South London Adventure - Woolwich to Eltham Palace (4K)
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 30 ก.ย. 2024
- A walk from Woolwich Arsenal past Woolwich Barracks and across Woolwich Common and Eltham Common to Severndroog Castle. Then through Jack's Wood and Shepherdleas Wood to Eltham and finishing at the Tudor Eltham Palace.
My previous film about Woolwich and the old Royal Dockyard • Under & Over the Thame...
Shot in 4K on a Panasonic GX80
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Music
Neither Sweat Nor Tears by Dan Bodan
Omonia by Dan Bodan
Dreaming in 432Hz by Unicorn Heads
All from the TH-cam Audio Library
A walk around my "home turf", and it is indeed a pleasant surprise that you can find so much "green space" here.
Oxleas Woods, which is very ancient, would have been largely lost had the planned East River Crossing come to fruition in the 1980's.
The "Tudor Barn" in Well Hall Pleasaunce, now quite a good restaurant by Eltham standards (and you're right, residents pronounce it "elt-am") is the only remaining part of the manor house of Well Hall, which in Tudor times was the home of Margaret, the eldest daughter of Sir Thomas More after she married William Roper of the local landowning family.
Well Hall was owned at the end of the 19th Century and early 20th by the author Edith Nesbit, famous for the "Railway Children" , and her husband Hubert Bland. They were members of the early intellectual Socialist Fabian group, and were visited there by numerous well-known figures of that milieu, including George Bernard Shaw. A little-known fact is that after Bland's death, E Nesbit remarried in 1917 - to one of the captains on the Woolwich Ferry!
Even at £16, Eltham Palace is well worth a visit, especially if you're an enthusiast for "Art Deco", and you'll recognise that parts of the Courtauld's house have been used as locations for film and TV dramas set in that 1920's/30's era. The remaining building that Henry Vlllth as a boy would have known, (he was "isolated" there, as we'd say in the Covid era, a "country retreat" to protect the heir to the throne from the Plague , which was rampant in London) has a notable hammerbeam roof. In the days of the "Greenwich Festival", it was a fine setting in which to hear chamber music recitals.
I share your impression of September's slightly melancholy beauty, as the days draw in, and particularly this year, when you can reflect on the summer that "might have been". Thanks for an interesting film.
All planners and developers should be sectioned under the mental health act.
Hi John. Great walk as always. Eltham Palace is a gem and well worth a visit if you get the chance, despite its high entry fee. Its an unusual building with a 1930's Art Deco house built for the Courtauld's that's been added on to the side of Henry's Tudor hall. All the accessible rooms are full of Art Deco furnishings and are very stylish.
Thanks Richard - yes, I think I'd like to go back for a look round, also the garden could be interesting too
Loved it Eltham. Looks really nice
I love the sense of meditation on the seasons' turning. Autumn is my favorite time of year.
it's a fantastic time of the year Carole - summer's last hurrah and the transition into winter
Very enjoyable. The Tudor Palaces seem to have mostly been demolished or changed which is a shame. Bayard's Palace is intriguing but I think no part of it is left.
Lovely walk John. Wanted to mention that Frankie Howerd was brought up in Eltham having moved there with his family as a child from York. I did cycle from Bethnal Green to Eltham Palace a few years ago and spotted what is the The Frankie Howerd Centre on the way, not far from the Palace. It’s a small
hall beside St.Barnabas Church. The Frankie Howerd Centre is named after & was officially opened by Frankie. It’s named after him because the hall had a stage where his first performances occurred. He also did go to a local Church Dramatic Society and was a St Barnabas Sunday School teacher. I titter ye not 😉
It's hard to believe you were in London for most of that walk! I've been to Eltham Palace 3 times. My friend took me. It's a wonderful mixture of medieval and the most glamorous 1930s style. Bob Hopes family were from this area and at 6 months old they came back to live round here,in a house just down the road from me until they went to USA.
It’s incredible isn’t it and really contradicts the traditional idea of London. So much of Greater London is like this
Thanks for that delightful and nostalgic walk John.
I grew up in South East London in the 50's and 60's and your walks show that little, but building work has changed from Eltham through Woolwich, Plumstead, Abbey Wood and Erith.
The Woods miraculously have survived yet another generation.
I love your walks around places I know well John,
you are well informed before starting and the walk well planned, narrated and filmed.
