LOCATIONS
General Gordon Square, Woolwich
General Gordon Square was designed by Gustafson Porter after winning the competition to design two linked squares in central Woolwich: General Gordon Square and Beresford Square. They were both completed in 2011. General Gordon Square is a green garden square while Beresford Square is the market square for Woolwich. General Gordon Square is situated near the Woolwich Town Centre and the Woolwich Arsenal Station (National Railway and Docklands Light Railway) and it is usually used as amphitheatre during different pubic events.
On the north side of General Gordon Square is Woolwich Equitable House pub, which was the former Woolwich Building Society Headquarters. There is also a water cascade in the southeast of General Gordon Square. In 2012 the BBC erected a big screen in the corner near the railway station for the Diamond Jubilee and the Olympics. This has been taken over by Greenwich Council and is now permanently part of the General Gordon Square. In the summer of 2012, the big screen did attract crowds for screenings, which in addition to the Olympics included screenings of opera and Wimbledon.
General Gordon Square was designed by Gustafson Porter after winning the competition to design two linked squares in central Woolwich: General Gordon Square and Beresford Square. They were both completed in 2011. General Gordon Square is a green garden square while Beresford Square is the market square for Woolwich. General Gordon Square is situated near the Woolwich Town Centre and the Woolwich Arsenal Station (National Railway and Docklands Light Railway) and it is usually used as amphitheatre during different pubic events.
On the north side of General Gordon Square is Woolwich Equitable House pub, which was the former Woolwich Building Society Headquarters. There is also a water cascade in the southeast of General Gordon Square. In 2012 the BBC erected a big screen in the corner near the railway station for the Diamond Jubilee and the Olympics. This has been taken over by Greenwich Council and is now permanently part of the General Gordon Square. In the summer of 2012, the big screen did attract crowds for screenings, which in addition to the Olympics included screenings of opera and Wimbledon.
Plumstead Common
In the 1800s the people of Plumstead protested that they had the right to graze their livestock on the land of Plumstead Common and to use it for sports and recreation. In June 1876 these protests attracted the Irish activist and a leading light of the Commons Protection League, John De Morgan who on 1st July 1876 led protestors up from Woolwich Arsenal to Edwin Hughes (leader of the conservative party) house tearing down illegally erected fences on their way. The authorities were afraid that a revolution would start so they arrested De Morgan and other demonstrators charging them with riotous assembly, and disturbing the peace. John De Morgan went to prison for seventeen days. The riots led to the Plumstead Common Act in 1878, which ensured that about one hundred acres of land remained as public open space forever.
The eastern part of Plumstead Common between King's Highway and Lakedale Road is locally called Winns Common. It provides plenty of space for people to play sports and walk their dogs. There is also a fenced up portion where a paddling pool, which is open for the summer holidays only, playground for kids and a basketball court have been created. While not an official nature reserve, parts of Plumstead Common where there is a wooded ravine at the edge of Plumstead Common behind the houses in Blendon Terrace and Azile Everett House, is recognised as a nature conservation area. The reserve is a haven for different species. Slade Pond is also situated in Plumstead Common and the Plumstead Common Environment Group manages these sites.
In the 1800s the people of Plumstead protested that they had the right to graze their livestock on the land of Plumstead Common and to use it for sports and recreation. In June 1876 these protests attracted the Irish activist and a leading light of the Commons Protection League, John De Morgan who on 1st July 1876 led protestors up from Woolwich Arsenal to Edwin Hughes (leader of the conservative party) house tearing down illegally erected fences on their way. The authorities were afraid that a revolution would start so they arrested De Morgan and other demonstrators charging them with riotous assembly, and disturbing the peace. John De Morgan went to prison for seventeen days. The riots led to the Plumstead Common Act in 1878, which ensured that about one hundred acres of land remained as public open space forever.
The eastern part of Plumstead Common between King's Highway and Lakedale Road is locally called Winns Common. It provides plenty of space for people to play sports and walk their dogs. There is also a fenced up portion where a paddling pool, which is open for the summer holidays only, playground for kids and a basketball court have been created. While not an official nature reserve, parts of Plumstead Common where there is a wooded ravine at the edge of Plumstead Common behind the houses in Blendon Terrace and Azile Everett House, is recognised as a nature conservation area. The reserve is a haven for different species. Slade Pond is also situated in Plumstead Common and the Plumstead Common Environment Group manages these sites.
St Helier Open space
The St Helier Open space is located in the London Borough of Sutton. Sited opposite St Helier hospital, it is in the southern end of the St Helier Estate, a large social housing development, built between the wars to alleviate inner London overcrowding. The open space is oblong in shape, edged by the B278 Wrythe Lane, Tweeddale Road, Middleton Road and Robertsbridge Road. The area is roughly divided into two spaces; a large grassed area to the south and, behind a row of trees, an athletic centre with running track, a playground for young children and a grassed area for football to the north. Tweeddale Primary School and the Tweeddale Centre (a children’s centre) are located on Tweeddale Road. The Bench Project is focussed on the southern area of the St Helier Open Space, opposite the St Helier Hospital. There is a network of footpaths connecting Robertsbridge Road to Tweeddale Rd and Wrythe Lane. Benches are located at intervals along these paths and on the Tweeddale end of the path a sports cage (MUGA), a youth shelter, a series of ramps and an outside gym are located. In the spring there is a colourful display of daffodils and two areas are left to meadow, the remaining area is grass which is regularly cut. |
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