Editing Erith

{{Short description|Town in England}}
{{Use British English|date=September 2015}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2017}}
{{Distinguish|Earith}}
{{Other uses}}
{{Infobox UK place
| official_name             = Erith
| static_image_name         = The end of Erith Pier - geograph.org.uk - 5984684.jpg
| static_image_caption      = The end of Erith Pier
| map_type                  = Greater London
| coordinates               = {{coord|51.480|0.1778|display=inline,title}}
| population                = 45,345
| population_ref            = ([[United Kingdom Census 2011|2011 Census]])<ref>Erith consists of four wards in the London Borough of Bexley: Colyers, Erith, North End and Northumberland Heath.{{Cite web |title=2011 Census Ward Population Estimates &#124; London DataStore |url=http://data.london.gov.uk/2011-census-ward-pop |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140222202755/http://data.london.gov.uk/2011-census-ward-pop |archive-date=22 February 2014 |access-date=9 June 2014 |df=dmy}}</ref>
| os_grid_reference         = TQ505775
| charingX_distance_mi      = 13.3
| charingX_direction        = WNW
| london_borough            = Bexley
| region                    = London
| country                   = England
| post_town                 = ERITH
| postcode_area             = DA
| postcode_district         = DA8, DA18
| dial_code                 = 01322
| constituency_westminster  = [[Erith and Thamesmead (UK Parliament constituency)|Erith and Thamesmead]]
| constituency_westminster1 = [[Bexleyheath and Crayford (UK Parliament constituency)|Bexleyheath and Crayford]]
}}

'''Erith''' ({{IPAc-en|audio=En-uk-Erith.ogg|ˈ|ɪər|ᵻ|θ}}) is an area in south-east [[London]], England, {{convert|13.3|miles|km}} east of [[Charing Cross]]. Before the creation of [[Greater London]] in 1965, it was in the [[Historic counties of England|historical county]] of [[Kent]]. Since 1965 it has formed part of the [[London Borough of Bexley]]. It lies north-east of [[Bexleyheath]] and north-west of [[Dartford]], on the south bank of the [[River Thames]]. 

The town centre has been modernised with further dwellings added since 1961. The curved riverside high street has three [[listed building]]s, including the [[Church of England]] church and the Carnegie Building. Erith otherwise consists mainly of suburban housing. It is linked to central London and Kent by [[Erith railway station|rail]] and to [[Thamesmead]] by a dual carriageway. It has the longest pier in London,<ref>{{Cite web |last=Craig |first=Zoe |date=13 December 2016 |title=Where Is London's Longest Pier? |url=https://londonist.com/london/best-of-london/londons-longest-pier |access-date=26 October 2021 |website=The Londonist}}</ref> and retains a coastal environment with [[salt marsh]]es alongside industrial land.

==History==
[[File:Mudflats at Erith - geograph.org.uk - 198214.jpg|right|thumb|Mudflats on the Thames, with the [[Queen Elizabeth II Bridge]] in the far background]]

===Pre-medieval===
Work carried out at the former [[British Gypsum]] site in Church Manorway by the [[Museum of London]] Archaeological Service shows that the area was covered by a dense forest of [[oak]], [[taxus|yew]] and [[alder]] in the [[Neolithic|Neolithic Period]], which by the [[Bronze Age]] had given way in part to [[poor fen|sedge fen]].<ref name="molas01">[http://www.molas.org.uk/pages/siteSummariesDetailsAll.asp?year=summaries2001 Museum of London summary of archaeological work carried out in 2001] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050515074054/http://www.molas.org.uk/pages/siteSummariesDetailsAll.asp?year=summaries2001 |date=15 May 2005 }} accessed 6 April 2008</ref>

The museum's work at the former site of Erith School in Belmont Road revealed traces of prehistoric settlement and a substantial community or farmstead in the first century CE.<ref name="molas96">[http://www.molas.org.uk/pages/siteSummariesDetailsAll.asp?year=summaries1996 Museum of London summary of archaeological work carried out in 1996] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050325224515/http://www.molas.org.uk/pages/siteSummariesDetailsAll.asp?year=summaries1996 |date=25 March 2005}} Accessed 6 April 2008.</ref>

===Anglo-Saxons===
After the collapse of [[Roman Empire|Roman rule]] in the early 5th century, Britain was colonised by [[Anglo-Saxons|Anglo-Saxon]] invaders from northern Europe. The ''[[Anglo-Saxon Chronicle]]'' records that they won the [[Battle of Crecganford]] (thought to be modern [[Crayford]]) in 457 and shortly after claimed the whole of [[Kent]]. Their different way of life was reflected in their settlement pattern. The town and country estates of Roman bureaucrats gave way to a network of villages occupied by warriors and farmers. Erith was one such and has a Saxon name, originally ''Ærre hyðe'' meaning "old haven".<ref>{{Cite web |last=Hasted |first=Edward |title='Parishes: Erith', in The History and Topographical Survey of the County of Kent: Volume 2 |url=http://www.british-history.ac.uk/survey-kent/vol2/pp227-263 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160102173932/http://www.british-history.ac.uk/survey-kent/vol2/pp227-263 |archive-date=2 January 2016 |access-date=1 January 2016 |website=British History Online |publisher=Canterbury |pages=227–263 |df=dmy-all}}</ref>

