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| Well Hall Pleasaunce |
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The Well Hall estate stood close to the royal estatre at Eltham Palace, which was much used during the Tudor period. In the middle of the 16th century, Well Hall was the home of William Roper, the son-in-law and biographer of Sir Thomas More. The Roper family owned the house until 1733, when it was sold to Sir Gregory Page. He pulled down the old Tudor house, and built a new one on the site. However, a large Tudor Barn survived which has always formed a centrepiece of the Park, was an art gallery and has now been converted into a restaurant.The Page family owned the house and estate until the 1930s, but rented it out to other people for many years. From 1899 until 1922, Edith Nesbit, the famous children's author, who wrote 'The Railway Children' and many other well known books, lived in the house with her husband. Although the house was originally out in the countryside, more and more houses were built around it from the 19th century onwards. In 1930, the family sold the house and estate to Woolwich Borough Council, who planned to turn the remaining ground into a park, and build a public library there. The park was opened on the 25th of May 1933. In the year 2000, a restoration programme was begun in the park. The moat which used to surround the house was drained and relined, the water features were restored, and the bowls club pavilion rebuilt. New trees and flowers were planted. The restoration won several awards. |
