Coldharbour, Greenwich

Last updated

Coldharbour (Eltham)
Coldharbour Community Hall, William Barefoot Drive, London SE 9 - geograph.org.uk - 141115.jpg
Coldharbour Estate Community Hall
Greater London UK location map 2.svg
Red pog.svg
Coldharbour (Eltham)
Location within Greater London
Population13,062 (2011 Census. Coldharbour and New Eltham Ward) [1]
OS grid reference TQ427722
London borough
Ceremonial county Greater London
Region
Country England
Sovereign state United Kingdom
Post town LONDON
Postcode district SE9
Dialling code 020
Police Metropolitan
Fire London
Ambulance London
UK Parliament
London Assembly
List of places
UK
England
London
51°25′52″N0°03′08″E / 51.4312°N 0.05209°E / 51.4312; 0.05209

Coldharbour is an area of South East London and post-war housing estate within the Royal Borough of Greenwich. It is located to the south of Eltham and north of Chislehurst.

Contents

History

Coldharbour Farm

The area on which the estate now stands was a farm referred to as 'Merry Fields' in a 1761 map of Kent. [2] By 1769, the farm was known as Coldharbour and consisted of a small holding and two farm buildings opposite the entrance to Elmstead Lane, on what is now Speke Hill. [3]

The first farm bailiff for Coldharbour recorded in census records was Thomas Blanche in 1851, with labourers and shepherds living on the site. By 1861, Ephraim Jackson was the farm bailiff, living with his wife, children and three dairy labourers. He held this position until 1891, during which time the farm had expanded with various farmhands and milkmen living in the farm buildings and surrounding cottages.

Following Ephraim's retirement in 1891, the brothers Richard and James Higgs, at the time aged 21 and 29 respectively, became the resident farmers on Coldharbour Farm. They lived in the farmhouse consisting of one furnished room. [4] By 1911, James Higgs had sole running of the farm with his wife, children and three servants, as Richard had departed to run a farm in Dorset.

In 1913, J.B Stocker bought the farm and his son Cecil ran it on his behalf until 1919, when Sydney Baldry took over. He was succeeded in 1936 by the final farm bailiff of Coldharbour, Thomas Spooner, who remained until the completion of the housing estate and removal of the final farm buildings in 1953.

Coldharbour Estate

The Coldharbour housing estate began development in 1947 on the site of Coldharbour Farm, by then the last working farm in London, built by the Metropolitan Borough of Woolwich. It was created in a garden suburb style in order to house borough residents made homeless by The Blitz and young families. The majority of initial residents, therefore, were rehoused from Woolwich or Eltham, and to a lesser extent Plumstead, Charlton and surrounding boroughs.

The first house to be built, 2 Wynford Way, was opened by Aneurin Bevan, the Minister for Health, in 1947. The 'bottom end' of the estate was built first, with Wynford Way, Woodcroft, Littlemede and Bromhedge completed by the end of 1948, many of which were built in concrete due to post-war lack of building supplies. The area from the Mound to the Course and surrounding roads were open to residents the following year, with Southold Rise and Speke Hill complete by 1950. The roads surrounding the Farmhouse were ready by the end of 1951, Beanshaw in 1952 and finally the roads at the south of the estate, between Beanshaw and Hever Croft, were ready by 1953. The church of St Alban was completed in the same year. The estate was due to be officially opened by Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother in May 1952, but that part of her tour was cancelled. When she finally arrived to "commemorate the completion of the Coldharbour Housing Estate" on 9 May 1957, the Kentish Independent''s headline the following day was "Five Year Wait For Royal Visit But It Was Well Worth It". [5]

The first official resident of the estate was Ethel Lewino of 1 William Barefoot Drive, who lived on the estate from 1946 until 1948 when she emigrated with her family to Australia.

Coldharbour Farm and subsequently the Coldharbour Estate were a civil parish of Kent until 1889 when it became part of the County of London and from 1900 formed part of the Metropolitan Borough of Woolwich. The metropolitan borough was abolished in 1965 and Coldharbour then became part of the Royal Borough of Greenwich.

Naming and Location

The boundaries of the Coldharbour Estate are Mottingham Road and White Horse Hill to the west, Chapel Farm Road to the north, Green Lane and Crouch Croft to the east and Mainridge Road to the south.

William Barefoot Drive forms the main road running through the estate. This road was originally named Hellensmead until renamed in honour of a former Eltham councillor and three times Mayor of Woolwich. Another renamed road is Sandling Rise, which was called Hurstmead until 1951. Other roads on the estate named after local personalities and historical events, include Kingsley Wood Drive, Lambarde Avenue and Great Harry Drive. Many of the remaining roads retain the names of the ancient fields they were built on, including Littlemede, Southold Rise, Altash Way and Woodcroft.

