"~~~*Blackheath - A Wonderful Open Green Space*~~~" Blackheath by mollymoo0oo0

Blackheath is situated in South East London, neighbouring it's popular partner, Greenwich. The area is divided between two London boroughs (that of Greenwich and Lewisham) and much of the land is consumed with a wonderful open green space.... a bit of a rarity in London town!!

This land has seen a lot of history and events over the years, and as such is still strongly protected by the Blackheath Society... For example, Wat Tyler led the revolutionary Peasant's Revolt here in 1381.... and later this became a part of Henry VIII's stomping ground. I have often imagined him feasting at a banquet here out in the open space.

The name, "Blackheath", is often said to have derived from it's role as a burial site for victims of the Black Death in the 14th Century. However, it is actually a twist on the name, "bleak heath" - referring to the dark colour of it's soil. I guess that sounds less fascinating though!

The village

There is a lovely little 'village' at one end of the Heath... which is where you will find:

- Blackheath train station (15-20 minutes to London Bridge/Waterloo East/Charing Cross), and the Farmer's Market hosted there on Sundays
- The Age Exchange Centre (a reminiscence centre which is well worth a look! Pop in for a cup of tea)
- The Blackheath Conservatoire of Arts and Music, nextdoor to the Blackheath Halls (concert venue)
- An ever-evolving selection of restaurants and cafes...
- ...including Madame Chocolat - so small it's almost hidden, but worth a visit if you can catch it while open!
- Other restaurants including countless Indian curry houses (I recommend Khans as a good all-rounder for quality and price) and a great Thai, called Laicram tucked away behind Barclays bank on Blackheath Grove (may be worth pre-booking, otherwise expect to queue outside on a busy night... try the Jungle Curry)
- A number of bars and pubs of varying characters (it's a fairly decent pub crawl location) ....food and drink are recommended in the Zero Degrees Microbrewery and the Princess of Wales pub...
- A few (sadly reducing number of) arts and crafts shops, including a well established and friendly little African shop (Duka) with many works created from recycled materials

.... to name but a few delights.... more of which will be added with tips and photos soon :)

For more information on Blackheath, click here for wikipedia,

• Pros:Open green space away from the city bustle but with easy access to the Central London
• In a nutshell:Especially great for lazy Sundays, or sunny days....