There was probably a church on the site of the present St John the Baptist's in the Anglo-Saxon period.<ref>{{Cite web |date=20 May 1953 |title=Parish Church of St John the Baptist – Bexley – Greater London – England |url=http://www.britishlistedbuildings.co.uk/en-198724-parish-church-of-st-john-the-baptish-bex |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120126072846/http://www.britishlistedbuildings.co.uk/en-198724-parish-church-of-st-john-the-baptish-bex |archive-date=26 January 2012 |access-date=24 August 2012 |publisher=British Listed Buildings |df=dmy-all}}</ref> The early settlement was based around it, meaning that the centre of Erith was once west of its current location.

===Medieval===
[[File:Western Face of the Church of St John the Baptist, Erith (01).jpg|thumb|upright=1.2|right|The medieval Church of John the Baptist in Erith]]
The earliest written reference to the area is in a Latin charter of 695, recording a grant by the Bishop of the East Saxons of land at Erith. The surrounding area was known as Lesnes or Lessness, which is mentioned in the [[Domesday Book]] of 1086. After the [[Norman Conquest]], Lessness passed into the possession of [[Bishop Odo]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=The Bexley Area in the Domesday Book |url=http://www.bexley.gov.uk/article/10263/The-Bexley-Area-in-the-Domesday-Book |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160701040926/http://www.bexley.gov.uk/article/10263/The-Bexley-Area-in-the-Domesday-Book |archive-date=1 July 2016 |access-date=11 February 2017 |website=Bexley borough council |df=dmy-all}}</ref> In 1315, a [[Royal Charter]] was granted for a market to be held in Erith every Thursday, but it was noted in 1776 that the market was long discontinued.<ref name="market">[http://www.bexley.gov.uk/localstudies/local_history/guide_pdfs/51_historical_references_to_erith_market.pdf Bexley Local Studies Note 51 – Historical References to Erith Market]{{dead link|date=September 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes}} Accessed 6 June 2008.</ref>

Erith owes its existence to the Thames, and was until the 1850s essentially a small riverside port, given prominence by [[King Henry VIII]]'s decision to open a naval dockyard there, approximately where the Riverside Gardens are now. Henry's famous warship, ''[[Henri Grace à Dieu]]'', was fitted out there in 1515.<ref name="erithhistory">{{Cite web |title=History of Erith &#124; History of Bexley and Districts |url=http://www.ideal-homes.org.uk/bexley/assets/histories/erith |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180715181811/http://www.ideal-homes.org.uk/bexley/assets/histories/erith |archive-date=15 July 2018 |access-date=24 August 2012 |publisher=Ideal Homes}}</ref>

After the death of [[George Talbot, 4th Earl of Shrewsbury]] in 1538, Erith "alias Lysnes" was granted to his widow, Elizabeth, by Henry VIII "with all its members and appurtenances, to hold in capite, by knight's service."<ref>{{Cite book |last=Hasted |first=Edward |url=http://www.british-history.ac.uk/survey-kent/vol2/pp227-263 |title=The History and Topographical Survey of the County of Kent |publisher=W. Bristow |year=1797 |location=Canterbury |pages=227–263 |author-link=Edward Hasted |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160102173932/http://www.british-history.ac.uk/survey-kent/vol2/pp227-263 |archive-date=2 January 2016 |url-status=live |df=dmy-all}}</ref>

Erith remained a popular anchorage until the 19th century. Ships often discharged cargo there to reduce their [[Displacement (ship)|displacement]] before entering shallows upstream.

===Industrial era===
In 1797 [[Edward Hasted]] described Erith as "one small street of houses, which leads to the water side", and mentions annual fairs at [[Ascension Day|Ascension]] and [[Michaelmas]].<ref name="hasted">{{Cite web |title=Parishes: Erith - British History Online |url=http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=62813 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140903013445/http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=62813 |archive-date=3 September 2014 |access-date=7 May 2018 |website=www.british-history.ac.uk |df=dmy-all}}</ref> In 1831 Erith's population was 1,533. It was composed in 1840 "chiefly of two streets, one leading down to the water side, the other branching off to the left towards the church."<ref name="pigots">{{Cite web |title=RootsWeb.com Home Page |url=http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~shebra/pigots_1840_-_crayford,_erith_&c_.htm |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080205235812/http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~shebra/pigots_1840_-_crayford%2C_erith_%26c_.htm |archive-date=5 February 2008 |access-date=7 May 2018 |website=freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com |df=dmy-all}}</ref>

[[File:28 and 30 Erith High Street (II).jpg|thumb|right|28 and 30 Erith High Street, a building with eighteenth-century origins in Erith.]]

