text:
Wimbledon, London

Wimbledon is a district and town of south-west London, England, 7.0 mi southwest of the centre of London at Charing Cross; it is the main commercial centre of the London Borough of Merton. Wimbledon had a population of 68,187 in 2011 which includes the electoral wards of Abbey, Wimbledon Town and Dundonald, Hillside, Wandle, Village, Raynes Park and Wimbledon Park.

It is home to the Wimbledon Championships and New Wimbledon Theatre, and contains Wimbledon Common, one of the largest areas of common land in London. The residential and retail area is split into two sections known as the "village" and the "town", with the High Street being the rebuilding of the original medieval village, and the "town" having first developed gradually after the building of the railway station in 1838.

Wimbledon has been inhabited since at least the Iron Age when the hill fort on Wimbledon Common is thought to have been constructed. In 1086 when the Domesday Book was compiled, Wimbledon was part of the manor of Mortlake. The ownership of the manor of Wimbledon changed between various wealthy families many times during its history, and the area also attracted other wealthy families who built large houses such as Eagle House, Wimbledon Manor House and Warren House.

The village developed with a stable rural population coexisting with nobility and wealthy merchants from the city. In the 18th century the Dog and Fox public house became a stop on the stagecoach run from London to Portsmouth, then in 1838 the London and South Western Railway (L&SWR) opened a station to the southeast of the village at the bottom of Wimbledon Hill. The location of the station shifted the focus of the town's subsequent growth away from the original village centre.

Wimbledon was a municipal borough in the county of Surrey from 1905 to 1965, when it became part of the London Borough of Merton as part of the creation of Greater London.

Wimbledon has established minority groups; among the prominent ones being British Asians (mainly British Pakistanis and British Sri Lankans), British Ghanaians, Poles and Irish people.

Early history
Wimbledon has been inhabited since at least the Iron Age when the hill fort on Wimbledon Common, the second-largest in London, is thought to have been constructed. The original nucleus of Wimbledon was at the top of the hill close to the common – the area now known locally as "the village".

The village is referred to as "Wimbedounyng" in a charter signed by King Edgar the Peaceful in 967. The name Wimbledon means "Wynnman's hill", with the final element of the name being the Celtic "dun" (hill). The name is shown on J. Cary's 1786 map of the London area as "Wimbleton", and the current spelling appears to have been settled on relatively recently in the early 19th century, the last in a long line of variations.

At the time the Domesday Book was compiled (around 1086), Wimbledon was part of the manor of Mortlake, and so was not recorded. The ownership of the manor of Wimbledon changed hands many times during its history. The manor was held by the church until 1398 when Thomas Arundel, Archbishop of Canterbury fell out of favour with Richard II and was exiled. The manor was confiscated and became crown property.

The manor remained crown property until the reign of Henry VIII when it was granted briefly to Thomas Cromwell, Earl of Essex, until Cromwell was executed in 1540 and the land was again confiscated. The manor was next held by Henry VIII's last wife and widow Catherine Parr until her death in 1548 when it again reverted to the monarch.

In the 1550s, Henry's daughter, Mary I, granted the manor to Cardinal Reginald Pole who held it until his death in 1558 when it once again become royal property. Mary's sister, Elizabeth I held the property until 1574 when she gave the manor house (but not the manor) to Christopher Hatton, who sold it in the same year to Sir Thomas Cecil, Earl of Exeter. The lands of the manor were given to the Cecil family in 1588 and a new manor house, Wimbledon Palace, was constructed and gardens laid out in the formal Elizabethan style.

17th century
Wimbledon's proximity to the capital was beginning to attract other wealthy families. In 1613 Robert Bell, Master of the Worshipful Company of Girdlers and a director of the British East India Company built Eagle House as a home at an easy distance from London. The Cecil family retained the manor for fifty years, before it was bought by Charles I in 1638 for his Queen, Henrietta Maria.

Following the King's execution in 1649, the manor passed rapidly among various parliamentarian owners, including the Leeds Member of Parliament (MP) Adam Baynes and the civil war general John Lambert, but after the restoration of the monarchy in 1660, it was returned to Henrietta Maria (now as mother of the new King, Charles II).

The Dowager Queen sold the manor in 1661 to George Digby, 2nd Earl of Bristol, who employed John Evelyn to improve and update the landscape in accordance with the latest fashions, including grottos and fountains. After his death in 1677, the manor was sold again to the Lord High Treasurer, Thomas Osborne, Earl of Danby.

18th century
The Osborne family sold the manor to Sir Theodore Janssen in 1712. Janssen, a director of the South Sea Company, began a new house to replace the one built by the Cecils, but the spectacular collapse of the company meant it was never finished.

The next owner was Sarah Churchill, Duchess of Marlborough, who increased the land belonging to the manor and completed the construction of a house to replace Jansen's unfinished effort in 1735. On her death in 1744, the property passed to her grandson, John Spencer, and subsequently to the first Earl Spencer.

The village continued to grow and the 18th-century introduction of stagecoach services from the Dog and Fox made the journey to London routine, although not without the risk of being held-up by highwaymen, such as Jerry Abershawe on the Portsmouth Road. The stagecoach horses would be stabled at the rear of the pub in what are now named Wimbledon Village Stables.

The 1735 manor house burnt down in the 1780s and was replaced in 1801 by Wimbledon Park House, built by the second Earl. At the time the manor estate included Wimbledon Common (as a heath) and the enclosed parkland around the manor house. Its area corresponded to the modern Wimbledon Park. The house stood east of St Mary's church.

Wimbledon House, a separate residence close to the village at the south end of Parkside (near Peek Crescent), was home in the 1790s to the exiled French statesman Vicomte de Calonne, and later to the mother of the writer Frederick Marryat. Their association with the area is recorded in the names of nearby Calonne and Marryat roads. Directly south of the common, the early 18th-century Warren House (Cannizaro House from 1841) was home to a series of grand residents.

19th-century development

The first decades of the 19th century were relatively quiet for Wimbledon, with a stable rural population coexisting alongside nobility and wealthy merchants from the city. Renewed upheaval came in 1838, when the opening of the London and South Western Railway (L&SWR) brought a station to the south-east of the village, at the bottom of Wimbledon Hill. The location of the station shifted the focus of the town's subsequent growth away from the original village centre.

For several years Wimbledon Park was leased to the Duke of Somerset, who briefly in the 1820s employed a young Joseph Paxton as one of his gardeners, but in the 1840s the Spencer family sold the park off as building land. A period of residential development began with large detached houses in the north of the park. In 1864, the Spencers attempted to get parliamentary permission to enclose the common as a new park with a house and gardens and to sell part for building. Following an enquiry, permission was refused and a board of conservators was established in 1871 to take ownership of the common and preserve it in its natural condition.

In the second half of the century, Wimbledon experienced a very rapid expansion of its population. From under 2,700 residents recorded in the 1851 census, the population grew by a minimum of 60 per cent each decade up to 1901, to increase fifteen-fold in fifty years. Large numbers of villas and terraced houses were built along the roads from the centre towards neighbouring Putney, Merton Park and Raynes Park.

Transport links improved further with railway lines to Croydon (Wimbledon and Croydon Railway, opened in 1855) and Tooting (Tooting, Merton and Wimbledon Railway, opened in 1868). The District Railway (now the London Underground District line) extended its service over new tracks from Putney in 1889.

The commercial and civic development of the town also accelerated. Ely's department store opened in 1876 and shops began to stretch along Broadway towards Merton. Wimbledon built its first police station in 1870. Cultural developments included a Literary Institute by the early 1860s and the opening of Wimbledon Library in 1887. The religious needs of the growing population led to an Anglican church-building programme, starting with the rebuilding of St Mary's Church in 1849 and the construction of Christ Church (1859) and Trinity Church (1862).

Street names reflect events: Denmark Road, Denmark Avenue and the Alexandra pub on Wimbledon Hill mark the marriage of Edward, Prince of Wales, to Princess Alexandra of Denmark.

The change of character of Wimbledon from village to small town was recognised under the Local Government Act 1894, which formed Wimbledon Urban District with an elected council.

Modern history
Wimbledon's population continued to grow in the early 20th century, as was recognised in 1905, when the urban district was incorporated as the Municipal Borough of Wimbledon, with the power to select a mayor.

By 1910, Wimbledon had established the beginnings of the Wimbledon School of Art at the Gladstone Road Technical Institute and acquired its first cinema and the theatre. Unusually, the facilities at its opening included Turkish baths.

By the 1930s, residential expansion had peaked in Wimbledon and the new focus for local growth had moved to neighbouring Morden, which had remained rural until the arrival of the Underground at Morden station in 1926. Wimbledon station was rebuilt by the Southern Railway with a simple Portland stone facade for the opening of a new railway branch line from Wimbledon to Sutton in 1930.

In 1931, the council built a new red brick and Portland stone Town Hall next to the station, on the corner of Queen's Road and Wimbledon Bridge. The architects were Bradshaw Gass & Hope.

Damage to housing stock in Wimbledon and other parts of London during World War II led to a final major building phase when many earlier Victorian houses with large grounds in Wimbledon Park were sub-divided into flats or demolished and replaced with apartment blocks. Other parts of Wimbledon Park, which had previously escaped being built upon, saw local authority estates constructed by the borough council, to house some of those who had lost their homes.

During the 1970s and 1980s, Wimbledon town centre struggled to compete commercially with more developed centres at Kingston and Sutton. Part of the problem was the shortage of locations for large anchor stores to attract customers. After some years in which the council seemed unable to find a solution, The Centre Court shopping centre was developed on land next to the station, providing a much-needed focus, and opened in 1990. The shopping centre incorporated the old town hall building. A new portico, in keeping with the old work, was designed by Sir George Grenfell-Baines, who had worked on the original designs over fifty years before.

Geography
Wimbledon lies in the south-west area of London, 3 mi south of Wandsworth, 2 mi south-west of Tooting, three miles west of Mitcham, 4 mi north of Sutton and 3.5 mi east of Kingston upon Thames, in Greater London. It is 7 mi south-west of Charing Cross. The area is identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London.

It is considered an affluent suburb with its grand Victorian houses, modern housing and low-rise apartments. The residential area splits into two sections: the village and the town, with the village near the common centred on the High Street, being part of the original medieval village, and now a prime residential area of London commanding high prices, and the "town" being part of the modern development, centred on The Broadway, since the building of the railway station in 1838.

The majority of the adult population of around 68,200 adults belong to the ABC1 social group. The population grew from around 1,000 at the start of the 19th century to around 55,000 in 1911, a figure which has remained reasonably stable since.

Demography
Wimbledon is covered by several wards in the London Borough of Merton, making it difficult to produce statistics for the town as a whole.

