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'When did London have a beach?'

Answer:

  • In the 1930s Londoners headed for Greenwich beach and the sand strip at Tower Bridge.
  • Children often went beach combing, finding chalk and later selling it on the streets.
  • The increasingly polluted waters of the Thames meant the beaches were closed after the Second World War.
Greenwich Beach.
Greenwich Beach.
© National Maritime Museum, London
Repro ID: H2548
Description: Local people at Greenwich Beach, c. 1930. The Thames beaches were popular places despite the state of the Thames. Two boys to the right are wearing Royal Hospital school uniforms.
Creator: Unknown
Date: c. 1930
Credit line: Greenwich Local History Library Collection.
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National Maritime Museum/Royal Observatory Greenwich New Opportunities Fund  
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