A210
A210 | ||||||||||
Location Map ( geo) | ||||||||||
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From: | Eltham (TQ407747) | |||||||||
To: | Danson Park (TQ472742) | |||||||||
Distance: | 4.2 miles (6.8 km) | |||||||||
Meets: | A20, A2213, A205, A208, A211, A221, A2 | |||||||||
Old route now: | B2210, A2018 | |||||||||
Highway Authorities | ||||||||||
Traditional Counties | ||||||||||
Route outline (key) | ||||||||||
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The A210 is an urban A-road in southeast London.
The road starts at the junction with the A20 and A2213.
Lesson
On our left we have the expanse of Sutcliffe Park, well used by local football clubs. The former Yorkshire Grey public house is on our right (now converted to a drive-in McDonalds) and a row of nice Victorian houses with a modern interloper, on our left as we approach the rectangular-shaped roundabout named after the pub. The traffic on the A205 (South Circular) races around here so there are usually a queue of cars waiting to get on to the roundabout. The A210 continues up Eltham Hill which is a dual carriageway (still with the 40 MPH limit), although there are parked cars most of the way. Soon St John's Church comes into view; in the rush hour, so does a queue of cars for the badly phased traffic lights. This is where the A208 crosses over and if we turn right we come to Eltham Palace, a favourite spot of Tudor monarchs. Eltham was the home to a cross section of well known individuals including Herbert Morrison, Bob Hope and Frankie Howerd.
The A210 goes straight over and up Eltham High Street and at the top the A211 turns off to the right. We go straight on at the traffic lights at a very short piece of dual carriageway into Bexley Road. The flats on our right eventually give way and we have a fairly rural view across to the Chislehurst ridge and we pass the former Inner London Education Authority nature centre on our left. Not surprisingly the Green Chain Walk passes through here and we have a horse trough for good measure. A little further on there is an impressive red-brick gateway and wall, which leads to the University of Greenwich and Avery Hill Park. The Winter Garden is definitely worth a visit.
We then have two sets of traffic lights where the B2214 is on our right and little bit further on we leave the London Borough of Greenwich and say hello to the London Borough of Bexley.
This is the start of Blackfen and a lot of the dwellings are bungalows which is a hangover from when Londoners who wish to leave the big smoke came and built their shacks and huts in the 'Countryside'. Blackfen refers to the marsh-like black soil. On our right we have the Jolly Fenman pub which until comparatively recently brewed its own beer. The B2213 was originally on our left providing access to London via the A2 but was downgraded and closed off when the Rochester Way Relief Road was completed in 1987. After passing a pretty former farmworker's cottage we arrive at the small shopping centre of Blackfen. Go straight on at the lights and eventually we come to a roundabout with the A221. Just before this is a small house in the style of a chapel which was built as a cottage orné to improve the view from nearby Danson Mansion although the A2 now blocks the view. The A210 ends here, which happens to be a GSJ with access to the A2. Incidentally the small house on the right was a lodge for a former mansion called Blendon Hall.
Lesson
Original Author(s): Charles Amis
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