By 1849 Erith was enjoying a short spell as a riverside resort. Its pier and nearby hotel gave hospitality for [[day-tripper]]s arriving on Thames pleasure boats or by rail.<ref name=erithhistory/> An [[arboretum]] with extensive pleasure grounds was opened to attract visitors.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Blanchard |first=Edward Litt Leman |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=7htbAAAAcAAJ&pg=PA104 |title=Adams's Pocket Descriptive Guide to the Environs of the Metropolis, etc |date=1850 |publisher=W. J. Adams |page=104}}</ref>

The [[Local Government Act 1894]] brought into existence Erith Urban District, which became the [[Municipal Borough of Erith]] in 1938. It included [[Northumberland Heath]] and [[Belvedere, London|Belvedere]].

Erith Iron Works was established in 1864 on a riverside site at Anchor Bay, east of Erith's centre, by [[William Anderson (engineer)|William Anderson]].<ref name="anderson">[http://www.bexley.gov.uk/localstudies/local_history/guide_pdfs/66_sir_william_anderson_1834-1898.pdf Bexley Local Studies Note 66 'Sir William Anderson']{{dead link|date=December 2016 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} Accessed 6 June 2008.</ref>

On 1 October 1864 a 46½-ton [[Embanking of the tidal Thames#The Erith explosion|gunpowder explosion]] blew out the river wall, exposing large areas of South London to flooding at high tide. A crowd of navvies and soldiers directed by a local engineer managed to plug the gap just before high water.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Moore |first=Lewis |year=1865 |title=On the Erith Explosion, and the Repair of the Thames Embankment |url=https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=njp.32101049914268&view=1up&seq=209&q1=erith |journal=Society of Engineers Transactions for 1864 |location=London |publisher=E & FN Spon |pages=183–199 |access-date=16 November 2020}}</ref>

From 1881 an area north-west of Erith's centre was the site of a cable works founded by William Callender. This became [[British Insulated Callender's Cables]] (BICC) and eventually [[Pirelli]], which announced its partial closure in 2003. The remainder became [[Prysmian]].

===20th century===
[[File:Erith Library (I).jpg|right|thumb|The Old Library, a [[listed building|Grade II listed building]] in Walnut Tree Road by William Egerton, opened on 7 April 1906.]]
[[File:Erith Town Hall - geograph.org.uk - 1278414.jpg|left|thumb|[[Erith Town Hall]], completed in 1932]]
Erith's first library, designed by local architect William Egerton and funded by philanthropist [[Andrew Carnegie]], opened in 1906.<ref name="Murphy-21Mar2019">{{Cite news |last=Murphy |first=Chris |date=21 March 2019 |title=Calls for help to save Erith's Old Library building |work=Bexley Times |url=https://www.bexleytimes.co.uk/news/campaign-to-save-old-library-building-in-erith-1-5950293 |access-date=6 March 2020}}</ref>

Engineering became an important industry in Erith, with armaments and cables as the main products. [[Vickers]] was a major employer, with links to the [[Royal Arsenal]] at nearby [[Woolwich]].<ref name=erithhistory/>

[[File:The De Lucile Fish Mosaic Sculpture.jpg|alt='The De Luci (dancing) Fish' mosaic sculpture on Bronze Age Way roundabout in Erith, Kent by artist Gary Drostle.|thumb|'The De Luci' 'dancing fish' mosaic statue at the roundabout in the town centre designed and created by artist [[Gary Drostle]] in 2006]]
During the [[World War I|First World War]] Erith was an important area for the manufacture of guns and ammunition, largely due to the presence of the large [[Vickers]] works. In the [[World War II|Second World War]], the town suffered heavy bomb damage, mainly because of its riverside position near the Royal Arsenal. The bomb damage and a gradual decline in local trade prompted major redevelopment in the 1960s.<ref name=erithhistory/>

[[File:Erith, Riverside shopping centre - geograph.org.uk - 717401.jpg|thumb|Riverside Shopping Centre]]
In 1961, Erith began to be redeveloped as a modern shopping and working environment, through the clearing of sub-standard housing by the riverside and alterations to the street layout. Some of the new buildings, such as the [[social housing]] [[tower block]]s, have a [[brutalism|brutalist]] form typical of [[overspill estate]]s built by councils in major cities as an affordable way to clear the slums.<ref>[http://society.guardian.co.uk/urbanregeneration/0,8145,392054,00.html Urban regeneration: the essentials] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130419083145/http://society.guardian.co.uk/urbanregeneration/0,8145,392054,00.html |date=19 April 2013}} ''[[The Guardian]]''</ref>

In 1965, under the [[London Government Act 1963]], Erith became part of the [[London Borough of Bexley]].

