Facts about Charlton
Charlton History
In 1086 it was in the fee of Gundulf, bishop of Rochester, but in 1066 it had been held from the king as two estates, by two brothers, named Godwine and Alweard. Though assessed at only one sulung, it had a slightly higher value than might be expected, at £7, both in 1066 and in 1086. A church dedicated to St Luke is recorded in the village as early as 1077, although no trace of the medieval building survives.
Between 1607 and 1612, Sir Adam Newton, tutor to Prince Henry, eldest son of James I, had a new manor house, Charlton House, built in the village. The Jacobean mansion by architect John Thorpe was never used by the prince, who died in 1612. On the northern edge of the house’s garden is a mulberry tree planted in 1608 by order of King James in an effort to cultivate silkworms.
General Info
Charlton is a district of southeast London, England, within the Royal Borough of Greenwich. It is located east of Greenwich and west of Woolwich. It is 7.2 miles east-southeast of Charing Cross. ‘Charlton next Woolwich’ was an ancient parish in the county of Kent, which became part of the metropolitan area of London in 1855. It is home to Charlton Athletic and to Charlton House.
Within the borough, Charlton is mainly covered by the ward of the same name. Charlton’s riverside areas are part of the Woolwich Riverside ward, which also includes Woolwich Dockyard and Arsenal. Charlton has had only Labour councilors since 1971, while Woolwich Riverside has been Labour-controlled since its creation in 2002.
