Things to do and see
Shuttle Riverway - Stage 1, Avery Hill to The Hollies
Route Guide
The Shuttle Riverway is a signposted walk along the River Shuttle, a small
tributary of the River Cray, which it joins at Hall
Place near Bexley. The walk then joins the Cray Riverway,
which follows the Cray through to the Darent at Crayford Marshes and through the
marshes to the Thames. The route for walkers is described in three sections, starting
from the Green Chain Walk at Avery Hill Park and continuing eastwards eventually
to join up with the Cray Riverway at Hall Place. The entire walk covers a distance
of approximately 5 miles but it is possible to start and finish this walk at various
points along its length.
Avery Hill Park and the Source of the Shuttle - 1
The main source of the Shuttle appears to be near Pippenhall
Stables just south of the A210 between Avery Hill and Eltham. Here there is a
spring at the junction between the relatively freely-draining Blackheath Beds,
and the more slowly draining Woolwich Beds. An old map also indicates another
source just to the east of Holy Trinity Church in Southend Crescent which is also
on the boundary between these two beds.
Avery Hill House was built in the early 1800's and extensively enlarged and
renovated in the 1880's when the house was brought by Colonel North. Perhaps its
most outstanding feature is the Winter Garden with its three temperature controlled
houses, and plant collections, from every continent. The house, which was badly
damaged by a bomb in 1941, is now part of the Greenwich University Avery Hill
Campus, whilst the park is used for many kinds of sports and outdoor activities.
Parish Wood - 2
The name presumably refers to the old Parish Boundary. This followed
much the same line as the present Borough one which is marked by a fence. The
Park was once all wooded. Underfoot the Park is often damp, so alders grow well.
The trees along the bank are mainly crack willows, so called because of the brittleness
of their twigs. This is a native species which has been present since the Ice
Age.
Berwick Crescent - 3
The bankside vegetation in this area includes hawthorn, willow
and alder. In Spring white blossom appears on the hawthorn and its strong scent
attracts many pollinating insects. In Autumn red fruits called haws develop in
the fertilised flowers, and provide a valuable source of winter food for birds
such as blackbirds, thrushes, redwings and fieldfares.
Hollyoak Wood Park - 4
A small patch of ancient woodland remains, supporting typical
species such as dog's mercury, wood avens and field maples. When it was all woodland
the area was a royal hunting ground. In the 1839 Bexley Tithe Map the name was
written in separate parts - Holly Oak Wood. Its three acres were then owned by
a Mr Thomas Lewin, who farmed the land. During World War II, all but a small area
of woodland was dug over for allotment food production. Today one wood patch and
an allotment corner in a grassy leisure area are left as witnesses of former days.
The Hollies - 5
Walking through Willersley Avenue, The Hollies can be seen on
the south side of the River Shuttle. This was the site of a Tudor house called
Marrowbone Hall which was renamed 'The Hollies' in 1842. In 1858 it was burnt
down, later to be rebuilt by the Lewin family. It remained a private residence
until 1900 when the Board of Guardians of Deptford and Greenwich purchased it
to use as an orphanage. Part of the site has now been redeveloped for private
housing, but 'The Hollies' and many of the original orphanage buildings remain
and are being put to other uses.
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