This site is also discussed in the following issues of our members' magazine:
Plumstead in south east London lies in an area of chalk geology which was exploited in the 19th century for building material - principally brickmaking. One such chalk mine was discovered beneath the then Plumstead Bus Garage in 1958 and partially infilled with fuel ash dust. The surface building is now (2025)a branch of the Wickes DIY chain.
The whole area from Rockcliff gardens to Bostal Woods is undermined with chalk workings. There was a severe subsidence in Alliance Road at the back of the old bus garage. The road was blocked off for years for traffic.
A large part of Rockcliff gardens subsided and was also blanked off for years. My grandfather Walter Cook, owned Cooks Farm and when he died in 1929 my Gran had to sell the farm because they had four daughters, so there was no one to carry on looking after the farm. It was sold to the council and has remained as allotments ever since.
As a building site it would be worth millions now, but it is undermined with chalk workings and probably not safe for building on.
There was an old brick works at the back of Wickham lane which mined the area for chalk. In the magazine ‘Records of Woolwich’ there are etchings of the chalk mines.
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