Plumstead Common

Plumstead Common is bound to the north by Old Mill Road and to the south by Plumstead Common Road. To the east lies Winn or Winn's Common.

The common contains deposits of puddingstone, a conglomerate rock formed during a period of global warming 60 million years ago. The rock is more usually found north of the River Thames in Hertfordshire, see Hertfordshire puddingstone.[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zymatD3aUZc&list=LLLMD4VadbuPys7Q_-_C245g&index=9&feature=plpp_video Puddingstone song], Mike Excell singing the Puddingstone Song for Hertfordshire Geological Society, June 2009

Plumstead Common was first mentioned in the Domesday Book in 1086 ("Plumstede"). The name refers to a place where plums grow.

{{Infobox UK legislation

| short_title = Plumstead Common Act 1878

| type = Act

| parliament = Parliament of the United Kingdom

| long_title =

| year = 1878

| citation = 41 & 42 Vict. c. cxlv

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In the 19th century more and more common land was sold off to build houses for the growing workforce at Royal Arsenal. The arrival of the railways sped up this process. The people of Plumstead protested that they had the right to graze their livestock on the land of Plumstead Common and to use it for sports and recreation. In June 1876 these protests attracted the Irish activist John De Morgan who on 1 July led protestors up from Woolwich Arsenal to the house of Edwin Hughes (leader of the Conservative Party) tearing down illegally erected fences on their way. John De Morgan was arrested and sent to prison for seventeen days. The riots resulted in the {{visible anchor|Plumstead Common Act 1878}} (41 & 42 Vict. c. cxlv) ensuring that one hundred acres of land remained as public open space forever.[https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:London-Plumstead,_Plumstead_Common_11.jpg Greenwich council information sign on the common]

Royal Arsenal F.C.'s first home was playing on the common.

Substantial remains of the Old Mill still stand and have been incorporated into the public house of the same name. Nearby is Plumstead Manor School. On the southwest corner of the common stands the former Prince of Wales pub.

Plumstead Common is the venue for the Plumstead Make Merry event, which is the longest-running community festival in the Royal Borough of Greenwich and is run on a voluntary basis by a group of people who are passionate about the local area. Plumstead Common is also the venue for the popular Asian Mela, which has been described as the "Asian Notting Hill Carnival".{{Cite web |url=http://www.asianresourcecentre.com/the-asian-mela.html |title=Asian Resource Centre Online |access-date=2009-10-09 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090107090328/http://www.asianresourcecentre.com/the-asian-mela.html |archive-date=2009-01-07 |url-status=dead }}

File:London-Plumstead, Plumstead Common 19.jpg|Plumstead Common Road

File:London-Plumstead, Plumstead Common Rd.jpg|Plumstead Common Road

File:London-Plumstead, Plumstead Common, St Margareth's Grove.jpg|St Margarets Grove

File:London-Plumstead, Plumstead Common, Warwick Terrace.jpg|Bus stand Warwick Terrace

File:London, Plumstead Common 03.jpg|Western part of the common

File:London-Plumstead, Plumstead Common 21.jpg|Eastern part of the common

File:London-Plumstead, Plumstead Common 01.jpg|Green Chain Walk

File:London-Plumstead, Plumstead Common, war memorial.jpg|World War I memorial

• Plumstead Common Windmill
• Winn's Common
• Woolwich cemetery

{{Commonscat|Plumstead Common}}

{{reflist}}

• [https://plumsteadmakemerry.co.uk Plumstead Make Merry festival]

{{Parks and open spaces in London}}

{{LB Greenwich}}

Category:Parks and open spaces in the Royal Borough of Greenwich

Category:Common land in London