[[File:The White Hart in Erith.jpg|thumb|The ''White Hart'' in Erith featuring Thames Barge mural by Gary Drostle.]]
Demolition of the old town started in 1966 and continued in phases until 1980, leaving only a few reminders of the old town centre. Many of the original [[Victorian architecture|Victorian buildings]] were lost, but some original townscape remains, including the ''White Hart'' in the High Street and St John's Church in West Street.<ref name=erithhistory/>

[[File:Riverside apartments, Erith - geograph.org.uk - 198210.jpg|right|thumb|Riverside apartment blocks, just east of Erith town centre]]

===Regeneration===
Since the late 1990s Erith has undergone marked changes, culminating in the Erith Western Thames Gateway project.<ref>[http://www.bexley.gov.uk/service/erithwesterngateway/index.html] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081007013402/http://www.bexley.gov.uk/service/erithwesterngateway/index.html|date=7 October 2008}}</ref> The regeneration falls within the remit of the Thames Gateway project, with Erith as a focus for [[Bexley London Borough Council|Bexley Council]], as its only population centre on the [[River Thames]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=15 May 2008 |title=London – Places – Why Thames Gateway is good for Bexley |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/london/content/articles/2007/03/08/thamesgateway_bexley_opinion_feature.shtml |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121110011723/http://www.bbc.co.uk/london/content/articles/2007/03/08/thamesgateway_bexley_opinion_feature.shtml |archive-date=10 November 2012 |access-date=24 August 2012 |publisher=BBC |df=dmy-all}}</ref> Since 2000 a significant number of new flats have been built on the river by private developers. The Erith Western Gateway will include riverside flats,<ref name="thamesgateway.gov.uk">{{Cite web |title=Erith Western Gateway |url=http://www.thamesgateway.gov.uk/index.html?rm%3Dnews%26article%3D22%26PHPSESSID%3D986aa54265aa061b23cb5883448aae85 |access-date=17 September 2007}}{{dead link|date=November 2016 |fix-attempted=yes}}</ref> and is expected to include the regeneration of a large underused area of the town centre, earmarked by Bexley Council for a mixed-use development with up to 6,000 sq. m of new commercial space and over 500 new homes.<ref name="thamesgateway.gov.uk" />

In 2020, local campaigners secured National Lottery funding to restore the former library building as new community facilities.<ref name="OldLib">{{Cite news |last=Bennett-Ness |first=James |date=27 February 2020 |title=Old Library in Erith with fascinating history to be fully restored thanks to Bexley residents |work=News Shopper |url=https://www.newsshopper.co.uk/news/18266529.old-library-erith-fascinating-history-fully-restored-thanks-bexley-residents/ |access-date=6 March 2020}}</ref>

==Demography==
The population of Erith is 62% White British, according to the 2011 census, down from 82% in 2001 and 89% in 1991. The second highest ethnicity is Black African, at 14%.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Services |first=Good Stuff IT |title=Erith - UK Census Data 2011 |url=http://www.ukcensusdata.com/erith-e05000075 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160920225623/http://www.ukcensusdata.com/erith-e05000075 |archive-date=20 September 2016 |access-date=7 May 2018 |website=UK Census Data |df=dmy-all}}</ref>

The median house price in Erith ward was £181,000 in 2014, the third lowest of the 628 wards in Greater London, with only neighbouring [[Belvedere, London|Belvedere]] and the Abbey ward of [[Barking and Dagenham]] having lower prices.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Ward Profiles and Atlas – London Datastore |url=https://data.london.gov.uk/dataset/ward-profiles-and-atlas.}}</ref>

==Representation==
[[File:Erith ward.PNG|thumb|right|Erith ward (green) within the [[London Borough of Bexley]] (yellow)]]
Much of Erith is in the Erith ward of the [[London Borough of Bexley]]. The local councillors are Joe Ferreira and Nicola Taylor (both Labour).<ref>{{Cite web |title=Erith Councillors |url=http://democracy.bexley.gov.uk/mgUserInfo.aspx?UID=2515 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160407052107/http://democracy.bexley.gov.uk/mgUserInfo.aspx?UID=2515 |archive-date=7 April 2016 |access-date=8 July 2018 |website=London Borough of Bexley}}</ref> The eastern part of Erith is in [[North End (Bexley ward)|North End]] ward and the southern part in [[Colyers ward]].

Most of Erith lies within the [[Erith and Thamesmead (UK Parliament constituency)|Erith and Thamesmead]] constituency. The current Member of Parliament is [[Abena Oppong-Asare]] (Labour). The eastern part of Erith is within the [[Bexleyheath and Crayford (UK Parliament constituency)|Bexleyheath and Crayford]] constituency, whose MP is [[Daniel Francis (politician)|Daniel Francis]] (Labour).

