Woolwich is what most of the Thames Estuary settlements looked like before the property money arrived. The Royal Arsenal — 300 acres of Georgian and Victorian armaments factory — has been converted to apartments without losing its industrial grandeur: the main gate is 1829, the proof house is 1717, and you can walk the internal streets between them.
The Woolwich Free Ferry has been crossing the Thames at this point since 1889. Take it to North Woolwich and back — twenty minutes, free, and the best way to see this part of the river. The Elizabeth line has made Woolwich suddenly central; the streets around the market haven't caught up yet, which is in its favour.
