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A profile of towns and villages across News Shopper's region covering south east London and north Kent.

Lying on the banks of the River Thames, Erith has been the site of both a naval dockyard and a riverside resort during its varied history.

The name Erith dates from Saxon times and means muddy harbour' or gravelly landing place'. The first mention of Erith is in a Latin charter of 695 which records a grant by the Bishop of the East Saxons of certain lands at Erith.

King Henry VIII located a naval dockyard at Erith in the 16th century at the eastern end of West Street.

Daytrippers visited Erith during the 19th century when it enjoyed a short period as a riverside resort. The pier and accompanying hotel attracted visitors to the town on Thames pleasure boats and via the railway, which arrived in 1849.

The docks and its proximity to the open sea and to central London saw Erith grow as an industrial centre during the Victorian period.

Engineering was the prominent industry as Erith developed from a small port into a large town.

The town suffered heavily from bombing during the Second World War. This, along with a decline in trade after the war, led to a major redevelopment in the 1960s.

The pedestrianised town centre, flanked by shops and small businesses, dates from this time. Developments in Erith continue with the Morrisons supermarket, which opened in 1999, and new housing drawing people into the town.

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