CHARLTON HEIGHTS PHOTOS/MEMORIES ?

johnbrett

Growing up in Charlton post-war I was fascinated by the Charlton Village in the 50s/60s thread. Yes, how I remember the smog. I have especially fomd memories of playing on Charlton Heights as a kid. A vast rubbish dump, with a wonderful view over the Charlton ground and London North of the Thames. The area was heavily polluted with chemicals which may explain why I still glow in the dark ! Has anyone else Heights memories or even ,perhaps, photos ? Or do people only take photos of 'beautiful' things ?

Mike   Eltham

ken from bexley

Hi Mike.......

Broke into the heights on a few occasions, my father had a camera, but film and processing was fairly expensive, and generally only used for family outings etc.

I do remember large dumps of concrete, and probably asbestos, and toxic waste from god knows where!. Did this not back onto the Valley, with a concrete fence and  barbed wire!.

People forget the smells as well!...... I think it came from Greenwich power station or the factories, wafting up from  the Thames and lower Charlton, like burnt cheese.........

Covered End

When I went to Sherrington in the 70's, sometimes there was a smell, which I believe came from the Tate & Lyle Sugar refinery near the Blackwall tunnel.

Bagpuss

Charlton heights? Less than 6'2", then forget it.

nth_london_addick

Charlton Heights is that what we called cox's mount????

addick2pike

Johnbrett: Yes, I remember the Heights. My Grand parents flat, in Valley Grove, looked out towards them, and my Granfather worked an allotment, justy below. I also remember the incident, when a youngster was killed in a tunnel roof fall. Which put a stop on a lot of us playing there. Did you not live in Downe House yourself,on 3rd-4th floor? I lived at number 19.

Garry  Orpington.

WSA

I used to live in the Heights and often endured smells from the burnt cheese on toast factory.  I could see half of the Valley pitch from the bottom of our garden as we seemed to be perched on the top of a cliff edge.  There were stories around that someone died there when part of the cliff came down, but I do not know whether this is true?.......  Thanks Garry for answering that one

My dad eventually succumbed to taking his daughter to the matches when I was 8.  It has mainly been an enjoyable part of my life ever since.

I think the dump was preferable to the rabbit hutches that have been built on it.

Sorry the picture has come in a bit small - I think you can double click on it to see more detail.

addick2pike

WSA: Great picture. I like the framing. On a recent home game, I was routed through the Heights, due to an incident in the village, how it's changed.

ken from bexley

Excellent pic WSA..... I love  your quote .......... 'It has mainly been an enjoyable part of my life ever since'.

How very true?

church-lane

I lived in Church Lane funnily enough, bedroom was on the top floor of an old victorian house (no. 105), and I could see about two thirds of the pitch. Used to go over the heights to play and my dad was general foreman when they built the houses there. 

charlton4ever

bunked in to the Who concerts that way

 

robmoore

Like my old mate Eltham Mike I have good memories of the Heights - a strangely magical place as a child given it was a rat infested, chemically polluted death trap. 

The Heights is not Cox's Mount (which I think was originally known as Hangman's Hill) but kind of parallel to it about a mile away behind the Valley. I think that someone who knows about geography might be able to tell us how these two big sandstone (?) ridges might have marked the mouth of the mighty prehistoric River Charlton that flowed into the Thames.

I think that Charlton House did suffer some indirect damage from a flying bomb in the war. Looking at it from the main road the left hand side is a slightly different coloured brick.  My dad told me that the bomb landed near the old Mulberry bush & the grass around there is a paler colour where the crater was.

Does any one remember the old Dutch Alms Houses in Church Lane just down from the Church - a present to us apparently from the Dutch people in thanks for our hospitality to their seaman - maybe in the Bugle & the Swan. A terrible crime that they were demolished!

Good to see some of the Fossdene Road lads still going strong.

Cheers,

Fossdene Rob (late 157 Church Lane)

WSA

The Dutch Alms Houses had some fabulous 'Monkey Puzzle Trees' in the grounds.  I agree it was such a crime that these buildings were demolished and that the hideous concrete monstrosity opposite was allowed to be built.  I have never seen such an ugly building.  Luckily it has gone now.

Oggy Red

Any pics of the Dutch alms houses with their monkey puzzle trees?

WSA

Any pics of the Dutch alms houses with their monkey puzzle trees?

No photos from me I'm afraid - I was a bit too young then to appreciate architecture.  My Dad had some booklets on the History of Charlton by John G Smith 1970 and I had a look in there, but Volume One starts from Roman Times!  Apparently Mr Smith was compiling material for Volume Two which would include housing and social changes that have taken place in Charlton over the years.  Maybe someone else has a copy, which may have some pictures in?

Acab

Fond memories. Used to bunk in from the heights into the old toilet at the top corner behind the old half time scoreboard. This would have been about 1966/67 era. Someone had strategically placed an old barrel up against the rear of the bog wall. The rest was easy until PC Jim jumped out and nabbed you if werent quick enough. Had me collar felt a couple of times and it was straight out the gate for another try later on.

Another way of getting in was through the back garden of one of the houses that the club owned in Harvey Gardens by the east stand turnstiles. Over the side gate and wall ran all the way along the the left hand side of the garden under a hedge and straight onto the terracing. I remember it being blocked of soon after so someone must have got rumbled.

Later, when the Valley club opened there was a small period when a back door let you into the ground.

Ive had many a sleepless night wondering if all those two bobs i didnt give the club contributed towards the demise in the seventies and eighties but hey
happy days.