Welling

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Template:Infobox London place Welling is a district in the London Borough of Bexley. It is a suburban development situated between Shooter's Hill and Bexleyheath north of the A2 road and 10.5 miles (16.9 km) east south-east of Charing Cross.

It historically incorporated the local parishes of East Wickham, Falconwood, Danson and Saint Michael's. It is probably one of the oldest settlements in this area. A neolithic stone axe was found in East Wickham in 1910 and more recently in 1989 the remains of Roman buildings were unearthed near Danson.

Welling is home to a bingo hall, a football ground - Welling United F.C., a library with free meeting room, IT and internet facilities and a local café, The Koffi Pot, dating from 1930s, when it was called Ferrara's and owned by the Ferrara family , who still live in Welling. There is a wide range of restaurants (mostly ethnic take-aways), various independent outlets and charity shops, lining Welling High Street (ancient Watling Street), Upper Wickham Lane, and Bellegrove Road. Welling railway station is close to Central Avenue at the Western limit of the town centre and offers links to both London Bridge, Charing Cross, Victoria and Canon Street Sations in central London, and to Dartford and other towns in Northern Kent.

The former Foster's School building in Upper Wickham Lane is a local landmark. The school relocated to Westbrooke Road in Welling and its original site was converted to residential use (whilst retaining the old Grade II listed main school building). Further North of the original site is an ancient church, now used by a Greek Orthodox congregation.

A large Russian gun is located at Welling corner.This Russian weapon is a 36 pounder carronade (calibre 6.75 inches - weight 17cwt) of a type used during the Crimean War(1854 to 1860), displayed on a simple wooden replica carriage. The carronade was in service from 1780 to 1860 and is now on loan from the Royal Artillery Museum in Woolwich as a reminder of Welling's early association with the Woolwich Arsenal, when huts at East Wickham were built as homes for ammunitions workers in the Great War.

The population of Welling was estimated to be around 42,000 at the 2001 census. Singer and songwriter Kate Bush is a famous former resident.

Welling was, for a time, headquarters to the British National Party, whose barricaded building was the centre of several anti-racist protests in the early 1990s. One protest in September 1993 was 50,000 strong, and their presence brought the town unwanted notoriety. A post-office box address in Welling was still in use by the BNP in 1999, and they continue to field candidates in local elections.

A major upgrade of paving and street lighting was completed in the autumn of 2005.

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