The Greenwich Meridian

Currently viewing images from 15 Jul 2018

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With effect from 31 August 2012 Peacehaven Infant School and neighbouring Hoddern Junior School were closed and immediately reopened as a new community primary school known as Peacehaven Heights (the present school). Nobody seems to have notified the Highways Department of the change. As a result, the old direction sign at the Greenwich way / Roderick Avenue junction is still in place (2018 image set). Interestingly, the unrelated Meridian School (Meridian Community Primary School) is located further along the road to the south, but is well to the east of both the Airy and the WGS84 Meridians!

When Peacehaven Infants School was rebuilt at the time of the millennium, the positions of the grounds and the buildings were reversed, necessitating the removal of three trees that had been specially planted on the Meridian. The Meridian was marked instead with a mosaic at the point where it crossed the outer entrance lobby of the new building. The present mosaic is the second to occupy the spot and dates from 2010. Over the years, a number of tiles in the original had worked loose and gone missing, turning the mosaic into a trip hazard. The original mosaic (which can be seen in the earlier image sets) depicted the school logo – the town’s Meridian Obelisk. Originally open to the elements, the lobby had external doors fitted between 2011 and 2016. The doors cut across the mosaic which can now only be seen in its entirety when they are open.