Following North's death the house was acquired by the London County Council in July 1902 and its grounds extended to create Avery Hill Park in 1903. In 1906 North's house became Avery Hill College of Education, later incorporating two neighbouring buildings.[4] Within a year of its foundation, the residential college had become the largest of LCC's training colleges and was frequently oversubscribed; in 79 years it trained over 15,000 teachers.[3] In 1985 the college merged with Thames Polytechnic, renamed the University of Greenwich in 1993.[4] As well as the original house (Mansion site), the university had extensive facilities at the nearby Southwood site.
In 2020 the university vacated the Mansion site at Avery Hill, while remaining on the Southwood site.[5] A Harris Academy boys’ secondary school is planned to open on the Mansion site in 2026.[6]
Winter Garden
Avery Hill Park, with the conservatory to the north
The house is notable for an indoor winter garden,[7] the second largest Victorian glasshouse in the UK after Kew Gardens' Temperate House. It forms part of one of the most extensive and expensive garden arrangements ever constructed as part of a private house in England. In the early 21st century, the Winter Garden fell into neglect,[8] but is now open to the public after restoration work.[7]
The University of Greenwich Student Union Building in Avery Hill
Avery Hill Park
Avery Hill Park is a public park.[7] Since 2010, the park has hosted a Parkrun on Saturdays.
Avery Hill borders Falconwood to the north and north east, Blackfen to the east, Sidcup to the south east, New Eltham to the south and south west and Eltham to the west and north west.
1 2 Willey, Russ. Chambers London Gazetter, p 15-16.
1 2 Whitehead, Maurice. History of Education Quarterly 31, no. 1 (1991): 144-46. Accessed 6 July 2020. doi:10.2307/368811. See online summary and excerpt
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