Transport

Rail

The closest railway stations to Coldharbour are Mottingham, New Eltham & Elmstead Woods.

Bus

Education

The two primary schools located on the Coldharbour Estate are Montbelle Primary School (formerly Ruxley Manor Primary School) and Greenacres Primary School.

Pubs

The two public houses built on the estate upon opening were the Farmhouse and the Royal Eltham, which has since been demolished.

Churches

St Albans Church (Church of England) is the main place of worship on the estate. It is a subparish of St Andrew's, Mottingham. Coldharbour Evangelical Free Church is an independent Protestant church located nearby. The serving Roman Catholic churches are the joint churches of Our Lady Help of Christians, Mottingham and St Patrick's, Chislehurst.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chislehurst</span> Settlement in South East England

Chislehurst is a suburban district of south-east London, England, in the London Borough of Bromley. It lies east of Bromley, south-west of Sidcup and north-west of Orpington, 10 miles (16 km) south-east of Charing Cross. Before the creation of Greater London in 1965, it was in Kent.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Royal Borough of Greenwich</span> Place in United Kingdom

The Royal Borough of Greenwich is a London borough in southeast Greater London, England. The London Borough of Greenwich was formed in 1965 by the London Government Act 1963. The new borough covered the former area of the Metropolitan Borough of Greenwich and part of the Metropolitan Borough of Woolwich to the east. The local council is Greenwich London Borough Council which meets in Woolwich Town Hall. The council's offices are also based in Woolwich, the main urban centre in the borough.

Elmstead is a residential district in south-east London, England, within the London Borough of Bromley. It is located north-east of Bromley.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mottingham</span> Area of south-east London

Mottingham is a district of south-east London, England, which straddles the border of both the London Borough of Bromley and the Royal Borough of Greenwich. It is located south west of Eltham, 1.5 miles. It was historically within the county of Kent.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lee, London</span> Human settlement in England

Lee, also known as Lee Green, is an area of South East London, England, straddling the border of the London Borough of Lewisham and the Royal Borough of Greenwich. It is located northwest of Eltham and southeast of Lewisham. Historically it has been part of the historic county of Kent.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eltham</span> District of southeast London, England

Eltham is a district of southeast London, England, within the Royal Borough of Greenwich. It is 8.7 miles (14.0 km) east-southeast of Charing Cross, and is identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London. The three wards of Eltham North, South and West have a total population of 35,459. 88,000 people live in Eltham.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">River Quaggy</span> River in Greater London, England

The River Quaggy is a river, 17 kilometres (11 mi) in length, passing through the south-east London boroughs of Bromley, Greenwich and Lewisham. In its lower reaches it is an urban river, in its upper reaches further from London it is more natural and known as the Kyd Brook. The river rises from two sources near Princess Royal University Hospital (PRUH) at Locksbottom and is a tributary of the River Ravensbourne which it flows into near Lewisham station in Lewisham.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Grove Park, Lewisham</span> Human settlement in England

Grove Park is a district of South East London, England within the London Borough of Lewisham. It is located north east of Bromley and south east of Lewisham.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">New Eltham</span> Human settlement in England

New Eltham is a suburban area of South East London, England, primarily in the Royal Borough of Greenwich with some parts in the London Borough of Bexley. It is located south east of Eltham and north west of Sidcup.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Falconwood</span> Human settlement in England

Falconwood is an area of south east London within both the London Boroughs of Bexley and Greenwich. It is north east of Eltham and south west of Welling.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eltham railway station</span> National Rail station in London, England

Eltham railway station is in the Well Hall area of Eltham, South East London, within the Royal Borough of Greenwich. It is 10 miles 68 chains (17.5 km) measured from London Victoria. It is in Travelcard Zone 4.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hither Green railway station</span> National Rail station in London, England

Hither Green is a railway station located in Hither Green in the London Borough of Lewisham, south-east London. It is 7 miles 16 chains (11.6 km) down the line from London Charing Cross and is situated between Lewisham and either Grove Park or Lee depending on the route.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mottingham railway station</span> National Rail station in London, England

Mottingham railway station is a station situated on Court Road between Eltham and Mottingham, in the Royal Borough of Greenwich, south-east London. It is 9 miles 40 chains (15.3 km) down the line from London Charing Cross the terminus of the Dartford loop line. The station is located in Travelcard Zone 4 between Lee and New Eltham.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eltham (UK Parliament constituency)</span> UK Parliament constituency since 1983

Eltham is a constituency in Greater London created in 1983 and represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament since 1997 by Clive Efford of the Labour Party.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">South East London Green Chain</span>

