Abbey Wood

The Royal Arsenal Co-operative Society (RACS) owned two farms on the hillside to the south of The Village; between 1900 and 1930, the RACS built the Bostall Estate, designed by architect Frank Bethell. Once known as "Tin Check Island" after the Society's dividend system, and known locally as "The Co-op Estate", this has streets named after Co-operative themes (Alexander McLeod, the first secretary of the RACS, Rochdale, Robert Owen, Congress), a school and shops but, like much social housing of the period, no public houses. The housing is largely traditional of the "two-up, two-down" design, in distinctive yellow London brick, with gardens to the front and rear. A description of the…