About Charlton
Home to Charlton Athletic—once the largest football pitch in London—this London suburb still bears the hallmarks of its original Kentish village alongside the redeveloped area of New Charlton built on 275-acre site of former industrial land overlooking the Thames Barrier.
A short history
Charlton House was built between 1607 and 1612 and is considered one of England’s finest striving Jacobean manor houses. It was bought by the Maryon Wilsons in 1767. The flat land by the Thames at Charlton Riverside became a significant industrial area in the Victorian period, especially around Charlton Pier.
In the late 19th century, the Maryon Wilsons enclosed the green in front of the house and added it to their grounds. Other parcels were sold for development, the village filled with shops and pubs and the area grew. When the Maryon Wilson family died out in 1925, the borough bought Charlton House and opened the grounds to the public.
Green spaces and going out
Charlton has several parks including Maryon Park, Maryon Wilson, Hornfair Park and Charlton Park which is largely made up of sports pitches, playing fields and a state-of-the-art skate park.
Charlton boasts a 50m outdoor heated swimming pool alongside a gym, fitness studio and floodlit tennis court. The Reach climbing wall on an industrial estate overlooking the Thames Barrier is among the largest and longest standing in London. Restaurants, shops and the cinema at the O2 are a short walk or bus ride away.
Transport
From Charlton station, London Bridge takes 20 mins and Euston is 40 mins. Canary Wharf, via Greenwich is half an hour. Residents will be able to use the Crossrail service from Woolwich to pick up fast services to the City and the West End.
Did you know?
Spencer Perceval, the only British prime minister to have been assassinated, spent his early childhood at Charlton House.
