-foot, 500 kW wind turbine and there is a good view of the turbine and the Erith Yacht Club from the Erith Saltings sign on the footpath along the flood embankment; next to the footpath is saltmarsh, campshedding (wooden piles) on the mudflat, remnants of fossilised forest and, finally, the river itself. On our other side we have Crayford Marshes.

    Proceeding east, there is a view of the marshes with the QE2 bridge linking the M25 clearly visibly beyond; in the foreground is the confluence of the Thames with the River Darent. As we walk from this confluence we reach the Dartford Creek Tidal Flood Barrier; on our right is a brownfield site with lots of scrap yards, recycling plants and light industry. We proceed further along the River Darent from the Flood Barrier and turn down track the which leads to Moat Lane and on to Slade Green.    Read more

  • TravelerRoots - where I grew up
    Day 8

    Slade Green

    August 31, 2020 in England ⋅ ⛅ 16 °C

    I was born close to, and brought up in, Slade Green; this is part of the London Borough of Bexley and the easternmost settlement in London south of the Thames - there are excellent train links to London Bridge and Charing Cross that pass through Woolwich, Charlton and Greenwich on their way to the City.

    Industrial development of Slade Green began in the late 19th century and the church of St Augustine was built in 1900 (it is now surrounded by small industrial units). Rapid expansion followed the construction of a major rail depot and a small station was added to serve the depot and community; Slade Green could be described as a railway town. Indeed, with the development of London Crossrail from Abbey Wood a few stops up the line, who knows what will happen next?

    Slade Green underwent a lot of growth in the late 1950's (when I was born) with council built flats, bungalows, semi-detached houses and shops being built; the large blocks of grey flats that I remember were demolished around 1990 and replaced by much more pleasant housing - it wasn't the best of areas back in the '60s and '70s! A lot of perople were moved down from parts of London as those areas became more gentrified (eg Islington) and I grew up with their children. This is why I look out for Arsenal FC (as well as Charlton Athletic).

    On the social side I note that the Corner Pin pub is still in business, but the Lord Raglan (which I used to frequent) is now flats. The old Railway Tavern, a listed building, has long been converted to flats after initially being reborn as a gymnasium. The demise of Slade Green Football Club in 2009 led to the loss of another watering hole, as well as local sport. Slade Green Secondary School (later Howbury Grange) has now gone, but the infants and primary school I attended is still there (although renamed to St Paul's).

    As you exit Slade Green and walk along Moat Lane you reach the listed monument of Howbury Moated Grange (c.900) which was formerly the manor of Howbury, known as Hov in the Domesday Book. Next to it is a Grade II Listed Jacobean Tithe Barn (c.1600).

    At the end of the lane, we reach part of Crayford Marshes; an ideal location for the 40 acre ammunition works that used to be there - and you can still see disused air raid shelters and pill boxes (where I used to play as a youngster!). A little further brings you to the banks of the River Darent and the opportunity to link up with the London LOOP walk - you turn left for Erith (see earlier footprint) and right for Crayford and beyond (see me t footprint).    Read more

  • TravelerRoots - where I grew up
    Day 36

    Walk 2 - Slade Green to Crayford

    September 28, 2020 in England ⋅ ⛅ 13 °C

    The walk from Slade Green to Crayford is also part of the London LOOP. We walk to of Moat Lane and turn right, enjoying the view of the Dartford Crossing, and reach another river confluence; this is for the River Darent and its tributary the River Cray – the Darent continues on to Dartford in Kent whereas we follow the Cray to Crayford in Greater London.

    We pass through another industrial area and reach Thames Road - the Jolly Farmers Pub stood at the corner, but is now gone - before crossing over to rejoin the Cray Riverway Walk (as this section is known). As we proceed through Barnes Cray, there is a lot of building development on our right; we reach Maiden Lane and cross this road to join the other side of the riverbank. Barnes Cray Road runs parallel to the river and much to my surprise we see from the bridge that some of the modest houses here have rigged up moorings for small boats at the ends of their back gardens.

