East Greenwich Pleasaunce
Encyclopedia
East Greenwich Pleasaunce is a public park in East Greenwich
, in south-east London
. It is situated to the north side of the railway line between Maze Hill
and Westcombe Park
railway stations and south of the A206 Woolwich Road.
The park, opened in 1857, was originally the graveyard of Greenwich Hospital. Due to construction of a railway tunnel as part of the London and Greenwich Railway
, the remains of around 3000 sailors and officers, including those who fought in the Battle of Trafalgar
and the Crimean War
were removed from the Hospital site in 1875 and reinterred in the Pleasaunce (named after the former Royal Palace of Placentia
or Palace of Pleasaunce).
Those buried in the Pleasaunce include:
In 1926 the Pleasaunce was sold to the Metropolitan Borough of Greenwich
, the Admiralty
reserving rights of further burials. Railings around the tombstones were removed and part of the ground was landscaped as a park.
Today, the Pleasaunce has a small children's playground (installed in 2001), a mother-and-toddler drop-in centre (the One O'clock Club) run by London Borough of Greenwich
, a cafeteria and a small war memorial.
Greenwich
Greenwich is a district of south London, England, located in the London Borough of Greenwich.Greenwich is best known for its maritime history and for giving its name to the Greenwich Meridian and Greenwich Mean Time...
, in south-east London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. It is situated to the north side of the railway line between Maze Hill
Maze Hill railway station
Maze Hill railway station, in the Maze Hill area of Greenwich, London, is the closest railway station to Greenwich Park, being about two minutes walk from the north-east corner of the park....
and Westcombe Park
Westcombe Park railway station
Westcombe Park station is in Greenwich, London, and is situated on the North Kent line connecting suburbs along the south side of the River Thames with central London stations .The station lies at the northern end of a conservation area , 5–10 minutes walk...
railway stations and south of the A206 Woolwich Road.
The park, opened in 1857, was originally the graveyard of Greenwich Hospital. Due to construction of a railway tunnel as part of the London and Greenwich Railway
London and Greenwich Railway
The London and Greenwich Railway was opened in London between 1836 and 1838. It was the first steam railway to have a terminus in the capital, the first of any to be built specifically for passenger service, and the first example of an elevated railway....
, the remains of around 3000 sailors and officers, including those who fought in the Battle of Trafalgar
Battle of Trafalgar
The Battle of Trafalgar was a sea battle fought between the British Royal Navy and the combined fleets of the French Navy and Spanish Navy, during the War of the Third Coalition of the Napoleonic Wars ....
and the Crimean War
Crimean War
The Crimean War was a conflict fought between the Russian Empire and an alliance of the French Empire, the British Empire, the Ottoman Empire, and the Kingdom of Sardinia. The war was part of a long-running contest between the major European powers for influence over territories of the declining...
were removed from the Hospital site in 1875 and reinterred in the Pleasaunce (named after the former Royal Palace of Placentia
Palace of Placentia
The Palace of Placentia was an English Royal Palace built by Humphrey, Duke of Gloucester in 1447, in Greenwich, on the banks of the River Thames, downstream from London...
or Palace of Pleasaunce).
Those buried in the Pleasaunce include:
- Lieutenant James Berry (d.1930), Curator of the Royal Naval Museum for 17 years
- James Shepherd (d.1907) for 18 years Queen Victoria's boatswain's mate on the Royal Yacht HMY Victoria and Albert IIHMY Victoria and Albert IIHMY Victoria and Albert, a 360 foot steamer launched 16 January 1855, was a Royal Yacht of the Sovereign of the United Kingdom until 1900, owned and operated by the Royal Navy. She displaced 2,470 tons, and could make 15 knots on her paddles...
- Anthony Sampayo, French Ambassador to England
In 1926 the Pleasaunce was sold to the Metropolitan Borough of Greenwich
Metropolitan Borough of Greenwich
The Metropolitan Borough of Greenwich was a Metropolitan borough in the County of London between 1900 and 1965. Within the area of the borough were the Royal Naval College , the Royal Observatory and Greenwich Park. It bordered the boroughs of Woolwich, Deptford, Lewisham...
, the Admiralty
Admiralty
The Admiralty was formerly the authority in the Kingdom of England, and later in the United Kingdom, responsible for the command of the Royal Navy...
reserving rights of further burials. Railings around the tombstones were removed and part of the ground was landscaped as a park.
Today, the Pleasaunce has a small children's playground (installed in 2001), a mother-and-toddler drop-in centre (the One O'clock Club) run by 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...
, a cafeteria and a small war memorial.