Erith is in the [[Bexley and Bromley (London Assembly constituency)|Bexley and Bromley London Assembly]] constituency and is represented on the [[London Assembly]] by [[Thomas Turrell]] (Conservative).

==Amenities==
{{for|education in Erith|London Borough of Bexley#Education}}

* Erith Leisure Centre, including swimming facilities, was opened in 2005.<ref>{{Cite web |title=London Borough of Bexley - Erith Leisure Centre |url=http://www.bexley.gov.uk/article/11854/Erith-Leisure-Centre |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170227234940/http://www.bexley.gov.uk/article/11854/Erith-Leisure-Centre |archive-date=27 February 2017 |access-date=2017-02-27 |df=dmy-all}}</ref>

* The David Ives Stadium next to the Leisure Centre, often called Erith Stadium, is the home track of Bexley Athletic Club.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Training - Bexley Athletic Club |url=http://www.bexleyac.org.uk/?page_id=67 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180508055220/http://www.bexleyac.org.uk/?page_id=67 |archive-date=8 May 2018 |access-date=7 May 2018 |website=www.bexleyac.org.uk}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=31 March 2005 |title=Erith Stadium |url=http://www.runtrackdir.com/details.asp?track=erith |access-date=24 August 2012 |publisher=Runtrackdir.com}}</ref>

* The [[Erith Playhouse]] Theatre is the largest in Bexley.<ref>{{Cite web |date=21 January 2012 |title=Erith Playhouse |url=http://www.playhouse.org.uk/news.htm |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120729195722/http://www.playhouse.org.uk/news.htm |archive-date=29 July 2012 |access-date=24 August 2012 |publisher=Playhouse.org.uk |df=dmy}}</ref>

[[File:Fishing from Erith Deep Wharf - geograph.org.uk - 1205126.jpg|thumb|right|Fishing from Erith Deep Wharf]]
* Erith has the longest [[pier]] in [[Greater London]].

* Erith Rowing Club is located on the Erith waterfront. Erith Yacht Club is based a short distance downstream from Erith on the edge of [[Crayford Marshes]].

* There are two senior football clubs named for Erith, although only [[Erith Town F.C.|Erith Town]] is based in the town, [[Erith & Belvedere F.C.|Erith & Belvedere]] play at [[Park View Road]] in [[Welling]].

===Festivals===
The annual Erith Riverside Festival is held in Riverside Gardens alongside the Thames.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Erith Riverside Festival |url=http://www.pla.co.uk/Events/Erith-Riverside-Festival}}</ref> Erith is the starting point for the [[London Outer Orbital Path]] (LOOP) and one starting point for the Green Chain Walk.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Explore South East London's Green Chain |url=http://www.greenchain.com/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20000925194427/http://www.greenchain.com/ |archive-date=25 September 2000 |access-date=24 August 2012 |publisher=Greenchain.com}}</ref> The Thames Path National Trail,<ref>{{Cite web |last=Ramblers |title=Thames Path National Trail &#124; Paths by name &#124; Ramblers, Britain's Walking Charity |url=http://www.ramblers.org.uk/info/paths/thames.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080928200621/http://www.ramblers.org.uk/INFO/paths/thames.html |archive-date=28 September 2008 |access-date=24 August 2012 |publisher=Ramblers.org.uk |df=dmy}}</ref> which runs to the source of the River Thames at [[Kemble, Gloucestershire|Kemble]], begins at nearby Crayford Ness.

