Blackheath

Blackheath, a large plain on the south of Greenwich, on which Watt Tyler, the Kentish rebel, mustered 100,000 men. In this place, which is admired for the fineness of its situation, and its excellent air, is a noble house built by Sir Gregory Page, Bart. a view of which we have here given.

This is a very magnificent edifice, built in the modern taste, consisting of a basement state and attick story. The wings contain the offices and stables, which are joined to the body of the house by a colonade. It stands in the midst of a park with a large piece of water before it. The back front has an ionic portico of four columns, but having no pediment does not make so agreeable a figure as could be wished.

This is one of the finest seats in England belonging to a private gentleman; it is adorned with many capital pictures, a list whereof is here given; and the gardens, park and country around, render it a most delightful seat: yet this fine edifice was begun, raise, and covered, in the space of eleven months. At a small distance is the College erected by Sir John Morden Bart. for a particular account of which see Morden College.

Black Heath

Adjoining to Greenwich²⁰⁴ is a heath, partly in this parish Blackand partly in those of Lewisham²⁰⁵ and Charlton, called, as some think, from the appearance of the soil, or, as others suppose, from its bleak situation²⁰⁶, Blackheath. On this heath is dug a kind of gravel in great request for making garden walks. The principal villas on the heath, which are in this parish, have been already mentioned.²⁰⁷

Roman antiquities.

The Roman road from London to Dover is supposed to have crossed Blackheath nearly in the same direction that the present road does. Dr. Plot says, that in his time its course appeared pretty plain.²⁰⁸ Many Roman antiquities have been found on the edge of the heath, particularly in that part nearest to Greenwich²⁰⁹; and several tumuli or barrows, but none of very large dimensions, are still to be seen.

Encampments on Blackheath.

Battle of Blackheath.

In the early part of the eleventh century, the Danes are said to have been encamped on Blackheath. Their fleet lay at Greenwich in 1012, 1013, and 1014; their army being stationed on the hills above, most probably about East-Combe and West-Combe.²¹⁰ In West-Combe-park the traces of entrenchments are still visible. In 1381, Wat Tyler, Jack Straw, and their associates, were encamped upon Blackheath.²¹¹ Jack Cade, the counterfeit Mortimer, twice occupied the same station in 1450.²¹² On the 23d of February 1451, the King was met on Blackheath by a great number of Cade's deluded followers in their shirts, who humbly, on their knees, craved for pardon.²¹³ In 1452, Henry VI. pitched his tent upon Blackheath, when he was preparing to withstand the forces of the Duke of York (afterwards Edward IV).²¹⁴ In 1471, the bastard Falconbridge encamped there with his army. ²¹⁵ In the year 1497, Lord Audley and the Cornish rebels pitched their tents upon Blackheath, where they waited the arrival of Henry VII. and his army. A battle ensued on the 22d of July. The rebels were overthrown, and their chiefs taken and executed.²¹⁶ The site of Michael Joseph's tent (one of the ringleaders) was shown when Lambard wrote his Perambulation. It was commonly called the smith's forge, Joseph having been by trade a blacksmith.²¹⁷

Triumphal processions and ceremonial meetings on Black-heath.

Blackheath has been the scene also of triumphal processions and ceremonial meetings, attended with much splendid pageantry. Here, in 1400, Henry IV. with great parade and magnificence, met the Emperor of Constantinople, when he arrived in England to solicit assistance against Bajazet Emperor of the Turks²¹⁸—Here, on the 23d of November 1415, the Mayor and Aldermen of London, with 400 citizens, clothed in scarlet, with red and white hoods, met their victorious Monarch returning from the field of Agincourt.²¹⁹ Here, in 1416, the citizens met the Emperor Sigismund, who came to mediate a peace between France and England; conducting him hence to Lambeth, where he was met by the King,²²⁰ In 1474, the citizens met Edward IV. on Blackheath, as he returned from France.²²¹ In 1519, a solemn embassy, consisting of the Admiral of France, the Bishop of Paris, and others, with 1200 persons in their train, was met by the Lord Admiral of England, attended by a numerous retinue.²²² The same year Cardinal Campeius, being sent by the Pope into England, as his Legate, was received upon this heath by the Duke of Norfolk, and a great number of prelates, knights, and gentlemen, who conducted him to a rich tent of cloth of gold: there he arrayed himself in his Cardinal's robes, and rode thence, in much state, to London.²²³ A still more magnificent procession was that which appeared upon Blackheath at the meeting between Henry VIII. and the Lady Anne of Cleve, on the 3d of January 1540–1.

The Chronicles tells us that she came down Shooter's-hill at twelve o'clock, and alighted at a tent of cloth of gold prepared on the heath for her reception. The King having notice of her arrival, went through the park to meet her, attended by most of the nobility, the bishops, the heralds, foreign ambassadors, &c. The procession from the heath to Greenwich palace was attended by those in the King's and the Princess's train, being in number 600, by 1200 citizens and others, clad in velvet with chains of gold, by most of the female nobility, and a great number of ladies. All the city barges were on the water near the palace, and the procession was saluted with peals of artillery from the tower in the park. The marriage ceremony was performed in the chapel at Greenwich.²²⁴

Mock fight between the Cavaliers and Round heads in 1645.

On the 1st of May 1645, "Col. Blunt, to please the Kentish people, who were fond of old customs, particularly May-games, drew out two regiments of foot, and exercised them on Blackheath, representing a mock-fight between the Cavaliers and the Roundheads. The people (says the writer of the Diurnal whence this extract is taken) were as much pleased as if they had gone a maying."²²⁵

Mount for trying mortars.

On Blackheath, between the south-west corner of Greenwich-park and the windmill, is a mount raised on a square platform, formerly used for trying mortars.²²⁶

The cross on Blackheath is mentioned in Holinshed's account of the interview between Henry VIII. and Anne of Cleve.

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²⁰⁴ There are two roads of rather steep ascent from Greenwich to the heath, the one at the east and the other at the west end, called Maize-hill and Croome's-hill, on each of which are several villas which command very beautiful prospects.

²⁰⁵ The fair held on Blackheath is in the parish of Lewisham, as is the school; the Earl of Dartmouth's feat, &c.

²⁰⁶ See Philipott's Survey.

²⁰⁷ See p. 462.

²⁰⁸ See Hasted's Kent, vol. i. p. 27.

²⁰⁹ Bagford's Letter, prefixed to Leland's Collectanea.

²¹⁰ See p. 427.

²¹¹ Holinshed, vol. iii. 430.

²¹² Stow's Annals, p. 643, 644. 4to; and Holinshed, vol. iii. f. 1280.

²¹³ Stow, p. 648.

²¹⁴ Ibid. Folio edit. p. 393.

²¹⁵ Holinshed, vol. iii. 690.

²¹⁶ Stow's Annals, 4to. p. 802.

²¹⁷ Lambard's Perambulation, p. 34.

²¹⁸ Holinshed, vol. iii. 519.

²¹⁹ Ibid. 556.

²²⁰ Ibid.

²²¹ Ibid. p. 701.

²²² Holinshed, vol. iii. p. 848.

²²³ Fiddes's Life of Wolsey, p. 191. (edit. 1726.)

²²⁴ Helinshed, vol. iii. p. 948–950.

²²⁵ Perfect Occurrences, May 1, 1645.

²²⁶ Survey of Greenwich in the Land-Revenue-office, bearing date 1697.