Stone: William Morris - SE2
Erection date: /8/2001
William Morris 1834 - 1896 craftsman, designer, poet, socialist.
He lived at Red House, Bexley Heath, from 1860 to 1865 and passed this spot regularly to and from Abbey Wood Station.
Si Je Puis
Bexley Civic Society Millennium Year
Si Je Puis ('If I can' or 'I will do it if I can') is Morris's motto inscribed in the porch at the Red House.
Site: William Morris - SE2 (1 memorial)
SE2, Knee Hill
This is a very well hidden monument. Even though we knew roughly where it was, it took quite a while to track it down.
Nowadays Bexleyheath station would be the station of choice for anyone living at The Red House, but that did not open until 1895 whereas Morris was at the Red House 1860-65, so his nearest station was indeed Abbey Wood. Google Maps puts about 1 hour 10 minutes on the walk, and one of the suggested routes goes quite close to the site of this marker. But we wonder why this precise location was chosen for the stone, and not any other point on the route. Perhaps Morris wrote about this spot.
