Did you know that...
Blackfen name literally means dark marsh. This area has fertile soil and it is vulnerable to flooding, especially around Blackfen Road and Wellington Avenue. Most of the houses here were built after the Danston Estate was sold in 1922. Rapid housing development followed in the 1930s. The Catholic Church of Our Lady of the Rosary dates from 1936. Since 1945, it is a parish church. Architect A.S.R. Ley designed the Anglican Church of the Holy Redeemer. The building is a great example of a steel and concrete only construction. The Good Shepherd is the third church in this South East London area. It is on Blackfen Road and it is part of the Holy Redeemer parish.
George Staples pub stands at the intersection of Blackfen Road and Westwood Lane. It was built in 1845 and it was originally known as The Woodman. It used to be a sports bar but it was transformed into a family pub by the new owners. Jolly Fenman on Blackfen Road is another local bar. It was built in 1950 and refurbished in 2006 and 2017. It used to have an in-house brewery in the 1980s. The Broken Drum pub on Westwood Lane was named after an inn in one of Terry Pratchett’s books. It opened in 2015 and it is the recipient of the SPNW London Pub of The Year Award 2018.
Blackfen Road and The Oval are the primary shopping centers in this DA15 area. Here we can find a multitude of stores such as clothing and jewelry and also services like car sales, post office, and hair salons. The Oval parade of shops and the ornamental garden are part of a Conservation Area. A World War II air-raid shelter is hidden under the garden. Four parks along the River Shuttle provide residents with some great walking and hiking routes.