    We reach Crayford and its lovely Waterside Gardens, a landscaped small park either side of the river in the centre of the town; they were refurbished in 2009 and now feature a large modern sculpture and a footbridge - the excellent Penny Farthing micropub beckons on the right hand side of the river from behind a signpost and the footbridge. On the right of this is Vintage Lindy Lou, a family run vintage tea room set in Waterside garden; it has beautiful internal decor now - a vast improvement on the building's previous life as a Crayford public convenience!    Read more

  • TravelerRoots - where I grew up
    Day 36

    Crayford

    September 28, 2020 in England ⋅ ⛅ 16 °C

    My father was born and raised in Crayford and my grandparents continued to live there until they passed on in the late 1960s.  I used to go to Crayford a lot as a child.
     
    Crayford Social Club is a working man's club close to the Waterside and was built in 1925; my parents used to take the family there on Saturday evenings. Nearby, the Crayford and Bexleyheath Stadium was a greyhound racing stadium; we knew it as Crayford Dogs and, as children, went there on several occasions.  In 1985 it was rebuilt as part of a development project by Ladbrokes into a new greyhound track and sports stadium and renamed Crayford Stadium.  I took my father there in 2016 as a treat and the picture shows greyhounds being paraded before a race (I didn't back the winner!)

    The Penny Farthing micopub opened in 2014 in what was originally an old bicylce shop on the Waterside; it is a superb place. There is no music, mobiles are not to be used for talking and beer is served from the wood - the picture shows me and dad enjoying a pint after the greyhound racing.

    Crayford Clock Tower, a commemoration of the coronation of Edward VII, was constructed in 1902. It has a secondary purpose; it is also a sewage lift station - there are vents at the top of the tower. 
     
    Looking up the High Street, we see the Dukes Head pub on the left and the green top of the Masjid Abu Makar (the Methodist Church was converted to a mosque in 2007); at the top of the hill is the tower of St Paulinus Church.  This church is of great relevance to the family as my parents were married there and now buried there too; my father was christened there, as was I.    Read more

  • TravelerRoots - where I grew up
    Day 71

    Dartford, part 1; school and other

    November 2, 2020 in England ⋅ 🌬 15 °C

    Born in Erith and raised in Slade Green, but Dartford is where I spent my formative years as this where I went to secondary school; I passed the 11+ exam and went to Dartford Grammar School, DGS (my mum went to DGS for Girls round the corner) - famous alumni from DGS include Mick Jagger (see subsequent post). Although the school was founded in 1576,, the school house dates from 1864; this is where the sixth formers used to hang out at breaks etc and play the music of the day (prog rock and rock in our case). The school motto "ora et labora" means "pray and work" which I have only just found out from Google; I honestly thought it meant "play and work" - a maxim I have adhered to during my life, although not as a result of it being the school motto (which I thought it was!)

    My grandad lived with us in Slade Green for several years in the late 1960s and used to come to Dartford to go to The Malt Shovel pub to read his paper and drink real ale in the wood panelled tap bar there; unfortunately, the pub was closed when I visited on a Monday, but I have been there many times previously. It was, and still is, a Youngs pub and grandad and my uncle (his son, mum's brother) got me into real ale and I have been drinking it all my life.

    Some parts of Dartford have been modernised beyond recognition but other parts are still as they were; not far from the railway station, the Orchard Theatre has a modern clock tower by it and on the other side of town - passing through the historic centre (see next post) - we have the 1916 Dartford Central Library and Museum on the edge of Central Park.    Read more

  • TravelerRoots - where I grew up
    Day 71

    Dartford, part 2; historic town centre

    November 2, 2020 in England ⋅ ⛅ 13 °C

    The Romans paved over an ancient Celtic trackway as part of their main Dover to London road and crossed the River Darent by ford (hence the name Dartford).

    We start on the far side of the River Darent, a tributary of the Thames (see London LOOP post), having crossed the bridge here to view the Holy Trinity Church. We cross back over the bridge onto the High Street to see the other side of the church, which is close to the Wat Tyler pub. Wat Tyler is famous for having been a leader of the Kentish part of the 1381 Peasants Revolt, basically an uprising about workers rights. Close by, on One Bell Corner, is a large mural entitled 'One Town That Changed The World" celebrating "the pioneering industrial heritage of Dartford".