The largest ethnic groups (up to 10%) in the wards according to the 2011 census are:
 * Village (northern areas and the village): 65% White British, 16% Other White
 * Wimbledon Park (north-east): 60% White British, 18% Other White
 * Hillside (west of centre): 56% White British, 20% Other White
 * Dundonald (south of centre): 61% White British, 18% Other White
 * Raynes Park (west of centre): 61% White British, 16% Other White
 * Trinity (east from centre): 56% White British, 18% Other White

Governance and representation
At the time the Domesday Book was compiled (around 1086), Wimbledon was part of the manor of Mortlake. From 1328 to 1536, a manor of Wimbledon was recorded as belonging to the Archbishop of Canterbury.

The manor of Wimbledon changed hands many times during its history. Wimbledon was an Ancient Parish from the medieval period, later being re-organised as the Municipal Borough of Wimbledon within the county of Surrey.

In 1965, the London Government Act 1963 abolished the Municipal Borough of Wimbledon, Merton and Morden Urban District and the Municipal Borough of Mitcham, creating instead the London Borough of Merton. Initially, the new administrative centre was at Wimbledon Town Hall, but it moved to the 14-storey Crown House in Morden in the early 1990s.

It is now in the Parliamentary constituency of Wimbledon, and since 2005 has been represented by the Conservative MP Stephen Hammond.

Since 2005, the north and west of the borough have been represented in Westminster by Stephen Hammond, a Conservative MP. The east and south of the Borough are represented by Siobhain McDonagh, a Labour MP.

Economy
In 2012 the businesses in Wimbledon voted to introduce a Business Improvement District. "Love Wimbledon" was formed in April 2012, funded and managed by the business community to promote and enhance the town centre. Those who work within Wimbledon can apply for a 'Privilege Card' which provides discounts and benefits within the town centre.

The UK's leading car-sharing company Zipcar has its UK headquarters in Wimbledon. Other notable organisations with head offices in Wimbledon include CIPD, Ipsotek, United Response, the Communication Workers Union (United Kingdom) and, until 2022, Lidl.

Media
The Wimbledon Times (formerly Wimbledon Guardian) provides local news in print and online.

The Tennis Championships
In the 1870s, at the bottom of the hill on land between the railway line and Worple Road, the All-England Croquet Club had begun to hold its annual championships. But the popularity of croquet was waning as the new sport of lawn tennis began to spread, and after initially setting aside just one of its lawns for tennis, the club decided to hold its first Lawn Tennis Championship in July 1877. By 1922, the popularity of tennis had grown to the extent that the club's small ground could no longer cope with the numbers of spectators and the renamed All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club moved to new grounds close to Wimbledon Park.

Wimbledon historian Richard Milward recounts how King George V opened the new courts. "He (the king) gave three blows on a gong, the tarpaulins were removed, the first match started – and the rain came down." The club's old grounds continue to be used as the sports ground for Wimbledon High School.

Horse riding
Wimbledon Village Stables is the oldest recorded riding stables in England. The late Richard Milward MA, a local historian, researched the background of horses in Wimbledon over the years and found that the first recorded stables belonged to the Lord of the Manor, and are detailed in the Estate's accounts of 1236–37. Stables on the current site, behind the Dog & Fox pub in the High Street, were founded in 1915 by William Kirkpatrick and named Hilcote Stables; William's daughter Jean took over on his retirement and continued to visit the stables until her death in 2005. From 1969 Hilcote Stables were leased to Colin Crawford, and when they came up for sale in 1980 renamed Wimbledon Village Stables. It is now approved by the British Horse Society and the Association of British Riding Schools. It offers horse-riding lessons and hacks on Wimbledon Common and in Richmond Park.

Horse racing
In 1792 the Rev. Daniel Lysons published The Environs of London: being a historical account of the towns, villages, and hamlets, within twelve miles of that capital in which he wrote: "In the early part of the present century there were annual races upon this common, which had then a King's plate." However, he gives no further details and does not say how successful horse racing was or how long it lasted.

Rifle shooting
In the 1860s, the newly formed National Rifle Association held its first competition on Wimbledon Common. The association and the annual competition grew rapidly and by the early 1870s, rifle ranges were established on the common. In 1878 the competitions were lasting two weeks and attracting nearly 2,500 competitors, housed in temporary camps set up across the common. By the 1880s, however, the power and range of rifles had advanced to the extent that shooting in an increasingly populated area was no longer considered safe. The last meeting was held in 1889 before the NRA moved to Bisley in Surrey.

Wimbledon, a small farming locality in New Zealand, was named after this district in the 1880s after a local resident shot a bullock from a considerable distance away. The shot was considered by onlookers to be worthy of the rifle-shooting championships held in Wimbledon at the time.

The Wimbledon Cup trophy, first awarded in Wimbledon for high-power rifles in 1866, was presented to the American rifle team in 1875 and a century and a half later continued to be awarded by the National Rifle Association of America.

Football
From a small, long-established non-League team, Wimbledon Football Club had from 1977 climbed quickly through the ranks of the Football League structure, reaching the highest national professional league in 1986 and winning the FA Cup against Liverpool in 1988.

Wimbledon moved into a stadium at Plough Lane in 1912 and played there for 79 years until beginning a ground share with Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park near Croydon, as their progress through the Football League meant that redeveloping Plough Lane to the required modern standards was impractical. The stadium stood dormant for 10 years until it was finally demolished in 2001. A housing development now occupies the site.

AFC Wimbledon, the phoenix club founded to replace the departed team (see Milton Keynes Dons), played for a number of years in Kingston upon Thames; in 2020, however, they moved into a new stadium, again named Plough Lane, on the site of the former greyhound track and a short distance from its namesake.

Motorcycle speedway
For many years Wimbledon Stadium hosted to Greyhound racing, as well as Stock car racing and motorcycle speedway. Speedway began at Wimbledon Stadium in 1928. The local team, the "Dons", was successful over the decades. It started out in 1929 as a member of the Southern League and operated until the Second World War. The track re-opened in 1946 and the Dons operated in the top flight for many years. In the 1950s the track was home to two World Champions: Ronnie Moore and Barry Briggs. In the Dons' last season, 2005, the team finished second in The National Conference League, but after the collapse of lease-renewal talks with the Greyhound Racing Association (owners of the stadium), the high increase in rent required meant the team was wound up. The stadium was demolished in 2017.

Running
There are two active running clubs in Wimbledon Park called Hercules Wimbledon and the Wimbledon Windmilers. Both clubs includes some top athletes as well as beginners. A Parkrun is held every Saturday morning. Prior to Parkrun, a similar event had been held as the Wimbledon Common Time Trial.

New Wimbledon Theatre
The New Wimbledon Theatre is a Grade II listed Edwardian theatre built by J. B. Mullholland as the Wimbledon Theatre, on the site of a large house with spacious grounds. The theatre was designed by Cecil Aubrey Masey and Roy Young (possibly after a 1908 design by Frank H Jones). It opened on 26 December 1910 with the pantomime Jack and Jill. The theatre was very popular between the wars, with appearances by Gracie Fields, Sybil Thorndike, Ivor Novello, Markova and Noël Coward. Lionel Bart's Oliver! and Half A Sixpence, starring Tommy Steele, received their world premières at the theatre in the 1960s, before transferring to the West End.

The theatre was saved from redevelopment by the Ambassador Theatre Group in 2004. With several refurbishments, notably in 1991 and 1998, it retains its baroque and Adamesque internal features. The golden statue on the dome depicts Laetitia, the Roman Goddess of Gaiety, and was an original fixture back in 1910. Laetitia is holding a laurel crown as a symbol of celebration. The statue was removed during World War II, as it was thought to be a direction finder for German bombers. It was eventually replaced in 1991.

Polka Children's Theatre
The Polka Theatre is a children's theatre in Wimbledon, London Borough of Merton, for children up to 13. The theatre contains two performance spaces – a 300-seat main auditorium and a 70-seat studio dedicated to early-year performances. Polka also has a creative learning studio, a garden, an outdoor playground, an indoor play area, exhibition spaces, and a cafe. It is a producing theatre, which also tours shows nationally and internationally, and provides a range of education and community engagement programmes for children as a registered charity and an Arts Council England National Portfolio Organisation. It is also funded by the London Borough of Merton and a number of private charitable trusts and foundations, individuals and firms. The theatre (formerly the Holy Trinity Halls in Wimbledon) opened in November 1979.

Transport

 * Wimbledon station
 * Wimbledon Chase railway station
 * Raynes Park railway station
 * Wimbledon Park tube station
 * South Wimbledon tube station

National Rail
Wimbledon is part of Oyster Fare Zone 3.

Bus
Wimbledon is served by London Buses routes 57, 93, 131, 156, 163, 164, 200, 219 and 493 and night bus N87. It is also served by Tramlink route 3.

Literature
In literature, Wimbledon provides the principal setting for several comic novels by author Nigel Williams (including the best-selling The Wimbledon Poisoner and They Came from SW19), as well as for Elisabeth Beresford's series of children's stories about the Wombles.

Wimbledon was given as the site where the sixth Martian invasion cylinder landed in H. G. Wells' book The War of the Worlds and is mentioned briefly in the same author's The Time Machine and When the Sleeper Wakes.

Each October thousands attend the Wimbledon BookFest, which has been running since 2006. Over 60 events are held around Wimbledon, including at the Big Tent on the Common.

