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Prince of Wales, c. 1863
Second World War, when German bombs
started a clearance of nineteenth century buildings. The greatest damage to
Belvedere was done in the air raid of the night of the 19th/20th April 1941,
when a heavy bomb blasted the shops and houses in Albert Road facing the Recreation
Ground.
This small
triangular green, which has survived from Lessness Heath, is a focal point and gives a village atmosphere
to Upper Belvedere. It is continued further west
by a narrower green with a line of trees.
Heron Hill
Went from Lesnes Heath to Picardy. From Lessness Heath Heron Hill led downhill
northwards to Picardy, sometimes called Herring Hill, was also the name of an
ancient house standing on its slope, which was long held by the Abell family. Sir John Abell accompanied
Edward 1 at the Siege of Caerlaverock, and his son Walter owned Footes Cray
Manor. Samuel Abell was the last of the family in the reign of James I, when
the property passed to the Drapers, another prominent local family. In 1725 the
property was sold and divided into three. The house was in the hands of the
Gilbert family from 1770 until the death of Moses Gilbert's widow in 1882,
after which in 1884 it was again sold, and the land developed for building.
Leather Bottle.
The Building dates from 1643 but it was altered in the 18th and
early 19th. It had a Home brew licence in 1740 and was called ‘The
Bottle’. The ‘Leather Bottle’ name dates from 1803 when a full licence was
granted. It is Highly attractive. a small east extension was added in the early 19th
century but the pub is still standing today much as it was at the end of the 18th
though it replaced an earlier which is said to have been there since the time
of Henry VIII.
Lessness
'woodland belonging to Lessness
Abbey'. Lessness, also spelt ‘Lesnes’ on some modern maps, was the 'meadow
promontory' projecting into the Erith Marshes. ‘Lesneis’ 1086:
Lesnes Abbey Woods
Lots of Daffodils, lots of bulbs, wild Service trees,
tumulus in southern part of woods. Woodland from Lesnes Abbey. Sweet chestnut
and oak. Part of an extensive area of deciduous ancient
woodland surrounding a ruined abbey which occupies a steep small valley next to
the borough of Greenwich and overlooking Thamesmead new town. Belonging from
the 12C to Lesnes Abbey and then to the charity of Christ's Hospital, the wood
was coppiced to provide fuel and timber for repairs. The highest areas of the
wood which contain heather suggest there has been some colonising of heathland.
It was purchased by the London county council in 1930 and within a year was
opened as a park. Ownership and managment passed to Bexley following the
abolition of the GLC. The wood was identified by the habitat survey as being of
metropolitan importance with the NW section designated as a geological site of
special scientific interest. One of the most striking features is the startling
appearance of primarily natural wild daffodils in the spring. The more general
impression is of former coppice allowed to mature with fine examples of
hornbeam, gean and field maple as well as oak. The edge of the valley is mostly
on chalk and reveals ancient earthworks.
Lessness Heath
In the Domesday Book this is ‘Loisnes’ and had three
fisheries. Lessness was a Hundred and this was the site of the meeting place.
Lies to the west of Belvedere House and its park as
an extensive and irregularly shaped piece of common land with a the parish
gravel pit on the north side. there were a number of farms and cottages around the
edges of the heath, some of them ancient. Enclosed in
1815 and given to Christ’s Hospital.
Area around owned by William Wheatley and Sir Culling Eardley who
exploited it for building.
Lessness Park
Denehole recorded in the area ‘near the gates’
Napier Road
Nelson Road
Raglan Road
Victoria Street
2 Victoria pub.
cheery.
back-street local run in a traditional
manner. The L-shaped bar is split into a sports themed area to the left
with sporting memorabilia in the darts
area, and local history holographs in the seated area
Wellington Road
33/45
interesting group; note in particular
33 fine
Italianate house of 1879
43/45, large
and distinguished, c. 1862.
50/64 four
attractive and dignified pairs 1860s.
16a mysterious shaft opened up in the night
44 Eardley Arms attractive pub with nice decorative details;
1860s, on the site of an inn of 1789. Over the corner doorway is the coat of
arms to the Eardley family, who owned Belvedere House a picturesque white
walled inn with a tiled roof, much covered by creeper, which was replaced later
in the nineteenth century by the present building. Pub called after Lord Eardley
building
converted from the village smithy..
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