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'{{Short description|Area of Newham in London, England}} {{about|the place in London|the place in Canada|North Woolwich, Ontario}} {{More citations needed|date=June 2021}} {{Use dmy dates|date=September 2021}} {{Use British English|date=September 2021}} {{infobox UK place | country = England | region = London | official_name = North Woolwich | static_image_name = North Woolwich ferry terminal, side view - geograph.org.uk - 1736806.jpg | static_image_caption = North Woolwich ferry terminal | constituency_westminster = [[West Ham and Beckton (UK Parliament constituency)|West Ham and Beckton]] | population = | population_ref = | post_town = LONDON | postcode_area = E | postcode_district = E16 | london_borough = Newham | dial_code = 020 | os_grid_reference = TQ435795 | coordinates = {{coord|51.501|0.058|display=inline,title}} | charingX_distance_mi = 8 | charingX_direction = WNW }} '''North Woolwich''' is an area in the [[London Borough of Newham]] in [[East London]], England, on the northern bank of the [[River Thames]], across the river from [[Woolwich]]. It is connected to Woolwich by the [[Woolwich Ferry]] and [[Woolwich foot tunnel]]. Despite lying on the northern, [[Essex]], side of the Thames, the area was within the [[Historic counties of England|historic county]] of [[Kent]]. It was part of the parish of [[Woolwich (parish)|Woolwich]] in the [[Hundred of Blackheath, Kent|Blackheath hundred]], but since 1965 has been in [[Greater London]]. Its position within Kent was an arrangement most likely imposed in the aftermath of the [[Norman Conquest of England]] from 1066. ==History== ===Toponymy=== The placename North Woolwich was probably taken from [[North Woolwich railway station]] which opened in 1847 and closed in 2006; before that, the area was referred to by terms such as "Woolwich in Essex",<ref name=powell>Powell WR ed. (1973) Becontree hundred: East Ham, in ''A History of the County of Essex: Volume 6'', pp. 1–8. London: Victoria County History. ([http://www.british-history.ac.uk/vch/essex/vol6/pp1-8 Available online] at [[British History Online]]. Retrieved 2021-06-30.)</ref> "Kent in Essex"<ref>The London Encyclopaedia, edited by Weinreb and Hibbert, 1983</ref> and "detached Woolwich". ===Local government=== {{more citations needed section|date=August 2023}} The area now called North Woolwich was originally in the eastern part of the [[London Borough of Newham#Manor of Ham|Manor of Ham]], in the [[Becontree (hundred)|Becontree]] hundred of [[Essex]]; a territory that was subsequently divided into the more familiar [[West Ham|West]] and [[East Ham]], sometime in the 12th century. North Woolwich appears to have been separated a century or so before that time, following the [[Norman Conquest of England|Norman conquest]]. Having defeated the English, [[William the Conqueror]] rewarded his followers and consolidated his rule, by dividing the lands of his new Kingdom between them. Amongst the foremost of these was [[Haimo (dapifer)|Hamo]], [[Steward (office)|Steward]] to the king and [[Sheriff of Kent]], who was given [[Manorialism|manor]]s in [[Essex]], [[Kent]] and [[Surrey]]. The Domesday Book of 1086 shows Hamo as holding land on both sides of the river as part of the manor of [[Woolwich]]. The widely-held view is that the upheaval of the conquest gave Hamo an opportunity to attach some of his land in [[Essex]] to his [[Manorialism|manor]] of Woolwich and by extension to his Sheriffdom of [[Kent]]. In so doing he became both [[lord of the manor]] and Sheriff on both sides of the [[Woolwich Ferry|ferry crossing]], an arrangement that allowed him to more effectively tax the revenues of the ferry. This enhanced control of the crossing may also have given him personal military and political advantages. The [[civil parish|parish]] of Woolwich developed from the manor, and administered North Woolwich until 1888 when it was replaced by the [[Metropolitan Borough of Woolwich]] and made part of the new [[County of London]]. The neighbouring areas' local authorities of [[County Borough of East Ham|East Ham]], [[West Ham]] and [[Municipal Borough of Barking|Barking]], while also heavily urbanised, were excluded from the new London authority to remain in Essex; and so North Woolwich remained an anomaly at county level. Local administration changed again in 1965, with the creation of the [[London Borough of Newham]] as part of a new [[Greater London]] area. North Woolwich joined [[West Ham]], [[County Borough of East Ham|East Ham]] and other areas between the rivers [[River Lea|Lea]], [[Thames]] and [[River Roding|Roding]] to form an authority which effectively reestablished the old area of Ham. The administrative association with Woolwich ended at that time, and Woolwich itself became part of a new [[London Borough of Greenwich]], whereas North Woolwich became part of the [[London Borough of Newham]].<ref>{{cite act |title=London Government Act 1963 |title-link=London Government Act 1963 |date=31 July 1963 |section-url=https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1963/33 |access-date=21 November 2022 |section=c. 33}}</ref> ===Urban development=== It appears that a hamlet in the area was destroyed by medieval floods and the area remained uninhabited from that time until the 19th century. The area was formerly the site of industries including the cable works of [[William Thomas Henley|W. T. Henley]] (later [[Associated Electrical Industries]]) and the Western Electric Company (later [[Standard Telephones and Cables]]) on the river to the west of the ferry, and a large [[Harland & Wolff]] ship building and repair shop at Gallions Point to the south of the [[King George V Dock, London|King George V Dock]] entrance lock (not to be confused with their works at the western end of the dock). Often on the day of