Notable residents

 * Khalid Abdalla (born 1980), actor, The Kite Runner and United 93
 * Bob Astles (1924–2012), former associate of Ugandan presidents Milton Obote and Idi Amin
 * Ben Barnes (born 1981), actor
 * Joseph Bazalgette (1819–1891), civil engineer; his creation in the mid 19th century of the sewer network for central London eliminated the incidence of cholera epidemics
 * Boris Becker (born 1967), tennis player
 * David Brabham (born 1965), Australian racing driver
 * Gary Brabham (born 1961), Australian international racing driver and convicted rapist, born in Wimbledon
 * Raymond Briggs (1934–2022), cartoonist
 * John Lyde-Brown (died 1787), director of the Bank of England; resident of Cannizaro House; his collection of classical sculpture was acquired by Catherine II of Russia in 1787 and is held by the Hermitage Museum
 * James Brunlees (1816–1892), engineer, lived at Argyle Lodge, Parkside
 * Josephine Butler (1828–1906), feminist campaigner of the Victorian era, Blue Plaque at 8 North View, Wimbledon Common
 * George Edward Cates (1892–1917), World War I Victoria Cross recipient
 * Duke (1784–1841) and Duchess of Cannizzaro
 * Ernst Boris Chain (1906–1979), joint winner of the 1945 Nobel Prize in Medicine for the discovery of penicillin. Blue Plaque at 9 North View, Wimbledon Common
 * Mavis Cheek (born 1948), novelist born and brought up in Wimbledon.
 * Sarah Churchill, Duchess of Marlborough (1660–1744), close friend of Queen Anne, resident of Wimbledon Manor House
 * Norman Coburn (born 1937), Australian actor played Donald Fisher in Australian soap opera Home and Away
 * Annette Crosbie (born 1934), actress, screen wife of One Foot in the Grave's Victor Meldrew
 * Jack Davenport (born 1973), actor
 * Sandy Denny (1947–1978), singer, born at the Nelson Hospital
 * Laurence Doherty (1875–1919), winner of thirteen Wimbledon tennis championships and two Olympic gold medals
 * Reginald Doherty (1872–1910), winner of twelve Wimbledon tennis championships and three Olympic gold medals
 * Hugh Dowding (1882–1970), commander of RAF Fighter Command during the Battle of Britain in 1940, Blue Plaque at 3 St Mary's Road
 * Henry Dundas, Viscount Melville (1742–1811), Home Secretary and Secretary of State for War to William Pitt the Younger, resident of Cannizaro House
 * Maria Fetherstonhaugh (1847–1918), novelist, bought a house by Wimbledon Windmill in 1905, where Robert Baden-Powell as her guest wrote Scouting for Boys.
 * Sid Field (1904–1950), English comedy actor, lived at 44 Parkside.
 * Charles James Fox (1749–1806), Britain's first Foreign Secretary under prime minister Marquess of Rockingham; took over Rockingham's Church Road house after the latter's death in 1782
 * Ford Madox Ford (1873–1939), author; works include The Good Soldier and Parade's End
 * John William Godward (1861–1922), painter
 * Charles Patrick Graves (1899–1971), journalist
 * Robert Graves (1895–1985), poet
 * Victoria Hamilton (born 1971), actress
 * George Hamilton-Gordon, 4th Earl of Aberdeen (1784–1860), prime minister 1852–55; resident of Cannizaro House
 * Imogen Hassal (1942–1980), actress
 * Ted Heath (1902–1969), bandleader
 * Georgette Heyer (1902–1974), novelist born and raised in Wimbledon. She wrote her first five novels there. Two later novels, Pastel and Behold, Here's Poison, are set in a suburb very like Wimbledon.
 * Tom Holland (born 1996), actor
 * Mark Hollis (1955–2019), musician
 * Leslie Hore-Belisha, 1st Baron Hore-Belisha (1893–1957), Minister of Transport, 1934–7 who introduced the driving test and the Belisha Beacon; then Secretary of State for War, 1937–40
 * Thomas Hughes (1822–1896), author of the 1857 novel Tom Brown's Schooldays which was written in Wimbledon
 * James Hunt (1947–1993), racing driver and commentator. Formula 1 World Champion 1976
 * John Innes (1829–1904), property developer and philanthropist
 * Sir Theodore Janssen of Wimbledon (c.1658–1748), director of the South Sea Company and founder-member of the Bank of England. Resident of Wimbledon Manor House. The grounds of his later house bordered the east side of the High Street.
 * Paul Jerricho, actor
 * Hetty King (1883–1972), music hall artiste and male impersonator. A blue commemorative plaque was erected on her home in Palmerston Road, Wimbledon by The Music Hall Guild of Great Britain and America in November 2010.
 * Vanessa Kirby (born 1988), actress
 * Don Lang (1925–1992), with his band, a mainstay of Britain's first television rock and roll programme Six-Five Special
 * Alvar Lidell (1908–1981), BBC radio announcer; his voice was well known during World War II
 * Jenny Lind (1820–1887), the Swedish Nightingale, at Argyle Lodge, Parkside.
 * Sir Joseph Norman Lockyer (1836–1920), scientist and astronomer; joint discoverer of helium
 * James Murdoch (born 1972), oligarch of Great Britain
 * Frederick Marryat (1792–1848), author, Blue Plaque at Gothic Lodge, 6 Woodhayes Road
 * Tony McGuinness (born 1959), guitarist and songwriter, Above and Beyond
 * Michael McIntyre (born 1976), comedian born in the area
 * Thomas Ralph Merton (1888–1969), physicist
 * Marcus Mumford (born 1987), lead singer and songwriter, Mumford & Sons
 * John Murray III (1808–1892), publisher; significant publications include Charles Darwin's The Origin of Species; Murray built a house called "Newstead" on four acres at Somerset Road.
 * Horatio, Viscount Nelson (1758–1805), admiral; Nelson's estate, Merton Place, included part of Wimbledon at the eastern end of the Broadway, though, strictly he was a resident of Merton the neighbouring parish
 * Alan Pardew (born 1961), football manager
 * Michelle Paver (born 1960), author, Chronicles of Ancient Darkness
 * Charles Pepys, 1st Earl of Cottenham (1781–1851), Lord Chancellor; judge in the landmark 1841 court case Saunders v Vautier
 * Sir William Henry Preece (1834–1913), developed English telephone system; Blue Plaque at Gothic Lodge, 6 Woodhayes Road.
 * Oliver Reed (1938–1999), actor
 * Margaret Rutherford (1892–1972), actress, Blue Plaque at 4 Berkeley Place
 * Arthur Schopenhauer (1788–1860), philosopher, Blue Plaque at Eagle House where he lived in 1803
 * Ridley Scott (born 1937), film director; films include Blade Runner and Gladiator.
 * Haile Selassie I of Ethiopia (1892–1975), guest at a house in Parkside while in exile from Ethiopia owing to the Italian invasion; his statue stands in Cannizaro Park.
 * Renu Setna, actor
 * Brian Sewell (1931–2015), art critic and media personality
 * Mark Edgley Smith (1955–2008), composer
 * Steve-O (born 1974), entertainer, born in Wimbledon
 * Jamie T (born 1986), musician
 * David Tipper (born 1976), producer, composer, DJ
 * John Horne Tooke (1736–1812), politician, lived at Chester House on Wimbledon Common
 * Arnold Toynbee (1852–1883), economic historian, Blue Plaque at 49 Wimbledon Parkside
 * Joseph Toynbee (1815–1866), surgeon, Blue Plaque at 49 Wimbledon Parkside
 * Ralph Tubbs (1912–1996), architect; his buildings include the Dome of Discovery and Charing Cross Hospital
 * Keith Walker (1922–1989), cricketer
 * Charles Watson-Wentworth, 2nd Marquess of Rockingham (1730–1782), twice Prime Minister. His Church Road house adjoined the grounds of Sir Theodore Janssen's and was previously occupied by a Mr Rush as shown on this map.
 * Dame June Whitfield (1925–2018), actress
 * William Wilberforce (1759–1833), anti-slavery campaigner

Major public open spaces

 * Cannizaro park
 * Richmond Park
 * Wimbledon Common
 * Wimbledon Park

Museums

 * Southside House
 * Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Museum
 * Wimbledon Museum
 * Wimbledon Windmill

Schools
• Secondary

• Ricards Lodge High School, Lake Road, Wimbledon (girls)

• Rutlish School, Watery Lane, Merton Park (boys)

• Ursuline High School, Crescent Road, Wimbledon (RC, girls)

• Wimbledon College, Edge Hill, Wimbledon (RC, boys)

• Wimbledon High School, Mansel Road, Wimbledon (girls)

• Primary

• Dundonald Primary School

• Garfield Primary school (Mixed) Garfield road, Wimbledon

• Hollymount Primary School (Mixed), Cambridge Road, West Wimbledon

• Holy Trinity Primary School, Church of England, Effra Road, Wimbledon

• St. Mary's Catholic Primary School, Russell Road, Wimbledon

• Wimbledon Chase Primary School, Merton Hall Road, Wimbledon

• Wimbledon Park Primary School, Havana Road, Wimbledon Park

• Bishop Gilpin, Lake Road, Wimbledon Park

• Independent

• Allenswood Boarding Academy (Girls' School), Albert Road, Wimbledon – founded 1870, closed 1950s

• Donhead Lodge (Boys' School), Edge Hill, Wimbledon

• Ursuline Preparatory School, Wimbledon

• Hall School Wimbledon (Mixed School), The Downs, Wimbledon

• King's College School, Southside, Wimbledon

• The Norwegian School in London (Norwegian School), Arteberry Road, Wimbledon

• Wimbledon High School (Girls' School), Mansel Road, Wimbledon

• Old Central School, Church of England, Camp Road, Wimbledon – founded 1758, closed 1960s

• The Rowans School (Mixed, Primary School), Drax Avenue, Wimbledon

Places of worship
• All Nations' Church (evangelical), Mansel Rd, SW19

• All Saints' Church. South Wimbledon. SW19

• Bethel Baptist Church, Broadway, SW19

• Wat Buddhapadipa (Buddhist), Calonne Rd, SW19

• Chabad Wimbledon Synagogue, St George's Road, SW19 4ED (Jewish)

• Congregational Church, Dundonald Rd, SW19

• Everyday Church, Queens Road, SW19 8LR

• Christ Church, Colliers Wood. SW19 2NY.

• Christ Church, West Wimbledon (Church of England), SW20

• Christian Science Reading Room, Worple Rd, SW19

• Church of Christ the King (Catholic), Crescent Gardens, SW19

• Elim Pentecostal Church, SW19

• Emmanuel Church (Church of England), Ridgway, SW19.

• Hillside Church (non-denominational), Worple Rd, SW19

• Holy Trinity Church (Church of England), Broadway, SW19

• Kairos Church (inter-denominational), Kingston Rd, SW19

• Kingdom Hall (Jehovah's Witnesses), Haydons Rd, SW19

• Our Lady and St Peter's Church (Catholic), Victoria Drive, SW19

• Sacred Heart Church (Catholic), Edge Hill, SW19

• St Andrews Church (Church of England), Herbert Rd, SW19

• Saint John the Divine Merton, SW19

• Shofar Christian Church, The Broadway, SW19 1RY

• St John the Baptist (Church of England), Spencer Hill, SW19

• St Luke's Church (Church of England), Ryfold Road, Wimbledon Park SW19 8BZ

• St Mary's Church (Church of England), St Mary's Rd, SW19

• St Winefride's Church, (Catholic), Latimer Rd, SW19

• Salvation Army, Kingston Rd, SW19

• Shree Ghanapathy Temple (Hindu), Effra Rd, SW19

• Wat Buddhapadipa (Buddhist), Calonne Road, SW19

• The Open Door (non-denominational), Worple Rd, SW19

• Trinity United Reformed Church, Mansel Rd, SW19

• The Wimbledon Synagogue (Reform Jewish)

• Wimbledon Mosque (Islam), Durnsford Rd, SW19

• Wimbledon Quaker Meeting, Spencer Hill Rd, SW19

• Wimbledon Spiritualist Church, SW19

title: Wimbledon, London


text:
Winchmore Hill

Winchmore Hill is a suburb and electoral ward in the Borough of Enfield, north London, in the N21 postal district. With the Winchmore Hill conservation area as a focal point, the district is bounded on the east by Green Lanes (the A105 road), Barrowell Green, Firs Lane and Fords Grove, and on the north-west by Grovelands Park; in the south it extends to part of Aldermans Hill, and in the north to Vicars Moor Lane and Houndsden Road. Winchmore Hill is 8.9 mi north north-east of Charing Cross.

