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Blackheath and Greenwich History Blog
Nov 2811 min read
Duelling in Blackheath: Tales of jealousy, insult, death, and honour
As Charles Dickens once wrote: It is worth standing for a few minutes on a bright, quiet morning when the heath is almost deserted and try
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Blackheath and Greenwich History Blog
Nov 32 min read
Greenwich's Name – A Brief Look
The spelling for Greenwich has changed quite a few times but the meaning has mainly stayed the same since it was first recorded in history.
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Blackheath and Greenwich History Blog
Nov 33 min read
Blackheath's Name – A Brief Look
Rumour has it that Blackheath is called so because of all the dead bodies lying beneath it from the Black Death. Is that the truth?
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Blackheath and Greenwich History Blog
Oct 2511 min read
The Cutty Sark: Murder, mutiny, and ghosts
Once the pride of the British merchant fleet, the Cutty Sark now creaks and groans under the weight of her history.
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Blackheath and Greenwich History Blog
Feb 1, 20229 min read
Henry V: The Battle of Agincourt and Blackheath
Despite the depiction of Henry in The King as a peace-loving, hard-liquor-drinking stinking sloth of a prince, he was none of these things.
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Blackheath and Greenwich History Blog
Jan 11, 202213 min read
The Plague Pits of Blackheath and Greenwich: myth or legend?
(Main Monarchs: Edward III and, much later, Charles II – although the plague was persistent over many reigns and years) Search Google,...
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Blackheath and Greenwich History Blog
Nov 23, 202117 min read
Caroline of Brunswick: the ‘injured queen’ in Blackheath and Greenwich
Blackheath was to become outrageous and outraged. Caroline of Brunswick had arrived and it was party time.
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Blackheath and Greenwich History Blog
Nov 9, 202110 min read
Greenwich Park: The Anarchist Bomber
Martial Bourdin | 1868 – 1894 (Monarch: Victoria) The date was February 15th, 1894. A cloudy Thursday with the possibility of slight...
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Blackheath and Greenwich History Blog
Oct 26, 20215 min read
Greenwich Palace and The Old Royal Naval College
Origins and History 1427 The build of Bellacourt (a modest medieval manor house) was started by Humphrey, Duke of Gloucester. The Duke,...
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Blackheath and Greenwich History Blog
Oct 12, 202112 min read
Caught in Blackheath: The notorious burglar, Charles Peace
Charles Peace (1832 – 1879) (Monarch: Victoria) In the last three months of his career, Peace had a criminal love affair with Blackheath....
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Blackheath and Greenwich History Blog
Sep 28, 202111 min read
Dick Turpin | Notorious Local Highwaymen Series
Google Dick Turpin and there is always mention that he did some of his dastardly deeds around Shooter’s Hill and Blackheath. Is it all true?
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Blackheath and Greenwich History Blog
Sep 14, 202113 min read
The Royal Chocolate House, Greenwich
Oh yes, we had a chocolate house in Greenwich! Not just any old chocolate house but the Royal Chocolate House!
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Blackheath and Greenwich History Blog
Sep 2, 20217 min read
Henry Simms | Notorious Local Highwaymen Series
Henry was destined to become a thug because by the age of ten, he had given 'a specimen of his dishonest disposition'
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Blackheath and Greenwich History Blog
Aug 26, 202111 min read
Blueskin and Honest Jack | Notorious Local Highwaymen Series
The story of Blueskin, Honest Jack, Edgworth Bess, and Jonathan Wild – the stuff of twists, turns, and corruption!
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Blackheath and Greenwich History Blog
Aug 19, 20217 min read
The Gibbeting of Pirates and Mutineers
Does Greenwich have a pirate history? The maritime axis of the world had to have some links to marauding filibusters, surely?
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Blackheath and Greenwich History Blog
Aug 12, 20215 min read
Claude Duval | Notorious Local Highwaymen Series
Claude arrives in England at seventeen, smack bang into the hedonistic "universal joy upon the return of the Royal family."
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Blackheath and Greenwich History Blog
Aug 5, 20216 min read
The Setting | Notorious Local Highwaymen Series
Blackheath, yet again, was in for more mischief and mayhem.
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Blackheath and Greenwich History Blog
Jul 29, 20217 min read
Greenwich: The family in the curious business of selling time
In the 1830s, John H Belville began to sell time. It wasn’t just any old time; it was Greenwich time –probably the best time in the world.
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Blackheath and Greenwich History Blog
Jul 26, 20212 min read
Greenwich Palace and Cromwell's Biscuit Factory
Biscuits were not how we define them now. They weren't cosy coffee-dunking ginger biscuits or sandwiched with jam and covered in chocolate.
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Blackheath and Greenwich History Blog
Jul 25, 202110 min read
Blackheath: Revolts, Rebellions and Rallies
Blackheath – A beautiful leafy and peaceful village on the outskirts of London – but not if you look at its history.
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Blackheath and Greenwich History Blog
Jun 15, 20217 min read
Blackheath Caverns
In 1780, local builders were laying the foundations for a house along Blackheath Hill when the discovered something rather curious beneath.
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