The South East London Green Chain, also known as the Green Chain Walk, is a linked system of open spaces between the River Thames and Crystal Palace Park in London, England. In 1977 four London boroughs and the Greater London Council created this Green Chain of 300 open spaces to protect them from building activity. The four London boroughs are Bexley, Bromley, Lewisham and Greenwich. More recently it has been extended to include sections in Southwark. Many parts of the system are also part of the Capital Ring route.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Horn Park</span> Area of south east London

Horn Park is an area of south east London south west of Eltham. It is located 12.5 km (7.8 mi) southeast of Charing Cross on the southwest edge of the Royal Borough of Greenwich and borders both the London Borough of Lewisham and the London Borough of Bromley. There is a public park also named Horn Park and two schools in the area. The River Quaggy flows northward though Horn Park, and the suburb is covered by the postcode district SE12, which was previously called the Lee postal district. There is community centre located in Horn Park Estate on Sibthorpe Road, that hosts a number of activities, such as Christian, council and MP meetings, and numerous classes including dance, karate and English.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sundridge, London</span> Human settlement in England

Sundridge Park, also known simply as Sundridge, is an area of Greater London within the London Borough of Bromley and prior to 1965 it was in the historic county of Kent. It is situated north of Bromley, north-west of Widmore and Bickley, south of Grove Park and south-east of Downham. In the twentieth century Sundridge names began to overlap somewhat with neighbouring Plaistow, for example, the main Sundridge shopping parade by the station sits directly east of Plaistow Green, with business and facilities in the area using the two names interchangeably, and Plaistow Cemetery is actually on the Sundridge side of the border. However, during the early twenty first century there have been deliberate attempts to re-establish the separate identities of both villages, Sundridge has its own village sign, and representation has been made to the local council for a village sign for Plaistow. Plaistow refers especially to the area north of Sundridge Park station along Burnt Ash Lane, part of the A2212 road which runs north to south between Grove Park and Bromley.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Well Hall</span> Human settlement in England

Well Hall is a place to the north of Eltham in the Royal Borough of Greenwich in southeast London, England, with no present formal boundaries and located 13.5 km (8.4 mi) east-southeast of Charing Cross. In the past Well Hall was the grounds of a manor house, and then a hamlet. Today it is a largely residential suburb and housing estate absorbed by the development of Eltham and London. It is centred on the main road between Eltham and Woolwich, on which many shops and businesses are located. Several major A roads including the South Circular Road and A2 road pass through the area, as does a railway line, serving Eltham station which is located in Well Hall. The Postcode that covers Well Hall and most of the Eltham area is SE9, and the 020 dialing covers the entire Royal Borough of Greenwich. Well Hall is split across two electoral wards, Eltham West on the west side of Well Hall Road, and Eltham North on the east side of Well Hall Road. In 2015 the population of these two wards combined was recorded as 24,621, although the wards cover a larger area than just Well Hall.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Tarn</span> UK nature reserve

The Tarn is a 9 acres (3.6 ha) site on Court Road between Mottingham and Eltham, in the Royal Borough of Greenwich, southeast London, United Kingdom, consisting of a public garden, a bird sanctuary nature reserve and a lake amongst woodland. The woodland and lake, which was historically known as Starbuck's Pond, were previously the southern part of the Great Park, one of three parks belonging to the estate of Eltham Palace and used as a royal deer hunting park for several centuries up until the English Civil War. As a garden The Tarn opened in 1935, after the Metropolitan Borough of Woolwich acquired the site from the adjacent Royal Blackheath Golf Course. The Tarn remains largely unchanged since the 1930s and contains several shelters, benches, a public toilets building and a circular path which crosses a wooden footbridge spanning the lake. There is also an 18th-century ice house in the garden, which is a listed structure.

Eltham and Chislehurst is a proposed constituency of the House of Commons in the UK Parliament. Further to the completion of the 2023 Periodic Review of Westminster constituencies, it will first be contested at the next general election.

References

  1. "Greenwich Ward population 2011". Neighbourhood Statistics. Office for National Statistics. Retrieved 14 October 2016.
  2. http://biblio.unibe.ch/web-apps/maps/zoomify.php?pic=Ryh_1813_26.jpg&col=ryh
  3. http://biblio.unibe.ch/web-apps/maps/zoomify.php?pic=Ryh_1806_21.jpg&col=ryh
  4. https://www.ancestry.co.uk/interactive/2352/rg14_02723_0405_03?pid=4217571&backurl=https://search.ancestry.co.uk/cgi-bin/sse.dll?indiv%3D1%26dbid%3D2352%26h%3D4217571%26tid%3D%26pid%3D%26usePUB%3Dtrue%26_phsrc%3DPaK1%26_phstart%3DsuccessSource&treeid=&personid=&hintid=&usePUB=true&_phsrc=PaK1&_phstart=successSource&usePUBJs=true [ user-generated source ]
  5. The Kentish Independent 10 May 1957