History
Once a small hamlet in the parish of Edmonton, Winchmore Hill borders Palmers Green, Southgate, Edmonton, and Grange Park.

Prior to the Roman invasion, Hertfordshire, Essex and Middlesex were occupied by the Catuvellauni tribe. It is believed that this tribe built a hill fort on the mound now occupied by Bush Hill Park Golf Club.

The earliest recorded mention of Winchmore Hill is in a deed dated A.D. 1319 in which it is spelt Wynsemerhull. In Old English, 'merhull' translates according to the Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Place Names as 'boundary hill'. It might be speculated that the overall title could mean 'Wynsige's boundary hill'. By 1395 the name had been altered to Wynsmerhull and by 1565 the village was known as Wynsmorehyll, becoming Winchmore Hill by the time it was mentioned in state papers in 1586.

There are many buildings of historical note in Winchmore Hill. The first religious building recorded is the Quaker Meeting House, 1688, rebuilt in 1790. Among those buried here are Luke Howard, the father of modern meteorology, Alice Hum, founder of Palmers Green High School for Girls, and members of the Hoare and Barclay banking families. Samuel Hoare played a prominent role in the campaign against the slave trade.

St Paul's Church was built as a Waterloo church on land donated from the Grovelands estate. The church ceiling was said to be the largest unsupported expanse of plasterwork in Europe until its renovation in the 1960s introduced concealed supports. The original wooden clapboard St Paul's School building can be seen a little further down Church Hill. The remains of the second, brick-and-stone school building are evident in the walls of the church car park. The current 1960s building is on Ringwood Way, off Station Road. Other historical buildings may be seen on Wades Hill, leading north from The Green. On the right, just beyond the shops, are some wooden clapboard cottages; beyond these on the left is a tall five-storey residential building dating back to 1710. This is in the style of the Georgian town houses of London's West End, but stands alone. It once had a partner house to its right, which was demolished by its owners, Keble School (in the days before such buildings were 'listed').

The oldest pub in the district was probably the Green Dragon – on Green Lanes. It is reputed to have opened in 1726 on the junction of Green Lanes and Green Dragon Lane. The Victoria County History reveals that by 1752 The Green Dragon was established, although not in its present form. At that time, highwaymen were hanged near to where they were caught, and it is said that one was caught and executed on a gallows erected by the Green Dragon's front entrance. These gallows were not pulled down for a number of years, which might have prompted the owner to move the pub to its current location at the bottom of Vicars Moor Lane near the end of the eighteenth century. The original Green Dragon was pulled down in 1892 and the new one was extensively remodelled in 1935. It was closed as a public house in 2015 although the building remains as a supermarket.

The Woodman pub near the end of Broad Walk is reported to have been built in 1727, although there is also evidence to suggest that it dates from 1820. Before the building obtained a pub licence in 1868, it was a private residence.

Woodside House and Rowantree House on The Green at the end of Broad Walk were built in 1750 and of painted brick.

Numerous local buildings that were constructed between 1770 and 1839 remain today. Near the Dog and Duck on Hoppers Road are some old terraced houses built around 1770. Number 106A Vicars Moor Lane is a distinctive private residence that retains the façade of a chapel. To the east on the same road are a number of residences that were probably built around the late eighteenth or early nineteenth century. In 1865 the Great Northern Railway obtained permission to build a new line to run from Wood Green to Hertford through Palmers Green and Enfield. However, in 1869 financial constraints forced the company to consider Enfield as the northern terminus. Palmers Green and Winchmore Hill were to be the intervening rural stations. The intention was to finish the line to Enfield by 1870, but the terrain was more troublesome than expected and five men met their death while laying the track. The branch opened on All-Fools Day in 1871 and the first passenger train came through Winchmore Hill, creating a new suburb of London. At first only 16 trains a day left Enfield, mostly for Moorgate.

An electric tramway along Green Lanes from Palmers Green was developed in 1907, helping to further develop the area. The tramway is now long gone, but the wide road remains and the 329 bus (formerly the 29, and before that the 123) follows the tram route from Enfield to Turnpike Lane.

The Capitol Cinema, designed in the Art Deco style by Robert Cromie, was opened on 29 December 1929 in Green Lanes, on a site now occupied by the office block Capitol House (demolished by August 2019). Briefly run by Lou Morris, the cinema was taken over in December 1930 by ABC Cinemas, which ran it until its closure on 5 December 1959. It was demolished the following year.

Winchmore Hill today
At the heart of the area is Winchmore Hill Green, a village green surrounded by shops and restaurants. Winchmore Hill also has its very own "millionaire's row", Broad Walk, that has been home to the rich and famous. Of particular note in Winchmore Hill is Grovelands Park, which was originally a private estate before being partly sold off to the council in 1913. The part remaining in private hands now contains the Priory Clinic, which hosted General Pinochet while he was in the UK awaiting charges from the Spanish government.

Winchmore Hill Sports Club provides the local area with cricket, football, tennis, hockey and table tennis facilities and teams.

Winchmore Hill is located in the Parliamentary constituency of Enfield Southgate.

Demography
At the 2001 census, Winchmore Hill had 12,225 residents in 4,976 households. 80% of residences were owned by their occupiers. The population was in general rather older than in the rest of Enfield – 38.3% being 45 or over, compared with 35.3% for the borough as a whole.

At the 2011 census, 76% of the ward's population of 13,403 was white (54% British, 18% Other, 4% Irish). The area is also covered by the Bush Hill Park ward which had a population of 13,923. In 2011, the ward was 74.3% White (53.1% British, 16.8% Other White and 3.2% Irish)

In the arts

 * Argentinian-born composer Juan María Solare wrote in 2001 a piano piece called Winchmore Hill, dedicated to James MacAonghus (who lives in the district); it was premiered by Dorota Niziol in Stuttgart on 28 September 2002, with a choreography by Diana-Maria Sagvosdkina (Studio für BewegungsChiffren) within the frame of the Kulturmarkt Stuttgart.

Notable residents

 * Emma Bunton, singer.
 * James Caan, entrepreneur
 * Alfredo Campoli, violinist, lived at 48, Eversley Park Road.
 * Thomas Carte, historian.
 * Alan Dumayne, local historian.
 * Thomas Hood, poet.
 * Frank Ifield, singer.
 * Myleene Klass, singer.
 * Norris and Ross McWhirter, born in Winchmore Hill.
 * Keith Moon, drummer.
 * Louise Redknapp, singer.
 * Cliff Richard, singer and film star of the 1960s, lived in Colne Road Winchmore Hill with his family after finding success.
 * Elizabeth Sawyer, witch.
 * Leslie Smith, businessman.
 * Rod Stewart, singer.
 * Roy Strong, art historian.
 * Melanie Sykes, presenter.
 * Sharon Turner, historian.
 * Leslie R. H. Willis, engineer.
 * Paul Young, singer.
 * Clem Cattini, drummer.

Primary

 * St. Paul's School
 * Grange Park Primary School
 * Highfield Primary School
 * Eversley Primary School
 * Keble Prep School (Private)

Secondary

 * Highlands School
 * Winchmore School
 * Ashmole Academy

Independent

 * Palmers Green High School
 * Grange Park Preparatory School
 * Keble Preparatory School

Railway
Govia Thameslink Railway provide services on the electrified railway line that runs from Hertford North through Winchmore Hill station into London. This line connects further south to the tube system at Finsbury Park, Highbury and Islington, Old Street and Moorgate, where it terminates. The nearest London Underground station is at Southgate, which is on the Piccadilly line.

Buses
Bus routes which serve Winchmore Hill: London Buses routes 125, 329, London Buses route 456 W8, W9, and night route N29.

Nearby places

 * Southgate
 * Grange Park
 * Palmers Green
 * Enfield Chase
 * Cockfosters
 * Edmonton
 * Oakwood
 * Enfield Town
 * Bush Hill Park

license: Creative Commons - Attribution Share-Alike - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

title: Winchmore Hill


text:
Ravalli County, Montana

Ravalli County is a county in the southwestern part of the U.S. state of Montana. As of the 2020 census, the population was 44,174. Its county seat is Hamilton.

Ravalli County is part of a north–south mountain valley bordered by the Sapphire Mountains on the East and the Bitterroot Mountains on the West. It is often referred to as the Bitterroot Valley, which is named for the Bitterroot Flower. The county is on the Pacific Ocean side of the Continental Divide, which follows the Idaho-Montana border from Wyoming until Ravalli County. Here, it turns east into Montana, between Chief Joseph Pass and Lost Trail Pass, and follows the Ravalli County-Beaverhead County border.

History
Ravalli County was once home to the Bitterroot Salish tribe. The tribe was first encountered in 1805 by the Lewis and Clark Expedition, which noted their friendly nature. The Catholic Church took an interest in creating a mission in the area, and in 1841 founded St. Mary's Mission, subsequently renamed as Fort Owen. In 1864, the settlement's current name, Stevensville, was adopted. In 1891, the Salish tribe moved to the current Flathead Reservation under the Treaty of Hellgate.

In 1877, Chief Joseph and his Wallowa band of Nez Perce passed through Ravalli County in their attempt to escape confinement to a reservation; they were captured en route to Canada just south of Havre.

Ravalli County was created in 1893 by the Montana Legislature, annexing a portion of Missoula County. It was named after the Italian Jesuit priest Antony Ravalli, who came to the Bitterroot Valley in 1845.

Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the county has an area of 2400 sqmi, of which 2391 sqmi is land and 9.4 sqmi (0.4%) is water.

Major highways

 * [[Image:US 93.svg|20px]] U.S. Highway 93
 * [[Image:MT-38.svg|20px]] Montana Highway 38

Adjacent counties

 * Missoula County - north
 * Granite County - northeast
 * Deer Lodge County - east
 * Beaverhead County - southeast
 * Lemhi County, Idaho - south
 * Idaho County, Idaho - west/Pacific Time Border

National protected areas

 * Bitterroot National Forest (part)
 * Lee Metcalf National Wildlife Refuge
 * Lolo National Forest (part)

2020 census
As of the 2020 census, there were 44,174 people living in the county.

