Maryon Park
Encyclopedia
Maryon Park is an English
urban
public park located in Charlton
in the London Borough of Greenwich
. It is situated on the A206
south of the Thames Barrier
. There is access from Woolwich Road, Charlton Lane and Thorntree Road.
in 1891 by the Maryon-Wilson family
, and one of the pits became Maryon Park. Another pit became Charlton Athletic
's football ground, The Valley.
The park was originally wooded and, together with what is now Maryon Wilson Park, was known as Hanging Woods. This was a wild wooded area and formed an ideal retreat for highwaymen
who robbed travellers on Shooters Hill and Blackheath
. Those who were caught were hanged here – hence the name.
as a hill fort
, which was discovered in 1915. In the 1850s, Cox's Mount was used to help ships on the nearby River Thames
adjust their compasses.
The park has hard tennis
courts, a basketball
court and a children's play area. The Capital Ring
walk and the Green Chain Walk
both pass through the park.
, and to the south is the similarly named Maryon Wilson Park
.
(1966), a drama
mystery
-thriller film directed by Michelangelo Antonioni
and starring David Hemmings
, Sarah Miles
and Vanessa Redgrave
; the park is little-changed since the making of that film.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
urban
Urban park
An urban park, is also known as a municipal park or a public park, public open space or municipal gardens , is a park in cities and other incorporated places to offer recreation and green space to residents of, and visitors to, the municipality...
public park located in Charlton
Charlton, London
Charlton is a district of south London, England, and part of the London Borough of Greenwich. It is located east-southeast of Charing Cross. Charlton next Woolwich was an ancient parish in the county of Kent, which became part of the metropolitan area of London in 1855. It is home to Charlton...
in the London Borough of Greenwich
London Borough of Greenwich
The London Borough of Greenwich is an Inner London borough in south-east London, England. Taking its name from the historic town of Greenwich, the present borough was formed in 1965 by the amalgamation of the former area of the Metropolitan Borough of Greenwich with part of the Metropolitan...
. It is situated on the A206
A206 road
The A206 road links Greenwich with Greenhithe following the line of the River Thames. Today it is approximately 15 miles in length, although the final section is a relatively new road. Its primary purpose is to link into the London Orbital motorway at the Dartford Crossing and is heavily used by...
south of the Thames Barrier
Thames Barrier
The Thames Barrier is the world's second-largest movable flood barrier and is located downstream of central London. Its purpose is to prevent London from being flooded by exceptionally high tides and storm surges moving up from the sea...
. There is access from Woolwich Road, Charlton Lane and Thorntree Road.
History
Charlton sandpits, which were originally part of an area known as Hanging Wood, were presented to the London County CouncilLondon County Council
London County Council was the principal local government body for the County of London, throughout its 1889–1965 existence, and the first London-wide general municipal authority to be directly elected. It covered the area today known as Inner London and was replaced by the Greater London Council...
in 1891 by the Maryon-Wilson family
Maryon-Wilson Baronets
The Wilson, later Maryon-Wilson Baronetcy, of Eastbourne in the County of Sussex, was a title in the Baronetage of England. It was created on 4 March 1661 for William Wilson. The sixth Baronet sat as Member of Parliament for Sussex. The eleventh Baronet assumed the additional surname of Maryon in...
, and one of the pits became Maryon Park. Another pit became Charlton Athletic
Charlton Athletic F.C.
Charlton Athletic Football Club is an English professional football club based in Charlton, in the London Borough of Greenwich. They compete in Football League One, the third tier of English football. The club was founded on 9 June 1905, when a number of youth clubs in the southeast London area,...
's football ground, The Valley.
The park was originally wooded and, together with what is now Maryon Wilson Park, was known as Hanging Woods. This was a wild wooded area and formed an ideal retreat for highwaymen
Highwayman
A highwayman was a thief and brigand who preyed on travellers. This type of outlaw, usually, travelled and robbed by horse, as compared to a footpad who traveled and robbed on foot. Mounted robbers were widely considered to be socially superior to footpads...
who robbed travellers on Shooters Hill and Blackheath
Blackheath, London
Blackheath is a district of South London, England. It is named from the large open public grassland which separates it from Greenwich to the north and Lewisham to the west...
. Those who were caught were hanged here – hence the name.
Attractions and facilities
The park includes Cox's Mount, which was used by the RomansRoman Empire
The Roman Empire was the post-Republican period of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial holdings in Europe and around the Mediterranean....
as a hill fort
Hill fort
A hill fort is a type of earthworks used as a fortified refuge or defended settlement, located to exploit a rise in elevation for defensive advantage. They are typically European and of the Bronze and Iron Ages. Some were used in the post-Roman period...
