Abbey Wood

Abbey Wood is a district of South-East London, England, located mostly in the Royal Borough of Greenwich, and partly within the London Borough of Bexley. It is situated 9.3 miles (15 km) east of Charing Cross. The district takes its name from Lesnes Abbey Woods, located to the east. The Abbey of St Mary and St Thomas the Martyr at Lesnes (or Lesnes Abbey) was founded in 1178 by Richard de Luci, Chief Justiciar of England. The Abbott of Lesnes Abbey was an important local landlord, and took a leading part in draining the marshland. However, this and the cost of maintaining river embankments was one of the reasons given for the Abbey's chronic financial difficulties. It never became a large community, and was closed by Cardinal Wolsey in...