2010 census
As of the 2010 census, there were 40,212 people, 16,933 households, and 11,380 families in the county. The population density was 16.8 PD/sqmi. There were 19,583 housing units at an average density of 8.2 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the county was 95.9% white, 0.9% American Indian, 0.5% Asian, 0.2% black or African American, 0.1% Pacific islander, 0.6% from other races, and 1.9% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 3.0% of the population. In terms of ancestry, 28.8% were German, 17.4% were English, 15.9% were Irish, 8.3% were American, 5.7% were Italian, and 5.5% were Norwegian.

Of the 16,933 households, 26.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.5% were married couples living together, 7.7% had a female householder with no husband present, 32.8% were non-families, and 27.1% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.35 and the average family size was 2.83. The median age was 46.0 years.

The median income for a household in the county was $43,000 and the median income for a family was $53,004. Males had a median income of $42,065 versus $27,629 for females. The per capita income for the county was $23,908. About 9.6% of families and 15.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 23.5% of those under age 18 and 6.3% of those age 65 or over.

Economy
Agriculture and timber form the bulk of Ravalli County economic activity. Marcus Daly, one of three Butte copper kings, funded logging operations in the Bitterroot Valley. The lumber was necessary for the Butte copper operation. Recently, more of Ravalli County's economy stems from tourism. The valley borders the Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness and offers a wide variety of wildlife, including some of the few remaining wolverine and wolf populations in the contiguous states. The Lost Trail Powder Mountain ski area is at Lost Trail Pass on the Idaho border on US-93.

Politics
Ravalli County voters have been reliably Republican, opting only one time for the Democratic Party candidate in national elections since 1940 (as of 2020).

City

 * Hamilton

Towns

 * Darby
 * Pinesdale
 * Stevensville

Census-designated places

 * Charlos Heights
 * Conner
 * Corvallis
 * Florence
 * Sula
 * Victor

Unincorporated communities

 * Alta
 * Bell Crossing
 * Cinnibar Court
 * Como
 * Gorus
 * Grantsdale
 * Medicine Hot Springs
 * Riverside

Notable person

 * Henry L. Myers, Ravalli County prosecuting attorney, U.S. Senator from Montana

title: Ravalli County, Montana


text:
Woolwich

Woolwich is a town in southeast London, England, within the Royal Borough of Greenwich.

The district's location on the River Thames led to its status as an important naval, military and industrial area; a role that was maintained throughout the 16th to 20th centuries. After several decades of economic hardship and social deprivation, the area now has several large-scale urban renewal projects.

Geography
Woolwich is situated 13.7 km from Charing Cross. It has a 2.5 km long frontage to the south bank of the River Thames. From the riverside it rises up quickly along the northern slopes of Shooter's Hill towards the common, at 60 m and the ancient London–Dover Road, at 132 m. The ancient parish of Woolwich, more or less the present-day wards Woolwich Riverside and Woolwich Common, comprises 297 ha. This included North Woolwich, which is now part of the London Borough of Newham. The ancient parishes of Plumstead and Eltham became part of the civil parish of Woolwich in 1930. Parts of the wards Glyndon and Shooter's Hill are often referred to as Woolwich, although this definition is not accepted by all. The nearest areas are Abbey Wood, Blackheath, Charlton, Eltham, Greenwich, Kidbrooke, Lewisham, North Woolwich, Plumstead, Shooter's Hill, Thamesmead, Welling and Well Hall.

Demography
Census data is collected by borough and ward so identifying the population of Woolwich is not straightforward. If the area is taken to approximate to the Woolwich Common, Woolwich Riverside and Glyndon Wards, then the population was 54,790 at the time of the 2011 census.

If it is also taken to include the Plumstead and Shooters Hill Wards then it rises to 84,959 at the 2011 census.

Early history
Woolwich has been inhabited since at least the Iron Age. Remains of a probably Celtic oppidum, established sometime between the 3rd and 1st century BCE, in the late Roman period re-used as a fort, were found at the current Waterfront development site between Beresford Street and the Thames. According to the Survey of London (Volume 48: Woolwich), "this defensive earthwork encircled the landward sides of a riverside settlement, the only one of its kind so far located in the London area, that may have been a significant port, anterior to London". A path connected the riverside settlement with Watling Street (Shooter's Hill), perhaps also of Iron Age origin. Sandy Hill Road may be a remnant of this early path.

It is generally believed that the name Woolwich derives from an Anglo-Saxon word meaning "trading place for wool". It is not clear whether Woolwich was a proper -wich town, since there are no traces of extensive artisanal activity from the Early Middle Ages. However, in 2015 Oxford Archaeology discovered a Saxon burial site near the riverside with 76 skeletons from the late 7th or early 8th century. The absence of grave deposits indicates that this was an early Christian settlement. The first church, which stood to the north of the present parish church, was almost certainly pre-Norman and dedicated to Saint Lawrence. It was probably rebuilt in stone around 1100.

From the 10th till the mid-12th century Woolwich was controlled by the abbots of St. Peter's Abbey in Ghent. This may have been a result of a gift of 918 from Ælfthryth, daughter of King Alfred and Countess of Flanders, in that case the first recorded grant of English lands to a foreign ecclesiastic institution. As a result of this tenure Woolwich is not mentioned in the Domesday Book; it is thought that the 63 acres listed as Hulviz refer to North Woolwich, which was then uninhabited. Some of the Ghent lands passed to the royal manors of Dartford and Eltham as early as 1100; the larger part of the parish, referred to as the manor of Woolwich but in effect not a full manor, became an Eltham dependency in the 14th century. Not included were a riverside quay held by Holy Trinity Priory, Aldgate, a wharf held by St Mary's Priory, Southwark, and land around Plumstead owned by Bartholomew de Burghersh, 2nd Baron Burghersh, later referred to as the Burrage Estate.

Medieval Woolwich was susceptible to flooding. In 1236 many were killed by a flood. Woolwich Ferry was first mentioned in 1308 but may be older. Around Bell Water Gate some private shipbuilding or repair may have existed in the 15th century. A windmill was mentioned around 1450. Several pottery kilns have been discovered north of Woolwich High Street and Beresford Street, testifying of a perhaps unbroken tradition of pottery production from at least the 14th century until the 17th century.

Military expansion
Woolwich remained a relatively small Kentish settlement until the beginning of the 16th century, when it began to develop into a maritime, military and industrial centre. In 1512 it became home to Woolwich Dockyard, originally known as "The King's Yard", founded by Henry VIII to build his flagship Henry Grace à Dieu ("The Great Harry"). Many great ships were built here, such as the Prince Royal, the Sovereign of the Seas, the Royal Charles, the Dolphin and the Beagle. East of the dockyard a gun yard was established in the 1540s (for storage and maintenance of ships' canons and armaments) and a ropeyard followed in the 1570s. The dockyard went through many ups and downs but survived for three and a half centuries, closing down in 1869.

Following the establishment of the dockyard, Martin Bowes who had gathered a fortune at the Royal Mint, bought riverside holdings in Woolwich and Plumstead in the 1530s, some of it former church land that had become available after the Dissolution of the Monasteries. His mansion was Tower Place, for some time the largest dwelling in Woolwich. In the 1650s the Board of Ordnance was given permission to prove guns in the grounds of the mansion (an area known as the Warren) and twenty years later they purchased Tower Place itself. The Warren then developed from a place of storage into a collection of armament factories, military stores and research establishments, which were collectively named the Royal Arsenal by George III in 1805. The complex played a central role in Britain's military and industrial expansion: in wartime, tens of thousands of workers found employment here; between wars, unemployment loomed.

The Board of Ordnance maintained its own establishment of military personnel, many of whom were based in the Warren. In 1716 it had (by a royal warrant of George I) formed the Royal Regiment of Artillery, which had its headquarters and barracks in the Warren, and in 1741 it established the Royal Military Academy there to train its future officers. In 1776 the Artillery moved out of the Warren into a new Royal Artillery Barracks on the edge of Woolwich Common. The Royal Military Academy followed, moving into its new premises at the other end of the common in 1806. By that time various other units and services had begun to establish themselves in the vicinity, forming what became known as Woolwich Garrison. In the 19th and 20th century several large barracks were built, as well as military schools and hospitals. To this day, the town retains an army base (known as Woolwich Station) centred on the Royal Artillery Barracks and Napier Lines Barracks.

Employment
Throughout the 18th century the navy yard remained the town's main employer with between 500 and 1,400 men working in the docks. Due to the malarial marshlands, it was not a popular place to work and for that reason Woolwich dockyard workers were paid as much as a third more than in other naval towns. These were mostly skilled artisans who were generally literate, Nonconformist and well-organized. The number of artillery men grew from around 200 in 1716 to around 1,500 in 1801. Soldiers were generally held in contempt, earning about a quarter of dockyard labourers' wages. At the height of the Napoleonic Wars, there were more soldiers (3,000) than dockyard and ropeyard workers (2,000), while the arsenal employed as many as 5,000. After the end of the wars, thousands were discharged, causing great distress. In the 1840s, a steam factory gave a new lease of life to the dockyard and the 1850s saw a huge expansion of the arsenal during and after the Crimean War.

The presence of the dockyard, the arsenal and other military institutions stimulated economic growth in other areas, notably in commercial activities and entertainment. The ropeyard was established around 1570 and survived until 1832. Throughout the 17th century two glass factories were active near Glass Yard, owned by Sir Robert Mansell from Greenwich, who also managed the dockyard and the ropeyard. Some of the masters here were Huguenots from Lorraine. Kilns producing Bellarmine stoneware may also have been controlled by continental potters. Other kilns produced earthenware and clay pipes. Kilns were also active on the hillside south of the town, where clay was readily available. Near Plumstead and Charlton were sandpits; the sand was shipped from a wharf near Tower Place. In 1863, the German firm Siemens & Halske established a submarine-cable factory in the Dockyard area, which expanded rapidly.

Retail
Woolwich market received its charter in 1618 but is certainly older. The market, which had long been established in the High Street in Old Woolwich (at a location called Market Hill), had gradually drifted towards the Royal Arsenal's main gatehouse, more or less at its present location. This was not approved by the authorities and a new market was set up in the Bathway Quarter around 1810. This proved to be a failure and is remembered only in the name of Market Street. Until 1879, the market at Beresford Square remained illegal and was regularly cleared by the police. After it was legalized, it had room for 136 stalls. Italo Svevo described it as "very lively" in 1903. In 1936, a covered market opened in Plumstead Road but never formed a threat to the main market. Beresford Square had the largest public houses (of which Woolwich had many). Powis Street and Hare Street, laid out in the early 19th century, became the main shopping streets. A number of Victorian shop facades, many designed by local architect Henry Hudson Church, have survived.

