Eltham Park

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Post to the north Shooters Hill


A2 Relief Road

1885-88. 244 house demolished and 8 acres of open space gone. Green Link Bridge across the two bits of Eltham Park.

Corbett Estate

Grid of streets with Scottish names round the station. Thomas Jackson's estate bought by Jamieson and sold to Corbett. Lib MP for Glasgow. Land bought in 1895 by Corbett. No alcohol. Corbett built his poshest houses within easy walking distance of the railway but out of sight of it. Cheaper houses either nearer the railway or on the far edge of the estate.

dene hole. 1878, a shaft and chamber discovered.  In order to remedy the water supply, workmen discovered that water ran into a disused brick shaft with a  brick crown. The shaft was 100 yards from a houseand was 140 ft. deep widening into a chamber in .chalk, which was 40 ft. by 50 ft. and 9 ft high.  It had a  flat roof in a band of flint, and was supported by three pillars of chalk in the centre.  The shaft was lined as far as the chalk. There were eight courses of brickwork in the chalk lining.   The whole of the lining rested on a plate of wood on a ledge.

two Roman burial urns also found which were smashed by accident.

Crookston Road

1a s

Shop was on the site of a hut stayed there and used as a shop until 1958

Used for hutments

Dairsie Road

Used for hutments

Drumbeck Road

Used for hutments

Earlshall Road

Used for hutments

Elibank Road

One hut at least still used as garden shed

Used for hutments

Eltham Park Gardens

Corbett c. 1909

Eltham Park Station,

Eltham Park Station.  1st July 1908 by the South East and Chatham Railway. Opened as ‘Shooters Hill and Eltham Park’.  The line had been proposed by landowners along the route and the station was part of a law suit between Corbett, the developer, and the owner of land. Substantial and capacious, brick booking office, footbridge with shops in the original building. Very impressive with covered walkways and platforms on a gradient.. Designed by Alfred William Blomfield and laid out by Jackson, 1849-84, civil engineer of Bexley Railway. On the east side of Westmount Road but street buildings converted to shops after the booking office had been moved onto the footbridge.. In 1927 it was renamed ‘Eltham Park’. closed 3/85. Some street level buildings survive and are listed.

Shooters Hill sub station alongside

Park House stood opposite the station

Eltham Warren

Golf Course: Gravel path lane and nature study centre. Warren source of spring water for palace and moat and lots of springs. Gravel pits of 1740s. Grassland etc. foxes and rabbits. Drainage ditch across the golf course ancient derelict hedges around. Round very good.

Eltham Park North

Bought by London County Council 1929 after pressure from WBC. North part bought in 1930 to conserve the old Long Pond Walk.   Woodlands, and a special atmosphere, particularly around the Long Pond. Surrounded on three sides by Shepherdleas Woods.  The grassland is managed as meadow. 

Long Pond.  Lots of frogs and water birds. This is an ancient long pond,  probably dug 1800-1830 and used as a boating lake in mid-19th.  It is attractive, with its overhanging trees. .

Children’s play area, a putting green and tennis courts.

Roman remains

Denehole

Eltham Park South

Eltham Park. This very large area of open space is divided by the railway line and the Rochester Way Relief Road, which run alongside each other in a deep cutting. Eltham Park South was acquired by the London County Council in 1902, as public open space. An early open space in the area. ). Has a large grassed area with sports facilities

Open air swimming pool opened 1924. Closed and derelict

Greenvale Road

Used for hutments

Railline

Blackheath to Falconwood is a green corridor with cuttings and embankments with sycamore and oak woodland.  Hawthorn and bramble providing habitat for birds and animals.

Rochester Way

Deansfield. Old playing field surrounded by Shepherdleas Wood.  Rough grassland with scrub and young trees. 

Shepherdleas Wood

Shepherdleas Wood.  part of the ancient forest that covers Shooters Hill and it  forms part of Eltham Park.  Many of the trees were damaged by the storm of 1987.  Acquired 1934.  There are fine views. It was acquired by the London County Council at the same time as Oxleas Wood and had similar characteristics to it. it is designated a site of special scientific interest, and is classified as ancient woodland, though there have been many changes. The dominant tree is oak, and there are also sweet chestnut, blackthorn, aspen, hazel, birch, ash, wild cherry, as well as the rarer wild service tree. There is a wide variety of shrubs, wild herbs and other wild plants in dense undergrowth. there is a fine display of bluebells in the late spring, particularly on the western side.. There is a good network of footpaths through the woods.

Westmount Road

92/98 Station Parade.  Shops in what was originally Eltham Park Station. 96 was the booking office.  The station was originally built by the firm of Sir Arthur Blomfield & Son in 1908 to serve the Eltham Park Estate, already at that time well advanced in construction. It was quite splendid, with covered walkways down ramps to the canopied platforms. It was originally called Shooters Hill & Eltham Park Station, and was renamed Eltham Park in 1927. It was closed in 1985 and replaced by Eltham Station.  The remains (which can be viewed from Glenlea Road across the Rochester Way Relief Road) consist of the platforms and, behind the shops, a short and derelict section of the wooden covered walkway. The original station building is now 92/98 Westmount Road, having between the wars become a parade of shops; 96 with its distinctive upper part was the original entrance and booking office.

285 Co-op Bungalow branch opened 1917. In three huts. Closed when the new shop opened in Well Hall

Three sculpted vent pipes?

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