==Notable people==
*[[Philip Absolon]] (b. 1960), [[Stuckism|Stuckist]] artist, was born in Erith.{{citation needed|date=November 2016}}
*[[Ronnie Aldrich]] (1916–1993), jazz pianist and band-leader, was born in Erith.<ref name="A">{{Cite web |title=Surnames beginning with A |url=http://www.bexley.gov.uk/article/3296/Surnames-beginning-with-A |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160609204629/http://www.bexley.gov.uk/article/3296/Surnames-beginning-with-A |archive-date=9 June 2016 |access-date=13 November 2016 |website=bexley.gov.uk |df=dmy-all}}</ref>
*[[Patrick Young Alexander]] (1867–1943), aeronautical pioneer, born in Belvedere, Erith.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://collection.sciencemuseumgroup.org.uk/people/ap24417/alexander-patrick-young|title=Alexander, Patrick Young|website=Science Museum Group Collection|access-date=19 June 2024}}</ref>
*[[Mark Andrews (organist)|Mark Andrews]] (1875−1939), organist and composer{{cn|date=August 2024}}
*[[William Auld]] (1924–2006), Scottish poet, author and [[Esperanto|Esperantist]], born in Erith<ref>{{Cite news |date=15 September 2006 |title=William Auld |work=The Scotsman |url=http://www.scotsman.com/news/obituaries/william-auld-1-1140586 |url-status=live |access-date=25 November 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161126070410/http://www.scotsman.com/news/obituaries/william-auld-1-1140586 |archive-date=26 November 2016 |df=dmy-all}}</ref>
*[[William Anderson (engineer)|Sir William Anderson]] (1834–1898), engineer and philanthropist, lived in Erith from 1864 until 1889 and contributed substantial time and money to the local community.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Sir William Anderson, 1834–1898 |url=http://www.bexley.gov.uk/index.aspx?articleid=10724 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161124154255/http://www.bexley.gov.uk/index.aspx?articleid=10724 |archive-date=24 November 2016 |access-date=23 November 2016 |website=bexley.gov.uk |df=dmy-all}}</ref>
*[[Tony Brise]] (1952–1975), motor-racing driver, was born in Erith.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Tony Brise |url=http://www.historicracing.com/driver_detail.cfm?driverID=1393 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161124095254/http://www.historicracing.com/driver_detail.cfm?driverID=1393 |archive-date=24 November 2016 |access-date=23 November 2016 |website=historicracing.com |df=dmy-all}}</ref>
*[[Wendy Cope]] (b. 1945), poet, was born in Erith.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Lewis |first=Helen |date=3 December 2011 |title=Wendy Cope interview: "I can't die until I've sorted out the filing cabinets" |work=The New Statesman |url=http://www.newstatesman.com/blogs/helen-lewis-hasteley/2011/11/cope-poems-british-poets |url-status=live |access-date=23 November 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161124093254/http://www.newstatesman.com/blogs/helen-lewis-hasteley/2011/11/cope-poems-british-poets |archive-date=24 November 2016 |df=dmy-all}}</ref>
*[[John Downton (English artist)|John Downton]] (1906–1991), artist, poet and philosopher, was born in Erith.<ref>{{Cite news |date=19 November 2012 |title=Awards entry catches the eye |work=Kent Online |url=http://www.kentonline.co.uk/kent/news/awards-entry-catches-the-eye-a58571/ |url-status=live |access-date=23 November 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161124101206/http://www.kentonline.co.uk/kent/news/awards-entry-catches-the-eye-a58571/ |archive-date=24 November 2016 |df=dmy-all}}</ref>
*[[Kevin Horlock]] (b. 1972), footballer, [[Northern Ireland]] international, was born in Erith<ref>{{Cite news |date=15 October 2015 |title=Chatham Town unveil former Manchester City midfielder Kevin Horlock, 42, as their new manager |work=Kentish Football |url=http://kentishfootball.co.uk/news/chatham151015 |url-status=live |access-date=25 November 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170305013557/http://kentishfootball.co.uk/news/chatham151015 |archive-date=5 March 2017 |df=dmy-all}}</ref>
*[[Bill Jaques]] (1888–1925), footballer, was born in Erith.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Joyce |first=Michael |title=Football League Players' Records |publisher=soccerdata |year=2004 |isbn=1-899468-63-3 |page=137}}</ref>
*[[James Leasor]] (1923–2007), journalist and author<ref>{{Cite news |last=Adrian |first=Jack |date=22 December 2007 |title=James Leasor: Journalist and thriller writer |work=The Independent |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/obituaries/james-leasor-journalist-and-thriller-writer-766696.html |url-status=live |access-date=23 November 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161124101420/http://www.independent.co.uk/news/obituaries/james-leasor-journalist-and-thriller-writer-766696.html |archive-date=24 November 2016 |df=dmy-all}}</ref>
*[[Dave Martin (footballer, born 1985)|Dave Martin]] (b. 1985), footballer, born in Erith<ref name="Hugman2009-10">{{Cite book |title=The PFA Footballers' Who's Who 2009–10 |publisher=Mainstream Publishing |year=2009 |isbn=978-1-84596-474-0 |editor-last=Hugman |editor-first=Barry J.}}</ref>