In 1868 the Royal Arsenal Co-operative Society was established, which developed into one of the biggest consumer cooperatives in the country with two department stores in Powis Street, shops around South East London, manufacturing and food production plants, a building society, a funeral service and many other areas of entrepreneurship.

Population
Around 1500, at the beginning of the military and naval expansion, Woolwich had only a few hundred inhabitants. In 1665, when Samuel Pepys stayed here to escape the Great Plague, the population was estimated at 1,200 or more, of which about 300 worked in the dockyard. Around 1720, the town's population had risen to 6,500, reaching almost 10,000 in 1801. During the booming wartime decade that followed, population reached a peak of 17,000. After a period of stagnation, building activity picked up in the 1830s. Woolwich' built-up area expanded southward with workers' houses mostly close to the river and officers' houses around Woolwich Common and further up the hill. In 1841 Woolwich had a population of 27,785; in 1861 this had risen to 41,695. At this point there were 4,596 houses in the parish, with little space left for building; further development took place in Plumstead, Charlton and North Woolwich, later also in Eltham. After a dip in the late 19th century, in 1901 the population of the parish of Woolwich stood at the same level as 40 years earlier: 41,625. Victorian Woolwich was a rich social mix with skilled engineers along with unskilled labourers (including women and children) working at the Arsenal and other factories, large numbers of soldiers (making up 10–15% of the population) and a small bourgeoisie consisting of military officers and the commercial and professional elite. Some areas of the town were notoriously overcrowded; the so-called Dusthole near the river was considered one of London's worst slums.

Infrastructure
Until the arrival of the railways, the Thames was the principal artery connecting Woolwich to London. In 1834 the Woolwich Steam Packet Company greatly improved river traffic and in 1889 the Woolwich Free Ferry made it easier to live in North Woolwich and work in the Arsenal, or to live in Woolwich and work in the Docklands. The North Kent Line from London via Greenwich and Woolwich to Gillingham opened in 1849. The station building was rebuilt in 1906 and again in 1992–93. Woolwich was also on the route of two London trams of the first generation (1881–1952).

The post-war period brought massive changes to the town's fabric and infrastructure. Roads were widened and entire neighbourhoods pulled down to make room for modern housing, some of it in tower blocks. The widening of Woolwich High Street and Beresford Street left little of the old town. Woolwich was home to the experimental Auto Stacker car park. Built on the site of the Empire Theatre, it was officially opened in May 1961 by Princess Margaret. It never actually worked and was demolished in 1962. A multi-storey car park was built along Monk Street in 1971.

Education
Woolwich Polytechnic was founded in 1891. As well as providing a higher education facility, it also provided secondary school facilities, including the still-extant (but now relocated) Woolwich Polytechnic School for Boys. In the 20th century the Polytechnic grew steadily, taking up almost an entire block in the Bathway Quarter and later spreading to other areas. In 1970 it merged with other local colleges and became Thames Polytechnic. In 1992 it was granted university status and a year later was renamed the University of Greenwich. In 2001, the university relocated to the Old Royal Naval College in Greenwich, leaving only a small administrative presence in Woolwich.

Woolwich was the location of the first free kindergarten in the UK. The Woolwich Mission Kindergarten opened in 1900, and began in a room provided by a Christian socialist vicar of Holy Trinity church in New Charlton, the Rev. Walter Wragge. It was founded by his sister, Adelaide Wragge, the Fröbel-influenced principal of Blackheath Kindergarten Training College.

Leisure
In the 18th century, Woolwich Cricket Club, later Royal Artillery Cricket Club, were well-known cricket clubs. Cricket and other sports were mainly played by military officers and students at the Royal Military Academy. Arsenal F.C. was founded in 1886 by workers at the Royal Arsenal. Initially known as Dial Square, then Royal Arsenal and then Woolwich Arsenal, they soon drew large crowds to their ground in Plumstead. In 1913 they moved to Arsenal Stadium in Highbury, North London. Royal Ordnance Factories F.C. was founded in response to Woolwich Arsenal joining the League but only lasted a few years.

Woolwich had several theatres and cinemas. The Theatre Royal in Beresford Street, later renamed Empire Theatre or Woolwich Empire, was the biggest. Dating from the 1830s, it was enlarged in the 1880s and 1890s, seating about 2,000. It both served as a variety theater and cinema, ending up as a strip-joint. It was demolished in 1960. Shortly after 1900, three new theaters opened with a combined capacity of 4,430. The Century cinema, which faced Beresford Square, was previously known as Premier Cinema and Royal Arsenal Cinema. It was built in 1913 with 669 seats, closed in 1961 and demolished for redevelopment in the late 1960s. The Grand Theatre in Wellington Street opened in 1900 as a variety theatre with a capacity of 1,680. It became the Woolwich Hippodrome in 1908 and a full-time cinema in 1923. Rebuilt in 1955 as the Regal Cinema, it closed in 1982, was then used as a nightclub and demolished in 2015. The Granada cinema and the Odeon, later Coronet, both seating around 2,500, are imposing buildings from the 1930s that have both been converted into Pentecostal churches.

Local government
The civil parish of Woolwich, roughly the area of the present-day wards Woolwich Riverside and Woolwich Common, was formerly known as Woolwich Saint Mary. Until 1842, when the Old Town Hall was built, the vestry met in a room in the parish church of St Mary Magdalene. Woolwich became part of the London metropolitan area in the mid-19th century, although was officially still in Kent at the time. In 1889, with the formation of London County Council, Woolwich became officially part of London. In 1900 the parishes of Woolwich, Eltham and Plumstead formed the Metropolitan Borough of Woolwich. In 1906 the new Woolwich Town Hall was inaugurated. In April 1965, following implementation of the London Government Act 1963, Woolwich was merged into the London Borough of Greenwich, since 2012 the Royal Borough of Greenwich. The administrative buildings of the borough are in Woolwich, at the former Woolwich Town Hall.

Decline
Woolwich declined as a town in the late 20th century, starting with the closure of the Royal Ordnance Factory in 1967 and the Siemens factory in 1968 and continuing as the Royal Arsenal scaled back operations and finally closed in 1994. Other employers like the Woolwich Building Society ("The Woolwich") and Morgan Grampian Publishers were taken over by other companies and moved away from the town. Without major employers, the local economy was affected and unemployment soared. At the same time the town's demographics changed, with initially mainly Sikhs settling down in the area, later followed by black Africans, many from Nigeria. Despite immigration, the population of the parish reached a low of 17,000 in 1971. In general, Woolwich had lost its previous vigour. In the town's shopping district, department stores and chain stores closed. By the early 1990s, the town centre had the typical appearance of a town in decline with discount retailers and charity shops using the empty stores and Greenwich Council occupying the empty office buildings. In 1974, the United Kingdom's first branch of McDonald's opened in Powis Street. Amidst the decline, Woolwich was still considered to be a representative English town at the time.

In 1974 the Provisional IRA bombed the Kings Arms pub in the town. The  bombing killed two. During the 2011 England riots, Woolwich was one of the areas affected. Several buildings were attacked, with a few being destroyed. The Great Harry Wetherspoons' Pub was set on fire, though it was subsequently remodeled and reopened. On 22 May 2013 the murder of Lee Rigby in Woolwich caused upheaval. Drummer Lee Rigby, a British soldier based at the Royal Artillery Barracks, was murdered close to the barracks by two Islamic extremists.

The 16th Regiment Royal Artillery left Woolwich in 2007, but the Woolwich barracks still house the Royal Artillery Band and more recently the Second Battalion Princess of Wales' Royal Regiment and the King's Troop, Royal Horse Artillery, although the relocation of these has been announced for 2028.

Regeneration
Recent and anticipated regeneration in the area means that it is expected that the district, identified in the London Plan as "opportunity area", is expected to evolve from "major centre" to "metropolitan centre" within Greater London in the next few decades.

Woolwich started to enjoy the beginning of a renaissance with the residential redevelopment of the former Royal Arsenal. Most historic buildings on the site have been renovated and converted into apartments. Several thousands of homes have been built or are under construction and thousands more are planned, mainly luxury apartments in tower blocks near the river. Additionally, a riverside walk, several parks, a museum, a range of shops, cafés, pubs and restaurants, and a farmers' market have made the Arsenal a desirable place to live. In 2017 it was announced that the borough has acquired five historic buildings around No 1 Street to create a £31 million creative district. It will feature a 1,200-seat auditorium for concerts and events, a performance courtyard that seats up to 600, a 450-seat black box theatre and a riverside restaurant. The Greenwich Heritage Centre will move to new premises. The site will further include offices, studios and rehearsal spaces for resident companies such as Academy Performing Arts, Dash Arts, Chickenshed Theatre, Protein Dance, Greenwich Dance and Greenwich+Docklands International Festival. The creative district opened as Woolwich Works in September 2021.

Woolwich Arsenal DLR station, the terminus of the Docklands Light Railway's London City Airport branch, opened on 10 January 2009. The 2012 Summer Olympics and Paralympics included Woolwich as a venue for shooting events, held in temporary facilities constructed on the grounds of the Royal Artillery Barracks and on Woolwich Common.

A large-scale redevelopment of the area west of General Gordon Square started in 2011. The square was re-landscaped, including a new water feature. The so-called Love Lane project involved demolition of several buildings including the Post Office, the Crown Building, the Director General public house, Peggy Middleton House and Thomas Spencer Halls of Residence. New buildings in the first phases of the Woolwich Central redevelopment included: the Woolwich Centre along Wellington Street (public library and council offices, completed in 2011), and a 259-home housing development with an 84,000 ft2 Tesco hypermarket, completed in 2014. In the same year, the latter development was named Britain's worst new building, being awarded the 'Carbuncle Cup' for a design judges described as "oppressive, defensive, arrogant and inept". The same development was later the subject of a £46.7m claim by Tesco against Willmott Dixon for cladding replacement; Willmott Dixon then sought to reclaim the same amount from its supply chain; When the case was heard in February 2023, two suppliers countered by saying the problems arose due to Willmott Dixon's negligence. The financial impact of the Woolwich Central project continued to be felt in July 2024, when Willmott Dixon said costs to fix the scheme had risen from £44m to £48m.

On the other side of General Gordon Square the 1930s Woolwich Equitable building was refurbished. Next to Woolwich Town Hall on Wellington Street, the 1950s Woolwich Grand Theatre (formerly the ABC Regal Cinema, then Flamingo's Nightclub) briefly reopened as an arts centre with a cafe but in 2015 the building was demolished to make room for apartments.

