Things to Do in Erith
North Bexley Sure Start
North Bexley Sure Start
174 Chandlers Drive
Erith Kent
DA8 1LW
 01322 446725
 info.surestart@bexley.gov.uk
 More about North Bexley Sure Start...
Providing new opportunities for pregnant women and families with children under the age of four years - living in parts of Thamesmead, Lower Belvedere and Erith.
Sure Start is a central Government initiative, which is divided into 524 local programmes around England and Wales.
The aim of all Sure Start local programmes is:
Making life better for children, parents and communities by bringing together
- Early education
- Childcare
- Health and family support
North Bexley Sure Start provides new opportunities for families by working closely in partnership with local organisations who provide family services, the voluntary sector, the Government and other statutory agencies.
Parents play a vital decision-making role in the development of new activities and programmes.
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 Christ Church
Christ Church Erith
Christ Church Vicarage Victoria Rd
Erith Kent
DA8 3AN
01322 334729
Christ Church was built in the 19th century. It has a Grade II Listed interior,
with magnificent murals and stained glass windows. One of the windows depicts
the coronation of King Edward VII and Queen Mary. (There are thought to be only
three others in the country).
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Erith Conservation Areas
Local planning authorities designate Conservation
Areas, after consultation
with the residents and other occupiers of the buildings affected. They are areas
of special architectural or historic interest where extra attention is given
to scenic issues and the protection of our heritage. Statements of Character
have been published for each of the areas designated in Bexley and can be supplied
free of charge on request.
Demolition or the significant alteration of buildings or other structures
such as walls, should not take place in a Conservation Area unless the Council
has issued Conservation Area Consent for the work. The process of seeking this
consent is similar to the process of making a planning application. The Conservation
Advisory Consultative Committee usually reaches both decisions simultaneously
after a period of press advertisement and close consideration. A Site Notice
inviting comment is normally displayed during the period of press advertisement.
(NB. some low walls and small buildings are exempt, please call our Development
Control staff if you need more information on the size limits).
Trees in Conservation Areas should not be pruned, felled or up-rooted unless
six weeks advance notice has been given to the Planning and Development Department.
During that period staff would consider whether a Tree Preservation Order might
be appropriate. Some trees in Conservation Areas are already protected in that
way.
Some individual buildings within Conservation Areas may be subject to Article
4 Directions or Listed by central government. Some other buildings of architectural
interest are featured on Bexley's local list. Grants are occasionally awarded
from the Bexley Heritage Fund to support the repair or restoration of buildings
in Conservation Areas, particularly any on the national or local list.
The Planning and Regeneration Department is always ready to receive suggestions
for restoration or enhancement projects that might be progressed in these precious
areas.
Some of the locations in Erith classed as conservation areas are Christ
Church,
Howbury Farm & St John the Baptist.
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Erith Pier
Waterfront,
Erith,
Kent
 After
various previous attempts had failed the Guardians of the Wheatley Estate constructed
a wooden pier jutting some 444 feet into the river. The opening ceremony took
place amidst much merrymaking on 22 nd August 1842. Entertainment included rowing
matches, duck hunting and a Jingling Match (which meant men hitting one another
with ash sticks, last one standing was the winner.) A public dinner held in a
marquee followed the event. In 1844 the Pier Hotel was built.
On the 6 th July 1845 the Gardens were opened. They consisted of a broad
grand walk, archery field, Bowling Green, conservatory, maze, refreshment rooms
and a fountain. Two ships the ‘Diamond’ and ‘The Star’.
travelling between London and Gravesend called at the Pier daily.
It would appear to have been difficult to make the project a success. Not
least because of the Southern Outfall Works at Crossness, which was opened in
1865. Which disgorged 70 million gallons of raw sewage into the river as the
full tide was turning, on the assumption it would all float gently into the North
Sea. It did not. There was also the coming of the railway to Erith in July 1849,
which considerably reduced the travelling time albeit without the wine. The site
consisting of 8 acres 2 rods and 4 poles was sold with the rest of the Wheatley
Estate in 1874. Although there were further unsuccessful attempts to make it
a success. The whole site was then taken over by Beadle Bros. coal merchants.
In 1896 all the London wholesale distributors amalgamated and the site became
Wm. Cory and Sons Ltd.
By 1957 the old wooden piers had outlived their usefulness. New deep water
facilities were required. A new concrete pier was constructed outside of the
former piers allowing access to larger ships. As part of the plan the Pier Hotel,
which had been used as offices, was demolished to make way for warehouses.
In the early 1990s the complex was abandoned until Morrisons took over in
1999, and thankfully retained the concrete pier as a public amenity, for which
we are all grateful.
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Erith Playhouse
38-40 High Street,
Erith,
Kent,
DA8 1QY
01322 350345
 www.playhouse.org.uk
Welcome to Erith Playhouse - the largest public theatre in the London Borough
of Bexley. We are a non-professional repertory theatre run completely by our
members who have a shared interest in performing arts. Find us in Erith town
centre on the bank of the Thames.
Race Days: Monday and Saturday evenings, first race 7.30pm.
Tuesday and Thursday afternoons (start times vary) and Saturday mornings.
Admission: £6.25.
