| |
|
 Blackheath:
The Story of a Suburb
by Neil Rhind
Page 2
The Myth of the Black Death
Blackheath as recognised
today was split between the parishes of Greenwich,
Lewisham, Lee, Charlton, Kidbrooke and Westcombe.
There was neither manor house, nor parish
church dedicated to Blackheath until 1857
(All Saints’, on the Heath). Even so,
by the 12th century the records make clear
that there were people who regarded themselves
as Blackheath residents.
It is likely that the population was bigger
in 1340 than it was to be for many years subsequently
because at least a half of all local souls
perished in the pestilence of 1348 - 1349 which
has became known, in popular mythology, as
the Black Death. The pestilence had nothing
to do with Blackheath’s name, of
course, as dating alone will confirm. Nor were
the victims buried upon it.
The decline of Royal influence at the beginning of the 17th
century, culminating in the period of the Civil War (1642 -
1650) may have had a depressive effect on local population and
activity. But, whatever, the first hints of Greenwich and Blackheath
enjoying a suburban quality can be seen in the development of
what would now be called middle class housing on Crooms Hill,
on the west side of Greenwich Park.
During a bout of plague (1665) Parliamentary administration
was conducted from Greenwich in order to escape the effects
of disease in central London. Unfortunately, the plague also
spread to Greenwich as the Diaries of Samuel Pepys confirm.
Nevertheless, the expansion of London in the mid 17th century
and the return of the monarchy (Charles II) in 1660 with an
interest in the Royal buildings in Greenwich were encouraging.
The New Elite
Throughout the late 17th century and until
the present day Blackheath (and later other informal but protected
open spaces around inner London: Hampstead, Barnes, Wimbledon
Common, etc) have developed as the home bases for a middle class
commuter population, tied to the City or Thames by reason of
profession, industry, military service, etc.
These people were the new literate upper and
middle class, educated and with means, that
wanted homes away from the City and industrial
grime and stink, and at places where the air
was clean, the soil drained and there was space
for expansion for wives, family and servants.
It was equally important to be at one’s desk
or manufactory quickly and easily. These people
were the first real commuters. Blackheath and
west Greenwich could provide all the desirable
elements in good measure. Communication was
the key and it was easy. Water services at
Greenwich were frequent and inexpensive, governed
only by very high or low tides. There were
numerous horse bus services from the south
east into Southwark and across London Bridge.
 Putting
aside small fragments of building which pre-date
the major developments, the exploitation
of Blackheath’s charms can be dated from the
building of a number of mansions (initially three, but two more
followed) in the 1690s on the west side of Greenwich Park, on
a long strip of Crown waste on Blackheath. Only one mansion
of the five survives in more or less original form – Rangers
House, of 1699 - 1700, built with prize money
by Captain (later Vice-Admiral Sir) Francis
Hosier (1673 - 1727). Another, demolished in
1815, was Montagu
House, on the south west corner of Greenwich Park. As its
name suggests it was occupied by the Montagu family. During
the period 1799 to about 1811 it was the London home for HRH
Princess Caroline of Brunswick, consort to George, Prince of
Wales, later George IV (1762 - 1830).
Whether the success of the late 17th century
villa scheme encouraged others is hard to say
but Blackheath’s next tentative step towards
surburbanisation came in the late 1680s when George Legge, Baron
Dartmouth (1648 - 1691) and his aunt, Susannah Graham (1617
- 1699) granted development leases for a number of plots on
the far west side of the Heath, butting the highway of Blackheath
Hill. Many of the Dartmouth Encroachments houses survive in
part today (Nos 21 & 23, 22, 28, 30, 32,
34, 36 Dartmouth Row, and Dartmouth House)
although alterations and redevelopment of the
plots started as early as the mid 18th century.
This encroachment still defines the west edge
of Blackheath.
Images
of Blackheath
|
Point House,
18 West Grove,
Blackheath, c. 1835
|
|
Eliot Place,
Blackheath, 1864 |
|
The Paragon,
Blackheath, 1864 |
|
Bank Buildings,
Tranquil Vale,
Blackheath, c. 1879
|
|
|
|
