[1] The upland heath, ridge, to the east was a meeting point since the Middle Ages, and was, in widespread recountings, a stopover of King Henry VIII when riding from Greenwich to Shooter's Hill with his first Queen and several Lords.

[3] The present pub dates from around 1745[4][5] and its name comes from the sight of the setting sun amidst dust, kicked up by sheep herded by drovers from Kent headed to London.

[6] It was soon an isolated inn on heathland, frequented by highwaymen in one period known as "the Trojans", who regularly pickpocketed.

[3] The junction was built in stages, due to various 20th-century projects to bypass the old Roman Road between Blackheath and Dartford.

[13] Since 1995,[5] Greenwich Council has protected the appearance of a zone east of the junction, including the pub, as a Conservation Area,[14] defined as an area "of special architectural or historic interest, the character or appearance of which it is desirable to preserve or enhance.