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Granite Street, LONDON, SE18 1LS

As seen on Image

The Green Chain Walk here drops down from Bostall Woods to cross this patch of grassland in between houses before crossing Wickham Lane, houses of which can be seen on the far left. The Green Chain Walk then rises up steeply through the woods ahead to reach Plumstead Common. The flats on the right are around Grosmont Road.

Opposite St Nicholas Gardens at the top of St Nicholas Road is the Plume of Feathers Public House. To the east of the pub is a large garden that was used by visitors using the terminus that used to be beside the pub in front of the gardens. The west side entrance leads to the old stables as the Inn was a coach stop before trams.

St Nicholas Church seen in the distance, dates from the 12th century, and has a 17th century brick west tower. The nave was rebuilt in 1818, with extensive enlargements in 1907-8. The church suffered severe damage in the Second World War. The medieval nave, closest to the camera, has now become the south aisle with the adjacent south transept much reduced in size. The 15th century north aisle is now the nave while the present north aisle, chancel, north east chapel, organ chamber and vestries were added in 1907-8. A close up of the church can be seen at http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/3120362 Part of the former churchyard in the foreground here is now a park known as St Nicholas Gardens.

Diagonally across Plumstead High Street from St Nicholas Gardens is the Plume of Feathers public house. Dating back to the time before cars it still has a yard to the right hand side which was used for stables. The left side gardens were originally used by tourists and travellers as a rest stop. Directly opposite the pub is St Nicholas Road which leads to St Nicholas Church.

The foundations of the church date from around 960, while the red brick tower was completed in 1664. On 11 February 1907 an explosion in a magazine in the Chemical Research Department of the Woolwich Arsenal on Plumstead Marshes caused a further explosion of a gasometer causing much damage to surrounding property in Woolwich and Plumstead, including the Church. Fortunately no lives were lost in the explosion. The Church was restored, but also suffered further extensive damage during the Second World War, requiring more restoration work. The result is a hotch-potch of building styles and materials. Nonetheless the building is Grade II* listed. Today the Church claims to be the only place of Christian worship within its parish and serves a population of about 14,000. The Church's website is here http://www.frandrew.dircon.co.uk/