Redevelopment around the "Woolwich Triangle" at the west end of Powis Street is partly underway. It originally envisaged demolition of the art deco RACS department store, one of two imposing Co-op buildings in this part of town. In September 2012 Greenwich Council approved a plan to convert the building into apartments and retail. Across the road, the late Victorian former RACS Central Stores building was renovated and re-opened as a hotel. Further regeneration is centred on Hare Street and the Riverside. By relocating the Waterfront Leisure Centre, it is hoped that this part of Woolwich will attract new development. Other areas for redevelopment include Trinity Walk (former Connaught Estate, part of the One Woolwich masterplan for three housing estates), several sites along Wellington Street (including the Ogilby site and the so-called Island site), the Spray Street Quarter (between the existing station and the new Crossrail station), and the Callis Yard site (former council stables). Redevelopment plans for the Spray Street Quarter in 2018 included a proposal to demolish the 1936 market hall.

Heritage
For centuries the area between the Thames and the present-day A206 road has been dominated by docks, warehouses and factories, starting with the Royal Dockyard early in the 16th century, later eclipsed by the Royal Arsenal in scale and grandeur. In the 18th century the Royal Regiment of Artillery and the Corps of Royal Engineers were established in Woolwich, followed by the Royal Military Academy. Other military institutions completed the picture of the garrison town that Woolwich had become in the early 19th century. The town has a distinctive housing history and in the Bathway Quarter it has an equally distinctive civic centre. Although repeatedly rebuilt, its architectural heritage reflects its unusual and important history.

Royal Arsenal
The older parts of the Royal Arsenal constitute a conservation area. Most buildings of historic interest have been restored and given new uses. The Royal Brass Foundry (1717) is a grade I listed building, while the Dial Arch (1717–20), the Old Royal Military Academy (1720) and the Grand Store (1806–13) are Grade II* listed. Other listed buildings include the Royal Arsenal Gatehouse, Middle Gatehouse, the Main Guard House, two small guardhouses near the Thames, the Shell Foundry Gatehouse, Verbruggen House and two twin pavilions in Laboratory Square, the oldest structures on the site (1696).

Woolwich Dockyard and Riverside
At Woolwich Dockyard relatively little of historic interest remains. The main monumental building complex comprises a small cluster of 18th-century buildings: the entrance gate, the guardhouse and the so-called Clock House (Dockyard offices). A pair of 19th-century docks remain on the site of their 16th-century predecessors. The later development of the Dockyard in the Victorian period is represented by the Steam Factory and the Dockyard chimney, a prominent landmark, and further west by a group of buildings at the site of the Siemens Brothers factory.

Between the Arsenal and the Dockyard lies an area that was once Old Woolwich, a part of the town where little of historical interest remains and that, once again, is facing redevelopment. The round entrance building of the Woolwich foot tunnel dates from 1912. Further west, the Thames Barrier is an interesting example of modern architecture and technical achievement. The Thames Path is a National Trail that connects these sites.

Other military buildings

Elsewhere, monumental buildings testify of Woolwich's rich military history. Woolwich Common with its surrounding buildings has been designated a conservation area. The Neoclassical façade of the Royal Artillery Barracks (James Wyatt, 1776–1802) is the longest façade in London, stretching along the north end of the common. Across the road, Government House (1781), was the quarters of the Garrison Commandant from 1855 to 1995. Of the nearby Garrison Church of St George only the shell remains after it was bombed during the Second World War. Its Neo-Romanesque architecture and remnants of mosaics are still impressive. John Nash's Rotunda, a round brick building with a leaded tent roof, until 2001 housed the Royal Artillery Museum and now serves as a boxing ring for the King's Troop, Royal Horse Artillery in nearby Napier Lines Barracks.

The Royal Military Academy at the south end of Woolwich Common was also designed by James Wyatt and has an almost equally long façade in Mock Tudor style. Other military buildings that survive include Connaught Barracks (built as the Royal Artillery Hospital in 1780), Green Hill Military School and Royal Herbert Hospital on Shooters Hill. The Royal Engineers' HQ was moved to Chatham in 1856, but a small detachment remained in Woolwich, quartered in what is now Engineer House on Mill Hill, just off the Common. Several listed buildings were demolished in the 1970s, including James Wyatt's Engineers Barracks (built for the Royal Military Artificers in 1803), Lewis Wyatt's Grand Depot Barracks (begun in 1805-6 for the Field Train department), Cambridge Barracks (1842, of which the gatehouse still stands) and Red Barracks (1858, only the boundary wall and entrance gate remain). The latter two, on Frances Street, were originally built as the Royal Marine Barracks, Woolwich for the Woolwich Division of the Royal Marines, and each was considered an innovative and influential design. The Marines departed with the closure of the Dockyard, whereupon the buildings were converted into barracks accommodation for various military corps. Rushgrove House (1806) housed the Colonel Commandant of the Marine Barracks (later Cambridge Barracks) from 1855.

Woolwich Centre
Virtually nothing is left of the old town of Woolwich which was near the ferry and the parish church along the Thames. In the early 19th century the commercial and administrative centre moved south to its present location around Powis Street, Beresford Square and the Bathway Quarter. Although 20th-century economic decline and infrastructural works have had their effects, there are still some interesting buildings in Woolwich town centre. The best preserved area is perhaps the Bathway Quarter with the former Public Baths, the Old and New Town Hall, the former Magistrates Court and Police Station, the Old Public Library and several historic buildings of Woolwich Polytechnic.

In nearby Powis Street and Hare Street some late Victorian shop façades have been preserved, notably by local architect Henry Hudson Church. The western end of Powis Street is dominated by two former Royal Arsenal Co-operative Society (RACS) department stores, one late Victorian, the other one in Art Deco style. Nearer to the river are two large cinemas, both built in 1937 and both in use as Pentecostal church halls. The former Odeon Cinema (now occupied by the New Wine Church) is a fine example of an Art Deco theatre; the former Granada Cinema has lavish interior decorations.

Of the grand houses that once stretched along Woolwich Common and dotted the northern slopes of Shooter's Hill, little remains. Rushgrove House, Shrewsbury House and Woodhill Court survive but have lost their spacious gardens. Woolwich parish church, St Mary Magdalen is a plain brick 1730s building with a spireless tower. Other religious buildings of interest include the Roman Catholic St Peter's Church (by Pugin), and two Sikh gurdwaras, one a former Methodist church, the other a former Masonic hall.

Nature
Parks in central Woolwich are generally small. St Mary's Gardens has been laid out as a park in Romantic style on the grounds of the former churchyard of the parish church of St Mary Magdalen. Some historic grave markers have been placed against the peripheral wall. Tom Cribb's memorial, a lion rests its paw on an urn, stands near the northeast entrance. The park features a belvedere which offers views of the river Thames. At the Royal Arsenal, several new parks and gardens have been landscaped but some can only be accessed by residents.

Shrewsbury Park, Plumstead Common, Woolwich Common and Oxleas Wood are situated higher up the hill and are all part of the South East London Green Chain. Repository Woods is a forested part of Woolwich Common. The area around the lake is a military training ground that is not open to the public. The same applies to Mulgrave Pond and Shooters Hill golf course.

Sports and leisure
Arsenal F.C. is originally from Woolwich; Charlton Athletic's stadium, The Valley, is approximately 2 km west of Woolwich. The area also has two Non-League football clubs: Bridon Ropes F.C. and Meridian F.C., who both play at Meridian Sports & Social Club.

Barrack Field at the Royal Artillery Barracks was a famous cricket ground in the 18th century but is now merely used for recreational sports. Royal Arsenal Rugby Club plays rugby here.

Greenwich Council has plans to demolish the 1980s Waterfront Leisure Centre next to the Woolwich Ferry and build a new leisure centre in Wilmount Street. There is an indoor climbing wall in the Docklands area.

Education and culture
The University of Greenwich's dramatic arts department is based in the historic Bathway Quarter in the centre of Woolwich. The old Grand Theatre, which briefly reopened in the 2010s, closed in 2015. The Tramshed, until 1953 an electricity sub-station for the borough's tramways, is a music and entertainment venue run by the Royal Borough of Greenwich. Woolwich currently has no movie theatres. Cinemas are included in the plans for Spray Street quarter and the Island site. The town was used as a location for the 2006 film Children of Men.

Woolwich has one museum, the Greenwich Heritage Centre at the Royal Arsenal (Firepower – The Royal Artillery Museum closed in 2016 after having been based in Woolwich for almost two centuries). Second Floor Studios in the Woolwich Dockyard area is one of London's largest concentrations of artists' studios. The town has a number of public sculptures: one of Roman origin, several statues and reliefs from the 19th and early 20th centuries, and a number of modern sculptures. One of the Woolwich Arsenal DLR station entrances features a large mural in tiles by Michael Craig-Martin.

National Rail
Woolwich Arsenal and Woolwich Dockyard connect the area with Southeastern services to London Cannon Street via Greenwich, London Charing Cross via Lewisham, Dartford, and Barnehurst (continuing to London Cannon Street via Bexleyheath as part of a loop service), as well as Thameslink services to Luton via Greenwich & London Blackfriars and to Rainham.

DLR
Woolwich Arsenal connects the area with DLR services to Bank and Stratford International.

Elizabeth line
Woolwich railway station opened in May 2022 on Elizabeth line with services towards Abbey Wood, Canary Wharf, central London, Reading and Heathrow Airport.

Buses
Woolwich is served by many London Buses routes connecting it with places including Abbey Wood, Beckenham, Bexleyheath, Blackfen, Blackheath, Bluewater, Catford, Central London Charlton, Chislehurst, Crayford, Crystal Palace, Dartford, Deptford, Elephant & Castle, Elmers End, Eltham, Erith, Greenwich, Lambeth North, Lewisham, Kidbrooke, New Cross, North Greenwich, Old Kent Road, Orpington, Peckham, Plumstead, Sidcup, St Mary Cray, Sydenham, Thamesmead and Welling.

Woolwich Ferry
The free Woolwich Ferry service operates across the River Thames to North Woolwich in the London Borough of Newham carrying trucks, cars, cyclists and pedestrians during the day until 20:00 on Weekdays. A two boat service runs on Mondays to Fridays with weekends being served by a one boat service. The Woolwich foot tunnel is also available for use by pedestrians (and cyclists pushing their cycles) at any time. It is served by lifts during traditional shopping hours.

London River Services
London River Services, operated by Thames Clippers, provide a peak-hour, daily service to central London (Embankment Pier) from Woolwich Arsenal Pier (adjacent to the Royal Arsenal residential development). The Thames Barrier is located 1 mi upstream from the tunnel and ferry.

Airport
London City Airport is not too far away from here and it was built in the 1980s.