launch of a new ship, the company would invite children from the local primary school (Storey Street, now closed) to witness the event. The population peaked just before the [[First World War]], and reduced substantially in the [[Second World War]] when it was [[London Blitz|heavily]] bombed. In the last decade, North Woolwich has seen major redevelopment as part of wider urban regeneration across the [[Royal Docks]], including the ongoing redevelopment of the former [[North Woolwich railway station]] site to provide 348 homes<ref>{{Cite web |last=by |date=2023-07-27 |title=Former North Woolwich railway station to become blocks of flats |url=https://www.ianvisits.co.uk/articles/former-north-woolwich-railway-station-to-become-blocks-of-flats-64529/ |access-date=2024-06-20 |website=ianVisits |language=en-GB}}</ref>, as well as 75 new homes at Woolwich Reach<ref>{{Cite web |title=Woolwich Reach {{!}} Higgins Partnerships |url=https://www.higginspartnerships.co.uk/projects/woolwich-reach/ |access-date=2024-06-20 |website=www.higginspartnerships.co.uk}}</ref> and 163 apartments at Stories Wharf, in the vicinity of the [[Woolwich Ferry|Woolwich ferry]] terminal<ref>{{Cite web |last=Smith |first=J. |date=2017-08-01 |title=New development planned in North Woolwich beside ferry terminal |url=https://www.fromthemurkydepths.co.uk/2017/08/01/new-development-planned-in-north-woolwich-by-woolwich-ferry/ |access-date=2024-06-20 |website=Murky Depths |language=en-GB}}</ref>. ==Geography== Unlike many areas of London, North Woolwich had formally-defined boundaries by which it comprised two separate tracts of riverside land. The smaller and more westerly part, containing {{convert|68|acre}}, extended west for about {{convert|1/2|mi|m}} from North Woolwich station. The larger detached part, further fragmented by [[dock (maritime)|dock]] facilities, extended east from the [[Royal Victoria Gardens]]. However as in many areas of London, informal local definitions of districts are more nuanced [[File:North Woolwich -Formal.jpg|thumb|The formal boundaries of North Woolwich about 1917.]] Most of Pier Road and the Royal Victoria Gardens, as well as [[King George V DLR station]], are, strictly speaking, in a finger of [[East Ham]] surrounded by North Woolwich. However, as is so often the case in London, formal boundaries have not proved the deciding factor in defining local areas, and this part of [[East Ham]] has also long been regarded{{By whom|date=September 2022}} as being part of North Woolwich. Conversely, the area of the eastern part that lies north of the docks – an area of employment land, infrastructure facilities and post-industrial dereliction, with very few residents – is more usually seen{{Citation needed|date=September 2022}} as being part of [[Beckton]], an area that has never had any formal definition. In summary, the area now commonly{{vague|date=September 2022}} considered as North Woolwich differs markedly from the two areas which formerly had the association with Woolwich, covering a smaller area but with a higher population. It could now be said{{by whom|date=September 2022}} to consist of the area to the south of King George V Dock and Lock, east of the boundary with the [[Silvertown]] area of [[West Ham]]. ===Nearby places=== *[[Woolwich]] *[[Silvertown]] *[[Custom House, Newham|Custom House]] *[[Beckton]] The nearest [[List of Docklands Light Railway stations|Docklands Light Railway station]] is [[King George V DLR station|King George V]]. ==Transport== The [[King George V DLR station]] is North Woolwich's principal public transport asset, offering direct links to the [[City of London|City]], [[Canary Wharf]] (via [[Poplar DLR station|Poplar]]), [[Stratford, London|Stratford]] and [[Woolwich]]. The extension of the [[Docklands Light Railway]] to the area opened in December 2005. Until 2009, this terminated at [[King George V DLR station|King George V]]; a further extension under the river to [[Woolwich Arsenal station|Woolwich Arsenal]] opened in 2009. The disused [[North Woolwich railway station]], which was closed in preparation for future transport developments which will use sections of the line, is situated adjacent to the ferry terminal. This situation means that North Woolwich now sports two old station buildings. The closed [[North London Line]] station is adjacent to an earlier station which closed in 1979; this housed the [[North Woolwich Old Station Museum|Old Station Museum]] from 1984 until it closed in 2008, which was devoted to the history of the Great Eastern and London and North Eastern railways. North Woolwich is also linked to Woolwich, to its south, by the [[Woolwich Free Ferry]] (which connects the [[North Circular Road|North Circular]] and [[South Circular Road, London|South Circular]] roads) and the [[Woolwich foot tunnel]]. ==Education== {{For|details of education in North Woolwich|List of schools in the London Borough of Newham}} ==Gallery== <gallery> Image:North_woolwich_railway_museum 2.jpg|North Woolwich old railway museum frontage. (February 2007) Image:North_woolwich_railway_museum 1.jpg|North Woolwich old railway museum. The platform for the closed [[North London Line]] station is visible on the far right. (February 2007) </gallery> ==References== {{reflist}} ==External links== * [https://rchs.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/Journal-193-Nov-2005.pdf#page=40 The Great Eastern Railway's Woolwich Ferry] * [https://web.archive.org/web/20090105214146/http://hidden-histories.org.uk/projects/north-woolwich North Woolwich – Eastside Community Heritage] {{LB Newham}} [[Category:Areas of London]] [[Category:Districts of the London Borough of Newham]] [[Category:Cable manufacture in London]] [[Category:Shipbuilding in London]] [[Category:Districts of London on the River Thames]] [[Category:Port of London]] [[Category:Woolwich]]'