Greenwich London England About Methodology
Home› England› London› Greenwich› Ha Ha Road
Greenwich · SE18

Ha Ha Road

The street that takes its name from a sunken ditch—a Georgian boundary marker still standing after 250 years.

Named After
Ha-ha Ditch
First Recorded
c. 1778
Borough
Greenwich
Character
Military Boundary
Last Updated
Time Walk

Where a Ditch Became a Street Name

Ha Ha Road still hosts the ha-ha that flanks the Barrack Field of Woolwich Garrison—a sunken landscape feature 600 metres long that runs the length of the street. Unlike most London thoroughfares, this one takes its name not from a person or a landmark, but from a practical engineering solution. When Woolwich Barracks were built in 1776, Woolwich Common was used as a stopover for sheep and cattle en route to London meat markets like Smithfield.

The ha-ha was installed by the Board of Ordnance in 1778 to prevent livestock from wandering onto the gunnery range, then relocated slightly south in 1806 after the Board acquired ownership of the Common. Today it remains a Grade II listed structure, maintained by the Ministry of Defence. The street itself took its curious name from this ditch—a reminder that landscape features can outlast the industries they once served.

✦   ✦   ✦
Name Origin

The Garden Trick That Became a Street

The origin of the name Ha Ha Road is not recorded in available historical sources.

✦   ✦   ✦
History

Garrison Defence to Modern Boundary

Ha Ha Road runs 600+ metres across Barrack Field and Woolwich Common, cutting through one of London's most strategically important military zones. At the time Woolwich Barracks were built in 1776, Woolwich Common was used as a stopover for sheep, cows and other livestock en route to central London markets. The presence of live animals and an active gunnery range created a dangerous situation.

Key Dates
1776
Barracks Built
Woolwich Barracks established on Barrack Field, adjacent to a major livestock route.
1774
Ha-ha Installed
Board of Ordnance installs the ha-ha to separate grazing animals from the gunnery range.
1806
Relocated South
Ha-ha shifted slightly southward after Board acquired ownership of Woolwich Common.
c. 1810
Road Named
The path alongside the ha-ha becomes formally named Ha Ha Road in local records.
Did You Know?

The ha-ha emerges above ground for its final 75 metres as the land falls away to the west, revealing a fine batter to the brickwork face of the wall—a rare visibility that makes this example architecturally distinctive. It is maintained in good preservation by the Ministry of Defence and is accompanied by Ha-Ha Road that runs alongside its full length.

The ha-ha runs the whole length of Ha Ha Road, a continuous barrier of stock brick and earth that has outlasted the grazing economy it once protected against. The hollow stretches across the common from east to west, with a sloped southern bank and a vertical north bank retained by stock brick wall, stretching from the south-east corner of Charlton Cemetery in the west to Woolwich New Road in the east, with two breaks for roads to cross it.

✦   ✦   ✦
Culture

A Listed Landscape Feature

Listed Building
Grade II The Ha-Ha

The ha-ha itself is Grade II listed on the National Heritage List for England, recognised for its architectural and historical significance. Ha-Ha Road runs alongside its full length, making it one of London's few streets where the street name directly commemorates an officially protected landscape feature rather than a person or building.

The final west section of the ha-ha forms the boundary of the Gatehouse by James Wyatt RA, connecting this military boundary to the wider architectural heritage of the garrison. The street itself remains a public highway maintained by Greenwich Council, yet its primary significance lies not in its role as a thoroughfare but as a pedestrian route alongside a carefully preserved 18th-century military engineering work.

✦   ✦   ✦
On the Map

Ha Ha Road Then & Now

National Library of Scotland — Ordnance Survey 6-inch, c. 1888. Hosted by MapTiler. Modern: © OpenStreetMap contributors.

✦   ✦   ✦
Today

A Working Monument to Military Necessity

Ha Ha Road remains a residential street in Woolwich, within the London Borough of Greenwich. The most common type of housing immediately surrounding the street is flats, with the most common tenure being private rental. The street itself is quiet and unremarkable to most passersby, yet its name carries an entire history of landscape engineering and military defence.

The ha-ha of Ha Ha Road, SE18 still exists and flanks the Barrack Field of Woolwich Garrison. Visitors can walk the length of the road and observe the ditch that gives it its distinctive name—a surviving example of an 18th-century boundary design that is rarely seen intact in urban London. The ha-ha wall and ditch remain in good condition, a quiet testament to how practical necessity became architectural heritage.

5 min walk
Woolwich Common
Historic grazing ground and public open space where the ha-ha was originally built to manage livestock.
15 min walk
Thames Barrier Park
Modern riverside park with views of the Thames and Greenwich Peninsula development.
✦   ✦   ✦

Frequently Asked Questions

Why is it called Ha Ha Road?
The street takes its name from the ha-ha that runs alongside it—a sunken ditch with a brick retaining wall installed by the Board of Ordnance in the 1770s. The term ‘ha-ha’ comes from the French word for the exclamation of surprise people made upon encountering the unexpected ditch.
When was the ha-ha built?
The ha-ha was installed around 1774 to prevent livestock grazing on Woolwich Common from entering the Royal Artillery gunnery range. It was relocated slightly southward in 1806 after the Board of Ordnance acquired ownership of the Common. The ha-ha remains Grade II listed and is maintained by the Ministry of Defence.
What is Ha Ha Road known for?
Ha Ha Road is known as one of London’s most distinctive street names. The 600-metre ha-ha that gives the road its name still stands, a visible example of 18th-century military engineering. Today it serves as a grade II listed boundary marker and public footpath alongside Woolwich Common and Barrack Field.