Catering Facilities: Alcoholic drinks and coffee are served
in the foyer before and after the performance and during the intervals. Ice creams
and sweets are also available. Interval drinks can be ordered before the show
Crowd capacity: 195
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Erith Railway Station
Erith Station
Stonewood Road
Erith
Kent
DA8 1TY
Live departure boards
Erith Station is within Zone 6 of the London Travelcard area. The platform closest to Erith town centre is served by trains to Dartford, Greenhithe, Gillingham etc. and also by trains to London Cannon Street via Crayford and Hither Green; this "Crayford loop" service is unfortunately not available in the late afternoon, in the evening or at any time on Sundays.
The other platform, which can only be reached by footbridge, serves faster trains to London Cannon Street via Woolwich and Greenwich. Quick connections with the Docklands Light Railway can be made at Greenwich. Please buy a ticket before boarding your train. Pre-pay Oyster Cards cannot be used on rail journeys from this station.
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Erith Rowing Club
The clubhouse is in Erith,
housed in the old River Police building right next to the Thames jetty from which
the boats are launched. This is where indoor training takes place as
well as club meetings, social events and is the meeting point for outings
on the river.
The Address for the clubhouse is:
Erith Rowing Club
Erith Boathouse
20 High Street
Erith
Kent DA8 1QY
Website: www.erithrowingclub.co.uk
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Green Chain Walk
 An extensive and intricate network which should provide many happy days of
walking through the dozens of woodlands and open spaces that cover this part
of London. The South East London Green Chain, and the network of routes that
links them is known simply as the Green Chain Walk.
The network takes the shape of a broad blade extending 29km (18ml) from its
haft at various points beside the Thames in the northeast to its tip at Crystal
Palace Park in the southwest. It connects with other key routes including the
Capital Ring, London Loop and Thames Path. Branches from the Thames Barrier,
Thamesmead and Erith come together at Oxleas Wood and Meadows, the fulcrum of
the network, where a cafeteria sits atop a promontory looking for all the world
like a welcoming mountain hut in the Alps! On a fine day this is a glorious place
to rest awhile, admire the view and maybe meet other Green Chain Walkers.
Its 10 sections, together with numerous spurs and links, cover 65km (40ml)
and are a delight to explore, with many possible combinations and opportunities
for circular walks. For convenience, here
is a summary with approximate distances (including spurs and links).
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Erith Library/Local Studies Museum
Walnut Tree Road,
Erith,
Kent
01322 336582
Branch library in Grade II listed building close to Erith Town Hall and market
square. Newly re-furbished and re-launched September 2000. People's Network IT
Suite
Erith Museum on first floor opens 14.15-17.15 Mon & Wed
and 14.15-16.45 Sat. (Note: Disabled access to ground floor only).
Bexley Council
for Racial Equality has its offices within the building (BCRE Tel: 01322 340316)
Restricted
street parking. Nearby off-street parking.
Erith Library Cyber now open.
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The London Loop in Bexley
The London Loop, one of the Mayor of London's key routes, almost completely
encircles Greater London, covering a total distance of around 240km (150ml).
It has been described as 'the M25 for walkers', although it rarely comes anywhere
near the motorway. The route stays as much as possible within Greater London,
to facilitate use of travelcards, but it has proved necessary to venture outside
in places. The only gap in the circuit is between Sections 24 at Purfleet and
1 at Erith, where the River Thames provides a substantial barrier of almost a
kilometre (half a mile) with no convenient crossing point.
The London Loop is a route that runs around the edge of the capital. In
the course of its 145-mile journey it runs through and alongside suburban streets,
farms, woods, river meadows, recreation grounds, canal towpaths and forgotten
bits of heath. The Loop (London Outer Orbital Path) was conceived in 1990 and
has only recently come into being. It has been planned to run between public
transport nodes and divides up naturally into fifteen comfortable day walks,
beginning on the south bank of the Thames at Erith and running clockwise around
the capital to end at Coldharbour Point, opposite Erith on the Essex bank.
The first of the 24 sections (Section 5) was opened on 3 May 1996, with a
ceremony on Farthing Downs, and other sections have followed at the rate of two
or three per year as signs are installed and leaflets for individual sections
are published. The route became fully walkable in 2001 with the publication of
the Aurum Press guidebook however at the time of writing some sections do not
yet have signs or individual leaflets, and a few diversions are necessary where
the preferred route is not yet available.
More information about the London Loop...
Recent Photographs
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St. John's Church Erith
West Street,
Erith,
Kent,
DA8 1AX
01322 332555
A Norman church which dates from the 12th century. The tower was erected a
century later and then in the 19th century, the north aisle was added and the
whole building restored. The Wheatley Chapel was for centuries the burial place
of successive Lords of the Manor. There are several brasses and a striking memorial
to Elizabeth Countess of Shrewsbury, who died in 1567.
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Thames Cycle Route
 The Thames Cycle Route is part of the National Cycle Network.
The Cycle Route stretches from Dartford up to Oxford along the banks of the River
Thames.
The London Thames Cycle Route is a mapped route that follows the river between
Putney Bridge in the west and Greenwich in the east, visiting many of London's
attractions along the way
The National Cycle Network will deliver 10,000 miles of safe, attractive,
signed cycle routes by 2005. In addition many miles of regional Routes and local
links are being developed and signed. To see more details on route type, hover
your cursor over the route. Sustrans continue to work with local authorities
and other partner bodies to improve the quality of the routes.
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![[Erith Town Centre logo]](../../images/townlogo-erith.gif "Erith Town Centre logo")