*[[Douglas McWhirter]] (1886–1966), amateur footballer, part of the gold medal-winning English team at the [[1912 Summer Olympics]], was born in Erith.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Douglas McWhirter bio, stats and results |url=https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/mc/douglas-mcwhirter-1.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161203151132/http://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/mc/douglas-mcwhirter-1.html |archive-date=3 December 2016 |access-date=25 November 2016 |website=sports-reference.com |df=dmy-all}}</ref>
*[[Percy Hilder Miles]] (1878–1922), professor, violinist and composer, lived in Erith.<ref name="Macfarren">{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=I-Z8gtxuC1kC&pg=PA98 |title=Musical Times through Google Books |date=1 February 1896 |volume=37 |page=98 |access-date=7 February 2011}}</ref>
*[[Alan Morton (footballer, born 1950)|Alan Morton]] (b. 1950), footballer, was born in Erith.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Players: Alan Morton |url=http://www.historicaldons.com/player.php?od=4&id=586 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161126064852/http://www.historicaldons.com/player.php?od=4&id=586 |archive-date=26 November 2016 |access-date=25 November 2016 |website=The Historical Don |df=dmy-all}}</ref>
*[[Robert Napper]] (b. 1966), serial murderer and rapist, was born in Erith<ref>{{Cite news |last=Hughes |first=Mark |date=19 December 2008 |title=Rachel Nickell: Six mistakes in hunt for serial killer |work=The Independent |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/crime/rachel-nickell-six-mistakes-in-hunt-for-serial-killer-1203683.html |url-status=live |access-date=25 November 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161126065108/http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/crime/rachel-nickell-six-mistakes-in-hunt-for-serial-killer-1203683.html |archive-date=26 November 2016 |df=dmy-all}}</ref>
*[[Anthony Reckenzaun]] (1850–1893), engineer, worked at the Erith Ironworks and set up evening classes for the workmen.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Anthony Reckenzaun - Graces Guide |url=https://www.gracesguide.co.uk/Anthony_Reckenzaun |access-date=2020-05-04 |website=www.gracesguide.co.uk}}</ref>
*[[Steve Rutter]] (b. 1968), footballer, born in Erith{{citation needed|date=November 2016}}
*[[Sam Saunders (footballer)|Sam Saunders]] (b. 1983), footballer ([[Brentford F.C.]]), born in Erith<ref>{{Cite book |title=Sky Sports Football Yearbook 2012–2013 |publisher=[[Headline Publishing Group|Headline]] |year=2012 |isbn=978-0-7553-6356-8 |editor-last=Rollin |editor-first=Glenda |edition=43rd |location=London |page=439 |editor-last2=Rollin |editor-first2=Jack}}</ref>
*[[Linda Smith (comedian)|Linda Smith]] (1958–2006), comedian and writer, came from Erith.<ref>{{Cite news |date=1 March 2006 |title=Linda Smith – Obituary |work=The Daily Telegraph |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/1511746/Linda-Smith.html |url-status=live |access-date=13 November 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161114003346/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/1511746/Linda-Smith.html |archive-date=14 November 2016 |df=dmy-all}}</ref> Smith famously joked that Erith was not twinned with any town but had a suicide pact with [[Dagenham]].
*[[James Stephanie Sterling]] (b. 1984), video game journalist, born and grew up in Erith<ref>{{Cite web |last=Jim Sterling |date=11 April 2012 |title=Beautifully bleak, a quasi-defense of "dark and gritty" games |url=https://gamefront.online/beautifully-bleak-a-quasi-defense-of-dark-and-gritty-games/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161124154314/https://gamefront.online/beautifully-bleak-a-quasi-defense-of-dark-and-gritty-games/ |archive-date=24 November 2016 |access-date=23 November 2016 |website=gamefront.com |df=dmy-all}}</ref>
*[[Denis Thatcher]], husband of Prime Minister [[Margaret Thatcher]], headed the family owned Atlas Preservatives, based in Erith, until 1965.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Surnames beginning with T |url=http://www.bexley.gov.uk/article/3378/Surnames-beginning-with-T |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161114001941/http://www.bexley.gov.uk/article/3378/Surnames-beginning-with-T |archive-date=14 November 2016 |access-date=23 November 2016 |website=bexley.gov.uk |df=dmy-all}}</ref><ref>Christopher Winn: ''I Never Knew That about the Thames'' (London: Ebury Press, 2010).</ref>
*[[Henry Wheatley]] (1777–1852), [[keeper of the privy purse]] for King William IV and Queen Victoria from 1830 to 1846, born and grew up at Lesney House.<ref>{{Cite web |title=The Wheatley's Housekeeper's accounts, 1792–1817 |url=http://www.bexley.gov.uk/article/10693/The-Wheatleys-housekeepers-accounts-1792-1817 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160215003728/http://www.bexley.gov.uk/article/10693/The-Wheatleys-housekeepers-accounts-1792-1817 |archive-date=15 February 2016 |access-date=25 November 2016 |website=bexley.gov.uk |df=dmy-all}}</ref>

