Avery Hill

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Avery Hill
Kent

Avery Hill Park hothouse
Location
Grid reference: TQ443745
Location: 51°27’5"N, -0°4’34"E
Data
Post town: London / Sidcup
Postcode: SE9 / DA15
Dialling code: 020
Local Government
Council: Greenwich
Bexley
Parliamentary
constituency:
Eltham

Avery Hill is an area of suburban Kent, to the east of Eltham and north-west of Sidcup. It is believed that the area is named after an aviary formerly located in the area.[1]

Avery Hill House

Avery Hill House was a palatial dwelling built by John Thomas North (b.1842 – d.1896), who had made his fortune in the sodium nitrate trade in Chile.[1][2]

Following North's death the house was acquired by the council in July 1902 and its grounds extended to create Avery Hill Park in 1903. In 1906 North's house became Avery Hill College of Education, later incorporating two neighbouring buildings.[3] Within a year of its foundation, the residential college had become the largest of LCC's training colleges and was frequently oversubscribed; in 79 years it trained over 15,000 teachers.[2] In 1985 the college merged with Thames Polytechnic, renamed the University of Greenwich in 1993;[3] the university also has extensive facilities at the nearby Southwood site.

The university planned to move out of the Mansion site in summer 2020. A Harris Academy boys’ secondary school was planned to open in 2022.[4]

Winter Garden

Avery Hill Park

The house is notable for an indoor winter garden,[5] the second largest Victorian glasshouse in the UK after Kew Gardens' Temperate House. It forms part of one of the most extensive and expensive garden arrangements ever constructed as part of a private house in England. In the early 21st century, the Winter Garden had fallen into neglect. A campaign was started to restore the Winter Garden and protect the heritage of the Mansion, making it open to the public.[5]

The University of Greenwich Student Union Building

Avery Hill Park

Avery Hill Park is a public park.[5] Since 2010, the park has hosted a Parkrun on Saturdays.

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 Willey, Russ. Chambers London Gazetter, p 15-16.
  2. 2.0 2.1 Whitehead, Maurice. History of Education Quarterly 31, no. 1 (1991): 144-46. Accessed 6 July 2020. doi:10.2307/368811. See online summary and excerpt
  3. 3.0 3.1 "Avery Hill, Greenwich". https://hidden-london.com/gazetteer/avery-hill/. Retrieved 6 July 2020. 
  4. "Future Academies". https://www.harrisfederation.org.uk/176/future-academies/project/46/harris-academy-avery-hill. Retrieved 6 July 2020. 
  5. 5.0 5.1 5.2 Avery Hill Winter Garden. Retrieved 4 September 2024.