Woolwich

Woolwich is a town in south-east London, England in the London Borough of Greenwich, on the south side of the River Thames, though the tiny exclave of North Woolwich (which is now part of the London Borough of Newham) is on the north side of the river. It was home to the United Kingdom's first McDonald's, in 1974.

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It is notable as a river crossing point, having the Woolwich Ferry (and the lesser-known Woolwich foot tunnel), and as the one-time home of the Woolwich Building Society (now relocated in Bexleyheath and owned by Barclays Bank).

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Its history is strongly associated with Britain's military past. It was home to the Woolwich Dockyard (founded in 1512), the Royal Arsenal (dating back to 1671), the Royal Military Academy (1741) and the Royal Horse Artillery (1793); it still retains an army base at the Royal Artillery Barracks, and the Royal Artillery Museum.

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Football club Arsenal F.C. was founded in Woolwich in 1886 by workers at the Arsenal - the club was initially known as Dial Square, then Royal Arsenal and then became Woolwich Arsenal in 1891. It moved to Highbury in north London in 1913, and dropped the Woolwich prefix the following year.

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Woolwich Polytechnic, founded in 1892, after merging with other colleges, became Thames Polytechnic in 1970. In 1992 it was granted university status as the University of Greenwich. In 2000, the university began a relocation to the Old Royal Naval College, several miles to the west in Greenwich town centre, leaving only an administrative presence in Woolwich.

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England: :For an explanation of often confusing terms like England, (Great) Britain and United Kingdom see British Isles (terminology)....

London Borough of Greenwich: The London Borough of Greenwich is a London borough in southeast London, formed in 1965 by merging the former metropolitan boroughs of Greenwich and most of Woolwich (with the exception of North Woolwich, north of the river, which became part of the London Borough of Newham)....

Thames: REDIRECT River Thames...

Woolwich related Images and Photos (experimental)

The "Nelson" Warship Under Construction on the Thames at Woolwich London