, which was discovered in 1915. In the 1850s, Cox's Mount was used to help ships on the nearby River Thames
River Thames
The River Thames flows through southern England. It is the longest river entirely in England and the second longest in the United Kingdom. While it is best known because its lower reaches flow through central London, the river flows alongside several other towns and cities, including Oxford,...
adjust their compasses.
The park has hard tennis
Tennis
Tennis is a sport usually played between two players or between two teams of two players each . Each player uses a racket that is strung to strike a hollow rubber ball covered with felt over a net into the opponent's court. Tennis is an Olympic sport and is played at all levels of society at all...
courts, a basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
court and a children's play area. The Capital Ring
Capital Ring
The Capital Ring is a strategic walking route that is being promoted by London's 33 local councils, led by the City of London Corporation in partnership with the Greater London Authority and its functional body for regional transport, Transport for London, through which much of the funding is...
walk and the Green Chain Walk
South East London Green Chain
The South East London Green Chain, also known as the Green Chain Walk is a linked system of open spaces between the River Thames and Crystal Palace Park in London, England. In 1977 four London Boroughs and the Greater London Council created this Green Chain of 300 open spaces to protect them from...
both pass through the park.
Nearby attractions
Next to the park is Gilbert's Pit, a Site of Special Scientific InterestSite of Special Scientific Interest
A Site of Special Scientific Interest is a conservation designation denoting a protected area in the United Kingdom. SSSIs are the basic building block of site-based nature conservation legislation and most other legal nature/geological conservation designations in Great Britain are based upon...
, and to the south is the similarly named Maryon Wilson Park
Maryon Wilson Park
Maryon Wilson Park is a public park on Thorntree Road, Charlton, in the London Borough of Greenwich. It is a Local Nature Reserve.The park is known for its animal park where tours are conducted , tours typically take two hours and give children the opportunity to feed, pet and interact with the...
.
In popular culture
Although it was not identified by name, the park was the filming location of key scenes in BlowupBlowup
Blowup is a 1966 film directed by Michelangelo Antonioni, his first English-language film.It tells of a British photographer's accidental involvement with a murder, inspired by Julio Cortázar's short story, "Las babas del diablo" or "The Devil's Drool" , translated also as Blow-Up, and by the life...
(1966), a drama
Drama film
A drama film is a film genre that depends mostly on in-depth development of realistic characters dealing with emotional themes. Dramatic themes such as alcoholism, drug addiction, infidelity, moral dilemmas, racial prejudice, religious intolerance, poverty, class divisions, violence against women...
mystery
Mystery film
Mystery film is a sub-genre of the more general category of crime film and at times the thriller genre. It focuses on the efforts of the detective, private investigator or amateur sleuth to solve the mysterious circumstances of a crime by means of clues, investigation, and clever deduction.The...
-thriller film directed by Michelangelo Antonioni
Michelangelo Antonioni
Michelangelo Antonioni, Cavaliere di Gran Croce OMRI was an Italian modernist film director, screenwriter, editor and short story writer.- Personal life :...
and starring David Hemmings
David Hemmings
David Edward Leslie Hemmings was an English film, theatre and television actor as well as a film and television director and producer....
, Sarah Miles
Sarah Miles
-Early life and career:Sarah Miles was born in the small town of Ingatestone, Essex, in South East England.She first attended Roedean but at the age of 15 she enrolled at RADA, the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art...
and Vanessa Redgrave
Vanessa Redgrave
Vanessa Redgrave, CBE is an English actress of stage, screen and television, as well as a political activist.She rose to prominence in 1961 playing Rosalind in As You Like It with the Royal Shakespeare Company and has since made more than 35 appearances on London's West End and Broadway, winning...
; the park is little-changed since the making of that film.
External links
- DatabaseDatabaseA database is an organized collection of data for one or more purposes, usually in digital form. The data are typically organized to model relevant aspects of reality , in a way that supports processes requiring this information...
(undated). "Marion Park". Descriptive page on Maryon Park at greenwich.gov.uk, the Greenwich London Borough CouncilGreenwich London Borough CouncilGreenwich London Borough Council is the local authority for the London Borough of Greenwich in Greater London, England. It is a London borough council, one of 32 in the United Kingdom capital of London. Greenwich is divided into 17 wards, each electing three councillors...
's official website. Retrieved 22 February 2011. - Greenwich Guide — Charlton's Parks
- Friends of Maryon and Maryon Wilson Park
- Where Did They Film That? — Location Information