12 historic photos from the sky show how Lewisham and Greenwich have changed

The images covering areas such as Eltham, Woolwich, Blackheath, Deptford, Catford and Brockley are all from English Heritage’s Britain from Above website which features some of the oldest and most valuable photos in the huge Aerofilms Collection.

The collection consists of more than a million items, including negatives and photograph albums dating from 1919 to 2006 showing the changing face of Britain.

Photographs featuring on the website date from 1919 to 1953, and have gone through a painstaking process of conservation and cataloguing.

Highlights include the 1935 FA Cup final at Wembley Stadium, the Thames flood of 1947 and Blackpool in 1920.

There are currently 75,000 high-res zoomable images to explore. By the end of the project later this year, 95,000 images will be available online.

For your enjoyment here, we present this dozen fascinating shots from the sky showing various parts of the Lewisham and Greenwich boroughs from the 1920s through to the 50s.

Photos are copyright of English Heritage, sourced from www.britainfromabove.org.uk

Housing off Westhorne Avenue and Eltham Hill, Eltham, from the south, 1931:

Housing off Westhorne Avenue and Eltham Hill, Eltham, from the south, 1931

Greenwich Park, Greenwich, 1946:

Greenwich Park, Greenwich, 1946

Royal Military Academy, Woolwich Common, 1948:

Royal Military Academy, Woolwich Common, 1948

Springfield Housing Estate, Charlton, 1952:

Springfield Housing Estate, Charlton, 1952

Blackheath and the surrounding residential area, from the south-east, 1939:

The area between Crescent Road and the River Thames, Woolwich, 1939:

The area between Crescent Road and the River Thames, Woolwich, 1939

Deptford from Friendly Street to the River Thames, from the south-west, 1937:

Deptford from Friendly Street to the River Thames, from the south-west, 1937

Robertson's Preserve Factory (Ravensbourne Works) and Gleniffer Laundry, Catford, 1952:

Grove Park Hospital, Grove Park, 1921:

Grove Park Hospital, Grove Park, 1921

Christ Church and the surrounding residential area, Forest Hill, 1937:

Christ Church and the surrounding residential area, Forest Hill, 1937

Nunhead Cemetery and flats surrounding Kentwell Close, Brockley, 1939:

Nunhead Cemetery and flats surrounding Kentwell Close, Brockley, 1939