The Woolwich Arsenal area, although recently known for its economic decline, is undergoing a renaissance. Despite this change, there’s already plenty to get excited about in the area. Serviced by the DLR, Thameslink, and now the Elizabeth Line, the neighbourhood has wonderful transport connections. In addition to these, crossing the Thames by ferry will bring you to the neighbourhood in style, and allow you to discover the area’s historical sites, like the Greenwich Heritage House and Old Laboratory Office. The neighbourhood’s interesting and celebrated past as an arsenal is nicely juxtaposed with the area’s newer attractions. Residents are already enjoying swims at the Waterfront Leisure Centre, and picking up fresh produce at the Royal Arsenal Farmers’ Market. With all of this, and the incoming Crossrail line, the area is quickly becoming one of London’s best kept secrets.

This area is best known for its history as an arsenal. Woolwich Arsenal dates back to 1805, when it was, at that time, the world’s most prominent munition works. By 1868, the workers at the arsenal founded a buyers’ co-operative. Later on, in 1886, a different group of workers at the Arsenal created a football club, which went on to become the beloved Arsenal club that plays in Highbury. Much of the area catered to the workers at the Arsenal, which prior to WWI, there were over 70,000; however, following WWII, there was little need for munition, leading to the closure of many parts of the factory. This led to a period of significant economic decline in the area. The council realised the need to invest in the neighbourhood, and built multiple large social housing projects. The most famous of these was the Thamesmead estate which featured in Stanley Kubrick’s infamous 1972 adaptation of A Clockwork Orange. These flats helped make the area affordable, attracting working-class Londoners, as well as those moving to the city from all over the world. However, they soon gained an infamous reputation, with the brutalist architecture of Thamesmead in particular, becoming synonymous with crime and the disintegration of working class communities.

The first McDonald’s in the UK can be found in this neighbourhood. When it opened in 1974, a cheeseburger cost just 48p!

Due to the new Elizabeth line, Greenwich Council is determined to regenerate the neighbourhood; however, some of the plans involve displacing over 100 local firms and businesses to make way for new homes and offices. Still, the council’s plans would provide the area with nearly 300 affordable homes, which the borough is in great need of.

The biggest change this area has seen recently is the completion of the Elizabeth line and the opening of Woolwich underground station. This formerly isolated part of South East London now has trains running to Canary Wharf in under five minutes as well as to central London and Heathrow. It is expected that this will bring a wave of new development in the coming years. The 5,000 new homes promised by the Royal Arsenal Riverside development, as well as the 800 new homes included in the Woolwich Exchange in the west of this neighbourhood, are two of the foremost examples of this new interest. Similar high density developments are also planned between 125 and 129 Woolwich High Street as well as King Henry’s Dock on Europe Road, providing over 350 homes collectively.