==Culture==
A rhyme by [[William Cosmo Monkhouse]]:
::"There are men in the village of Erith that nobody seeth or heareth,
::and there looms on the marge of the river a barge, that nobody roweth or steereth".<ref>[https://archive.org/details/nonsense00monkuoft ''Nonsense Rhymes''], Cosmo Hamilton, R. Brimley Johnson, London, 1900.</ref>

==Places of worship==
[[File:St John the Baptist, Erith, Kent - geograph.org.uk - 326642.jpg|thumb|St. John the Baptist Church]]
*Barnehurst Methodist Church
*Christ Church, Victoria Road
*[[Christadelphian]] Hall, Lesney Park Road
*Northend Baptist Church, Larner Road
*Northumberland Road Baptist Church, Belmont Road
*[[Our Lady of the Angels Church, Erith|Our Lady of the Angels Catholic Church]], Carlton Road
*Queen Street Baptist Church
*St Augustines Church (Slade Green), Slade Green Road
*St Johns the Baptist Church, West Street
*St Paul's Church, Mill Road

==Transport==
[[File:Erith station building.JPG|thumb|right|Erith railway station]]

===Buses===
Erith is served by the following bus routes, (all of which are run by [[Transport for London|TFL]]):
*99 to [[Bexleyheath]] (via [[Slade Green]] & [[Barnehurst]]), or to [[Woolwich]] (via [[Belvedere, London|Upper Belvedere]], [[West Heath, London|West Heath]] & [[Plumstead]])
*180 to [[North Greenwich station|North Greenwich]] (via Lower Belvedere, [[Abbey Wood]], Plumstead, Woolwich & [[Charlton, London|Charlton]])
*229 to [[Sidcup]] (via [[Northumberland Heath]], Barnehurst, Bexleyheath, [[Bexley]] & [[Albany Park, Bexley|Albany Park]]) or to [[Thamesmead]] (via Lower Belvedere & Abbey Wood)
*428 to [[Bluewater (shopping centre)|Bluewater]] (via Slade Green, [[Crayford]] & [[Dartford]])
*469 to [[Woolwich Common]] (via Lower Belvedere, Upper Belvedere, West Heath, Abbey Wood, Plumstead & Woolwich)
*B12 to [[Joydens Wood]] (via Northumberland Heath, Bexleyheath & Bexley)
*N89 to [[Charing Cross]] (via Slade Green, Barnehurst, Bexleyheath, [[Welling]], [[Shooters Hill]], [[Blackheath, London|Blackheath]], [[Lewisham]], [[Deptford]], [[New Cross]], [[Peckham]], [[Camberwell]], [[Elephant & Castle]], [[Blackfriars, London|Blackfriars]] & [[Aldwych]]) – night service

===Rail===
The nearest station is [[Erith railway station|Erith]] for [[Southeastern (train operating company)|Southeastern]] services towards [[Dartford railway station|Dartford]], [[Gillingham (Kent) railway station|Gillingham]], [[Gravesend railway station|Gravesend]], [[Cannon Street railway station|London Cannon Street]] and [[Charing Cross railway station|London Charing Cross]]. [[Slade Green railway station]] is on the same line and serves the eastern part of the town.

===Road===
The [[A2016 road]] bisecting Erith, is a dual carriageway stretching across the Erith Marshes.

==Geography==
Erith is a [[post town]] in the [[DA postcode area]], consisting of the DA8 and DA18 postcode districts. It borders the [[River Thames]] to the north, [[Slade Green]] to the east and south east, [[Northumberland Heath]] to the south and south west and [[Belvedere, London|Belvedere]] to the west and north west.

===Erith Quarry===
To the west of Erith town centre is the Erith Quarry development which aims to redevelopment the former [[quarry]] site with construction work beginning in 2015.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.fromthemurkydepths.co.uk/2021/02/24/erith-quarry-homes-set-for-approval-developer-seeks-to-increase-total-to-850/|title=Erith Quarry homes set for approval: Developer seeks to increase total to 850|work=Murkey Depths|access-date=19 March 2025}}</ref> The site currently features a new [[primary school]] and local [[supermarket]] and plans to contain 850 new homes once fully completed.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://studioegretwest.com/places/erith-quarry|title=Erith Quarry|work=Egret West|access-date=19 March 2025}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.fromthemurkydepths.co.uk/2023/04/21/erith-quarry-development-sees-new-blocks-rise2/|title=Erith Quarry development sees new blocks rise|work=Murky Depths|access-date=19 March 2025}}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commons category|Erith}}
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20170919203752/http://erithtown.net/ erithtown.net] – an introduction and guide to Erith, with comprehensive directory
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20061001232033/http://www.nwkfhs.org.uk/erit_plc.htm North West Kent Family History Society – Erith Parish Page]

{{Geographic Location
|title = '''Neighbouring towns, villages and places.'''
|Northwest = [[Belvedere, London|Belvedere]]
|North = [[Coldharbour, Havering|Coldharbour]] (across the [[River Thames]])
|Northeast = [[Rainham, Havering|Rainham]] (across the [[River Thames]])
|West = [[Lessness Heath]]
|Centre = Erith
|East = Darent Industrial Park & Dartford Salt Marshes
|Southwest = [[Northumberland Heath]]
|South = [[North End, Bexley|North End]]
|Southeast = [[Slade Green]]
}}
{{LB Bexley}}
{{Areas of London}}
{{London Outer Orbital Path | locale=Erith | forward=[[Old Bexley]] | back=START | A=1 | B=2}}
{{Navy Board|state=collapsed}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Areas of London]]
[[Category:Districts of the London Borough of Bexley]]
[[Category:Cable manufacture in London]]
[[Category:Districts of London on the River Thames]]
[[Category:Port of London]]
[[Category:Former civil parishes in the London Borough of Bexley]]
[[Category:District centres of London]]