Well done, it warms the cockles of me heart here in Australia.
wow you said you was hot on this day sept 2nd 2018, well we was also very hot on this day and we was on the Norfolk Broads at the time on a boat cruising the rivers there
Dear John, thank you for your very interesting video this morning of the Eltham walk. Looking forward to your next one. Kind regards Dave and Lyn Welch from Australia.
thanks very much Dave - love the idea of these videos reaching across to Australia
Eltham, where I live, and not far from Chislehurst , with history too, the caves, William Willett memorial and his house
Peaceful, lovely walk. Perfection. There are so many wonderful places that I would love to go to, but probably wont. So thanks for taking us with you
Looks. Nice. I’m watching you more now
Great view towards the North Downs. Reckon Sherard Mansions is more Arts and Crafts than Art Deco. Another lovely walk.
thanks Borderlands - I'm always getting my Art Deco and Arts and Crafts confused, I'll learn the difference one day (perhaps)
@@JohnRogersWalks
Yes - A&C... and not too far from William Morris' own Red House.
Maybe Bexley area is worth a walk, John - for the Red House, the village, and also Hall Place.
Maybe along Morris' own walk to the train at Abbey Wood.
Ha, stayed at a friend's in Woolwich last night after an event in Dalston, to think this lovely woodland and those interesting buildings are so near. This time you explained how you got home, DLR is amazing first time I've been on it. 😁
It’s a great area to explore tomgirl
Arsenal FC got the nickname the Gunners from the Royal artillery being in Woolwich, because the RA soldiers are also Gunners, and it is said that the RA in Arsenal's early days provided most of the players how true that is i don't know its only what i heard in one DOCUMENTARY about the clubs early days hence the clubs nickname
Thanks for that, I used to live in west London so I missed all that.
my pleasure Jacqueline - it was a great afternoon
GreaT Video John
Ever Since I Was A YounG BoY I Called WoolWich WoolWiTch...
SpecTacular VieWs From SeVenDrooGs CaSTle
AleX. DelarGeS STaTelY Home...
Apols for spotting this 5 years late. I was born in Eltham in 1940. Of interest: there was a threat to carve a motorway through Oxleas Woods to cross the Thames and provide a bit of proper South Circular. The sheds at 11.40 were conveniences for tram-crews, Routes 44 and 46 passed there. Royal Blackheath Golf Club is desperately old (1608). Its Lodge is a beautiful 17th century building. Very green, Eltham!
My grandfather worked in the Arsenal at the start of WW1; he watched the Gunners play on Plumstead Common.
Did my basic training in Woolwich. Royal Artillery. 1984. So long ago.
Just bought your book John. Been binge watching you all Christmas. Brilliant!
thanks john mate did not want that one to end really enjoyed that one i worked in eltham many years ago on the corner was a telephone exchange we worked in there also remember the army place looking forward to the next one already thanks again steve
Thanks Steven - Eltham is a real gem, can't believe I'd never been there before
We're starting the Capital Ring walk(s) from Woolwich tomorrow, John. Thanks for this short introduction to the 78 miles ahead of us!
hope you have a great day Trevor
I used to work at Eltham Palace, before and after the army education corps moved out. Will always love that building and grounds.
Fantastic walk as always John. Nice and low key. It’s great seeing everyone in London lapping up what remains of the Summer they can get. Fascinating too all the Tudor connections to just one neighborhood.
Thanks Ross - sitting here now a week later it seems like autumn is already here.
did my basic training here back in 1980 in the RA (Royal Artillery ) as was back then, yes that long building is impressive as back then in the middle the arch way was called the south arch because the parade square here back was then known to us as the south parade square, and the building housed the officers mess, their offices, rooms for single officers, and the WRAC'S (Women's Royal Army Corps ) quarters at this end at video time of 2.08, and i did a guard duty at this same end, this Parade ground was where we did what was called passing off the Square which was a demonstration to an officer our drill skills and answer a question about the RA, those who got everything right including the drill was then classed as passed off and were allowed to go out of the Barracks at night and weekends as long as we didn't have any guard duties, or extra inspections, we also did our Passing out parade on this area which marked the end of our 14 weeks training and in hot weather that parade square was very unforgiving as there is no shelter, also back in 1980 the fence wasn't as high as this as we could jump or climb over it if we were late just to avoid the guard commander, as long as we knew the lads that were on guard duty at the time, also the field wasn't separated by a fence like it is today, you also go on to mention shooters hill well during our training we had to go there to spend a night out so we got the feel for being outside during the day and night, this was done to prepare us for a full week spent out in the open at Larkhill which is now the home of the Royal Artillery after they moved from Woolwich
Thanks for sharing those memories Anthony
Thoroughly enjoyed that, lots of gaps that my reminiscing could fill as I walked these streets, fields, woods through about 50 years living there. "Great stuff"
Love the style of your videos. So relaxing.
