Abbey Wood
Anerley & Penge
Beckenham
Bermondsey
Bexley
Blackheath
Borough
Brixton
Brockley
Bromley
Camberwell
Catford
Charlton
Croydon
Crystal Palace
Deptford
Dulwich Village
East Dulwich
Elephant and Castle
Eltham
Forest Hill
Greenwich
Herne Hill
Kennington
Lee
Lewisham
New Cross
Old Kent Road
Peckham
Rotherhithe
Southbank
Sydenham
Walworth
West Norwood
Woolwich
Deptford was originally a village in Kent. The original meaning of the name Deptford is probably from 'deep ford' where the London road crossed over the Creek .
Tudor Deptford
1497 Lord Audley and Cornish rebels defeated at Deptford.
1513 Royal Dock built at Deptford, became known as King's Yard.
1544 Dock had become most important in England.
1581 Francis Drake knighted by Elizabeth I at Deptford.
1593 Christopher Marlowe killed in a Deptford tavern.
Stuart Deptford
C17 East India Company established in Deptford.
1623 A map referred to 'Common Greene' (Deptford Green).
1660s Samuel Pepys visited Deptford on naval work.
1697 Docks employed 697 men.
1698 Peter the Great worked at Royal Dock as carpenter to learn ship design. Stayed with the diarist John Evelyn at Sayes Court.
1708 Master Shipwright House built on riverside by Joseph Allin, who was the master shipwright for the royal dockyard next door.
1711 Docks employed 1100 men.
Georgian Deptford
1730 St Paul by Thomas Archer completed
St Paul's church was one of 50 new churches proposed for London in 1710 as part of the regeneration programme after the Great Fire of 1666.
1759 Sayes Court used as a workhouse (until 1848).
1780s Victualling Yard extended by James Arrow.
1788 Victualling Yard gateway built (still standing).
1790 St Nicholas’ Church
1797 Painting of Deptford Riverfront
Late C18/early C19
View of Deptford Dockyard (Late C18/early C19)
1800 View of Deptford (2)
1801 Population of Deptford was 18,000.
1804 Footbridge built across Deptford Creek.
Regency Deptford
1809 Larger bridge built across Deptford Creek.
1815 View of Deptford & Greenwich
C19 Royal Dock became Royal Marine Arsenal.
1822 Greenwich Steam Company established in Deptford. One
of first steam boat co.
1830 Dockyard closed until 1844.
1836 London - Greenwich Railway opened, carried on
a 878 arch brick viaduct. Started from Spa Road, Bermondsey to Deptford.
Early Victorian Deptford
1840 Deptford Broadway
1844 Dockyard reopened for steam ships.
1848 Cook's HMS Discovery used as a convict bulk at Deptford.
1858 Royal Victoria Victualling Yard renamed from Red House.
Mid Victorian Deptford
1869 Royal Dockyard closed. Became Foreign Cattle Market (until 1913) and later Convo's Wharf.
Late Victorian Deptford
1894 Deptford Fund began to improve the plight of Deptford's community
1898 Foundation stone of the Albany Institute was laid
Edwardian Deptford
1901 Deptford became a London borough.
1903 Carrington House built as a lodging house for men
(corner Brookmill Road).
1903 Deptford Library Theatre
c 1905 postcard of Deptford Broadway
1907 Deptford Town Hall opened.
1914 Deptford Library opened.
Inter-War Deptford
1938 Deptford Odeon Cinema (by George Coles) opened on the corner of the Broadway & Church Street.
World War II & Deptford
1940 Deptford hit by German bombers during Blitz
1941 Deptford suffered several flying bomb attacks
Post War Deptford
1954 New lifting bridge built across Deptford Creek.
1961 Royal Victoria Victualling Yard closed. Became Pepys
Estate, some
1790 buildings remain (officers houses and warehouses).
1965 Borough of Deptford incorporated into Borough of Lewisham.
1970 Deptford Odeon closed
1988 Deptford Odeon demolished
1999 Light Railway station opened at Deptford Broadway
connecting to Docklands and Lewisham.
Book list:
History of Deptford - N. Dews (1884)
Turning The Tide-History of Everyday Deptford - Jesse Steele (Deptford Forum 1993)
(c) South London Guide 2023