ERITH  , an

urban district in the north-western parliamentary division of Kent, England, 14 M . E. by S. of London, on the South Eastern & Chatham railway . Pop . (1891) 13,414; (1901) 25,296 . It lies on the south bank of the Thames and extends up the hills above the shore, many villas having been erected on the higher ground . The park of a former seat, Belvedere, was thus built over (c . 1860), and the mansion became a home for disabled seamen . The church of St John the Baptist, though largely altered by modern restoration, retains Early English to Perpendicular portions, and some early monuments and brasses . Erith has large engineering and gun factories, and in the neighbourhood are gunpowder, oil, glue and manure works . The southern outfall works of the London main drainage system are at Crossness in the neighbouring lowland called Plumstead Marshes . Erith is the headquarters of several yacht clubs . Erith, the name of which is commonly derived from A.S .

1Erra-

hythe (old haven), was anciently a borough, and was granted a market and fairs in 1313 . Down to the close of the 17th century it was of some importance as a naval station .