    The Royal Victoria and Bull Hotel is Dartford's oldest inn and pilgrims were able to stay here (as well as that originally on One Bell Corner) in medieval times on The Pilgrim's Way to Canterbury and beyond; the inn was rebuilt in 1703 with a gallery overlooking the yard and these both are still visible today (albeit covered now).

    A short walk away is Dartford Priory, England's only Dominican Convent. Founded in 1346, the Dissolution of the Monasteries led to Henry VIII replacing it with a Manor House, of which only the Gatehouse survives.    Read more

  • TravelerRoots - where I grew up
    Day 71

    Dartford, part 3; The Rolling Stones

    November 2, 2020 in England ⋅ ⛅ 13 °C

    It is well documented that Keith Richards and Mick Jagger were brought up in Dartford; they went to the same infants school, but different secondary schools, before being reunited on platform 2 of Dartford Railway Station - Mick was carrying blues records and they got chatting.  The rest is history!

    As a young child, Mick lived in Denver Road, attending Wentworth Primary School before moving on to Wilmington, near Dartford, where he was brought up as a teenager; the current owners of thease two properties apparently do not want signs there.  As a young child, Keith lived round the corner to Mick along Chastilian Road in a flat above what was a greengrocer's and went to Wentworth Primary School as well, before moving to Spielman Road on Temple Hill; these two properties have a blue plaque and a sign, respectively, to celebrate Keith's residency in them.

    Whereas Keith went to Dartford Tech, Mick went to Dartford Grammar School; the Mick Jagger Centre is a performing arts venue on the grounds of the school and was opened in March 2000.  Mick is also present in the town as a life-size sculpture by a commemorative bench in Dartford Central Park; he is joined there by sculptures of two other memorable sound makers from Dartford - a Vox amplifier, invented in the town in the 1950s, and a Dartford warbler, first spotted on nearby Dartford Heath.  The first Vox amplifier was made along Dartford Road, which is en route to Crayford, and there is a plaque outside the building to commemorate this; Vox amplifiers were used a lot by top British bands in the 1960s including the Shadows, the Beatles and the Yardbirds.    Read more

  • TravelerRoots - where I grew up
    Day 345

    Walk 3 - Crayford to Bexley

    August 3, 2021 in England ⋅ ⛅ 18 °C

    The walk from Crayford to Bexley is also part of the London LOOP.  On leaving the Waterside Gardens in Crayford, it is not possible to walk further along the River Cray due to industrial development.  Crossing the road we pass through the small Tannery Garden (there used to be a tannery and brickworks in Crayford) and onto London Road (Watling Street), forking left at the junction with Bourne Road until a garage is reached; the two posts either side of this are all that remains of Crayford Cinema and on the other side of the road is Shenstone Park.  Here there is a sculpture of cows (Cows about Crayford?) illustrating another aspect of Crayford’s industrial history; cow dung and the roots of the Madder plant were used to create red dyes for silk (there used to be a silkworks in Crayford too).  We walk down the edge of a playing field to reach the River Cray; it is a pleasant walk along the river bank and after a while we reach Hall Place; this is a beautiful Tudor house on the outskirts of Crayford and on the banks of the River Cray - we divert from the London LOOP route to explore the award-winning gardens,   .  

    Hall Place is a stately home; building started in 1537 for a wealthy merchant using, in part, stone recycled from nearby former monastery, Lesnes Abbey (in what is now nearby Abbey Wood).  In 1649, the house was sold to another wealthy City merchant who added a second wing built of red bricks, doubling the size of the house, but in highly contrasting architectural styles. Today Hall Place is restored to its original Tudor and later 17th-century designs and is managed by the charity Bexley Heritage Trust. There are 65 hectares of landscaped gardens and grounds, a topiary lawn, herb garden, tropical garden and long herbaceous cottage garden-styled borders.  It was lovely to walk round some of these.

    We head back to our route and have to skirt the outside of Hall Place gardens to the railway line and cross under the A2 (aka the East Rochester Way) via an underpass where the local graffiti artists have been busy.  From here we walk along the edge of Churchfield Wood to Bexley (aka Old Bexley or Bexley Village).  Walking along the High Street into Bexley we cross the River Cray at The Old Mill; this was destroyed by fire in 1966, rebuilt in replica form and is now converted to residential use.    Read more

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