WOLWICH, (Kent) on the Thames, 5 m. and half N. of Bromley, 3 m. E. from Greenwich, and 7 cm. 9 mm. from London, is
reckoned in point of seniority the mother dock of the royal navy, and to have furnished as many men of war to it as any
other two docks in England. Here are several fine docks, rope-yards, and spacious magazines, this place being wholly taken
up and raised by the works erected for the naval service. Besides the stores of plank, masts, pitch, tar, &c. there is the
gun-yard, called the warren, or park, where they make trial of the guns, mortars, &c. in which sometimes you see some
thousand pieces of ordnance for ships and batteries, besides mortars, bombs, grenadoes, &c. without number. The largest
ships ride here safely, even at low-water. Part of the p. (the whole whereof consists of 500 acres) lies on the Essex
shore, where was once a chapel, yet it is in Kent. Its Ch. was lately rebuilt as one of the 50 new Chs. Here is a Mt. on
F. and an almsh. for poor widows. The manor was lately, if it be not still, in the family of Gilbourne. The Thames, in
Camden's time, having beat down its banks at Plumsted and Erith, laid a great many acres hereabouts under water, which
endeavours were used many years to recover, but all the works and walls raised for that purpose were scarce able to defend
the neighbouring fields from the farther incursions of the tides.