Notable people

 * Victor Brooks, (1918–2000), actor, born in Woolwich.
 * Garry Bushell (born 1955), journalist and political activist, born in Woolwich.
 * Tom Cribb, 19th-century bare-knuckle boxer, born in Bristol but resided and died aged 66 in Woolwich in 1848, he was buried in St. Mary's cemetery. A road in Woolwich is named after him.
 * Stella Duffy, novelist and playwright, born in Woolwich later moved to Eltham.
 * Bernardine Evaristo, writer, raised in Woolwich.
 * Boy George, songwriter and lead singer for the band Culture Club, raised in Woolwich
 * Charles George Gordon (1833–1885), general, born in Woolwich.
 * Charles Hutton Gregory (1817–1888), civil engineer, born in Woolwich.
 * Olinthus Gregory (1774–1841), mathematician (and father of Charles Hutton Gregory), lived and died in Woolwich.
 * Joseph Grimaldi (1778–1837), pantomime clown, lived in Woolwich during the early 1830s before moving to Islington.
 * Jeremy Healy, DJ and member of Haysi Fantayzee, born in Woolwich.
 * Charles Hutton (1737–1823), mathematician, lived and died in Woolwich.
 * George Thomas Landmann (1779–1854), military and civil engineer, born and raised in Woolwich.
 * Jonathan Guy Lewis (born 1963), actor, born in Woolwich.
 * William Livingstone Robe (1791–1815), army officer, born in Woolwich.
 * Richard Lovelace (1618–1657), poet, born in Woolwich.
 * Forbes Macbean FRS (1725–1800), army officer, lived and died in Woolwich.
 * Carlo Martelli, (born 1935) has lived in Woolwich since the early 1960s.
 * Scott Maslen (born 1971), actor and model, born in Woolwich.
 * Keith Milow (born in 1945), painter and sculptor, lives in Woolwich.
 * Glenn Morris (1983), footballer, born in Woolwich.
 * Noizy (born 1986), Albanian musician and actor, lived in Woolwich.
 * William Ranwell (1797–1861), artist, lived and died in Woolwich.
 * Ray Richardson (born 1964), painter, born and lives in Woolwich.
 * Frederick Robe (1801–1871), Governor of South Australia, born in Woolwich.
 * William Robe (1765–1820), army officer and architect, born and died in Woolwich.
 * John Scott (1757–1832), evangelical and pacifist, born in Woolwich.
 * Sylvia Syms (1934–2023), actress, born in Woolwich.
 * John Tapner (c. 1823–1854), last person executed in the island of Guernsey, came from Woolwich.
 * Glenn Tilbrook (born 1957), guitarist, born in Woolwich.
 * Neil Vartan (1962–1994), cricketer, born in Woolwich.
 * Lesley Vickerage (born 1961), actress, born in Woolwich.
 * George Whale (1849–1925), solicitor and bibliophile, Mayor of Woolwich, founded the Samuel Pepys Club In 1903.
 * Ian Wright (born 1963), former professional footballer, born in Woolwich.

title: Woolwich


text:
Prairie County, Montana

Prairie County is a county in the U.S. state of Montana. As of the 2020 census, the population was 1,088, making it the fifth-least populous county in Montana. Its county seat is Terry. Prairie County was created by the Montana Legislature in 1915 out of parts of Custer, Dawson, and Fallon Counties. The name was selected in a contest and reflects the predominant landscape of the region.

The county was the site of the 1938 Custer Creek train wreck that killed 47 people and injured 75.

Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 1743 sqmi, of which 1737 sqmi is land and 5.8 sqmi (0.3%) is water.

Major highways

 * [[Image:I-94.svg|20px]] Interstate 94
 * Montana Highway 253

Adjacent counties

 * McCone County - north
 * Dawson County - northeast
 * Wibaux County - east
 * Fallon County - southeast
 * Custer County - south
 * Garfield County - west

2020 census
As of the 2000 census, there were 1,088 people living in the county.

2010 census
As of the 2010 census, there were 1,179 people, 551 households, and 342 families in the county. The population density was 0.7 PD/sqmi. There were 673 housing units at an average density of 0.4 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the county was 96.4% white, 0.5% Asian, 0.2% American Indian, 0.2% from other races, and 2.8% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 1.4% of the population. In terms of ancestry, 44.7% were German, 18.6% were Norwegian, 14.1% were American, 11.8% were Irish, and 9.5% were English.

Of the 551 households, 18.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.9% were married couples living together, 4.2% had a female householder with no husband present, 37.9% were non-families, and 34.1% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.10 and the average family size was 2.67. The median age was 53.6 years.

The median income for a household in the county was $34,896 and the median income for a family was $43,500. Males had a median income of $28,438 versus $21,964 for females. The per capita income for the county was $21,296. About 12.4% of families and 16.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 34.6% of those under age 18 and 14.5% of those age 65 or over.

Politics
Voters in Prairie County have voted for Republican Party candidates in all national elections since 1948 (as of 2020).

Town

 * Terry (county seat)

Census-designated place

 * Fallon

Other communities

 * Crow Rock
 * McCloud
 * Mildred
 * Saugus
 * Zero

title: Prairie County, Montana


text:
Wormwood Scrubs

Wormwood Scrubs, known locally as The Scrubs (or simply Scrubs), is an open space in Old Oak Common located in the north-eastern corner of the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham in west London. It is the largest open space in the borough, at 67 ha, and one of the largest areas of common in London. The eastern part, known as Little Wormwood Scrubs, is cut off by Scrubs Lane and the West London line railway. It has been an open public space since the Wormwood Scrubs Act 1879.

The southern edge of the Scrubs is the site of two locally important institutions. At the western end is HM Prison Wormwood Scrubs, built between 1875 and 1891 by convict labour. To the east of the prison is the Hammersmith Hospital campus, which includes the relocated Queen Charlotte's and Chelsea Hospital.

Within the area are several sports facilities, including the Linford Christie Stadium, tens of football pitches, and a pony centre. Queens Park Rangers Football Club played on Wormwood Scrubs between 1893 and 1896.

History
The area is first mentioned in 1189 as Wormhold Scrubs, the area was cleared woodland used for pasture for the cattle and pigs of the local manor. In 1801, the northern section was cut off by the building of the Paddington Arm of the Grand Junction Canal. In 1812 an area of 77 ha known as Wormholt Scrubs was leased by the War Office from the Manor of Fulham. This was in order to exercise cavalry horses, which until then had been exercised in Hyde Park, Belgrave Square and Regent's Park – then known as St. Marylebone's Park. This common land became known as Wormwood Scrubs. The London and Birmingham Railway removed a section north of the canal in 1837, followed by the Great Western line removing a section to the south of the canal in 1838. 1844 saw the Birmingham, Bristol and Thames Junction Railway slice off a sizable section of the eastern half, becoming The Little Scrubs. In 1872, the manorial rights were purchased under the Military Forces Localisation Act 1872 with a view to creating a military exercise ground. The Wormwood Scrubs Act 1879, which aimed to create a "metropolitan exercising ground" for the military and to provide the Scrubs for "the perpetual use by the inhabitants of the metropolis for exercise and recreation". Under this Act, the military were empowered to expel civilians from the area whenever they were training, but they allowed civilians free use of it when they were not. To ensure that it was kept as open land for all to enjoy, the act banned the military from building any permanent structures other than rifle butts, one of which survives today as a wall in the Linford Christie Stadium. 1873 saw the purchase of the southern part of the Scrubs for the building of Wormwood Scrubs Prison, and in 1889 an area adjacent to the prison for the building of Hammersmith hospital.

In 1908, the Olympic Marathon route from Windsor Castle to the Olympic Stadium at White City went across the Scrubs. In 1910 Wormwood Scrubs became part of aviation history when a pioneer airship took flight from an improvised landing ground; The Daily Mail Airship Garage was built shortly afterwards—the site is now occupied by the Linford Christie Stadium. In 1914 all air-related activities on the Scrubs passed to the authority of the Admiralty, and there are records in the National Archives at Kew of a base here called Wormwood Scrubs Naval Air Station. The airship shed was used to train RNAS armoured car crews. It remained as an emergency landing ground until the 1930s. In 1939 with the onset of World War II, Wormwood Scrubs again played host to an innovative military department—the Chief Cable Censorship Department, an outstation of the Government Code and Cypher School (GC&CS) at Bletchley Park. In 1928 St.Clement Danes Grammar School moved from Holborn to a newly built school on Du Cane Road next to Hammersmith Hospital; the school buildings were demolished in 1975, when the school moved out of London.

It was served by St. Quintin Park and Wormwood Scrubs railway station on the West London Line. On 3rd Oct 1940 the station was struck by an incendiary bomb and destroyed by fire.

The prison is located just yards from the scene of the Massacre of Braybrook Street in 1966, in which three policemen were shot dead by three armed men after stopping their suspicious car.

In 1986 local birdwatcher Lester Holloway set up a campaign to save Scrubs Wood, the area of railway land along the north side of Wormwood Scrubs, from destruction as part of plans by the then British Rail to build cleaning depots (see North Pole depot) to service Channel Tunnel trains. Holloway and his campaign petitioned the House of Lords, supported by the then MP for Fulham Nick Raynsford, and won concessions. The existing nature reserve includes an area known as 'Lester's Embankment'. The campaign attracted considerable national publicity in 1987, and even a musical.

Finances
The Wormwood Scrubs Charitable Trust, a charity set up under the Act of Parliament to manage this public space "for the exercise and recreation of the inhabitants of the metropolis", receives a substantial income stream from the lease to Hammersmith Hospital of a car park on its southern boundary. Other sources of income from the space include the rental of sports fields, advertising billboards, and two public car parks. The accounting for costs and revenues of the charity has been a matter of debate between the council, currently the charity's sole trustee, and the Friends of Wormwood Scrubs.

Local nature reserve
Areas of Wormwood Scrubs are a local nature reserve. These areas include Braybrook Woods, Martin Bell's Wood and the Central Woodland Copse. Habitats include woodland (plantation), scrub and grassland. Animals include common lizards, over 100 species of bird and 20 species of butterfly. This site is currently being managed by the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham in collaboration with Groundwork UK.

Conservation efforts
Conservation work being carried out in Wormwood Scrubs by Groundwork London has been a subject of controversy among users of the Scrubs. The primary goal is to connect each patch of the Local Nature Reserve within the grounds by a wildlife corridor in the form of low hedges and trees. Ultimately, it is claimed that this will benefit biodiversity in the park and create better foraging routes for bats such as the common pipistrelle.

Habitats for the local common lizards are also being changed, e.g. by the removal of scrub to create basking areas. This work includes planting trees, and it is feared that this could jeopardise the open nature of the common. The bulk of the work is currently being undertaken by volunteers for Groundwork London, a government quasi non-governmental organisation funded largely through a levy on landfill.

title: Wormwood Scrubs