Many thanks
Thanks for the video, did you see the parrot? @05.46
Thanks Michael - no I missed the parrot somehow, I did spot them when I was here last summer though
I really enjoyed that John. I followed you on the map and Google. Them woods were pretty large - Oxleas 1 KM by just over 1. Ancient and a fine asset for an urban area. There were a lot of surprises from garrisons through to castle views as well as elegant high streets. Varied for certain. Take care. Mark
thanks Mark - it's such a rich area
cheers John.
Cheers David
Thanks John,that was a fun and interesting film/walk ! -cheers mate.
cheers Ralph - full of surprises round that way
Another great video John. Will definitely be paying a visit to the castle, those views looked stunning! Walked the Green Chain myself this Sunday from Crystal Palace to Honor Oak.
Highly recommended Ethan - worth checking the opening hours as I'm not sure it's open every weekend. That walk from Crystal Palace to Honor Oak is good 'un
John, Any chance of a Gravesend walk?
Great idea, been on the list for a while
I live round the corner 😎 Shame I wasn’t local would love to of shook your hand for providing me with hours of viewing pleasure. Thanks as always dude
my pleasure Leo - I love making these videos
Lovely video, started where I was born and where my dad served with the Royal Artillery and ended where he was buried in Eltham church
You were near my house. I've been living in Woolwich for 12 years now. Explored it back and forth, Oxleas woods are my usual mind clearing walks, a bit of green in the middle of concrete jungle.
Thanks again John for another excellent video. Appreciate your narrative and insight.
thanks Humble - I was really happy with this one
Always anticipated and always enjoyed, thank you John. Take care.
thanks very much Darrell
What a wonderful video. Thanks for sharing!
thanks for watching Titanium man
Hi John, really enjoyed that walk! Thanks so much 😊👍
thanks for watching Squirrel Girl
love from asia
Thanks Max
welcome brother
What a pity you didn't get to see more of Eltham Palace and it's beautiful garden. There's so much of it you could have seen without paying anything. Also I went in into the gardens when the place had only about half an hour to go before it closed and they let me in for free.
Brilliant video. Really nice shots
thank you
That was great. Thank you so much.
thanks Sean
Great walk! One wonders for how long all the lovely woodland pockets will remain with the rising need for housing? By the way (and to be pedantic), although many people talk about the Boer War, it really should be called the Anglo-Boer War. After all, it wasn't a case of Boers fighting each other, but of them fighting British rule.
Thanks Mariana and also for the note on the Boer War - I did wonder afterwards why it wasn't on the memorial, I think it might 'officially' be known in the UK as the 'South African War'.
I hope these woodlands are safe for future generations - that part of London is so rich in open spaces.
Great channel.. I wanna walk London as well and now I know where to gather information.. thumbs up from Sweden 🇸🇪
//freddie
Thanks Freddie
Just discovered your channel John, I grew up in Eltham in the 70's. Keep up the great work, cheers.
thanks Steve - hope you enjoy some of the other videos
Great video thanks John
my pleasure - thanks for watching
Love your videos
thanks Joseph
Another top job John
thank you
A lovely little hike. Thank you John.
Thanks for watching Simon - think I'm going back to walk from Avery Hill to Chislehurst
Maybe you can go to the caves? www.chislehurst-caves.co.uk/
😎
So much in this walk. Amazing! This one, i truly felt the spirit of adventure, taking in the history and the present moment. Passing through nature and civilisation embracing every footstep. Sleepy streets, monuments, landscape views, live music and a bag of chips. What more can you want from a walk? Thanks John.
thanks Leon - it's such incredibly rich territory that also stretches down through Bostall Woods, Lesnes Abbey, and Erith. I want to go back soon and carry on to Chiselhurst
look forward to watching it!
@@JohnRogersWalks Chislehurst is a really lovely place and the Hawkwood Estate just beyond it is really beautiful. It doesn't feel like you're in London at all, a real unexpected countryside-within-the-city treat !
Just bought your book via amazon 😎
thanks Leo hope you enjoy it
John Rogers thanks again John