Bexley
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Bexley is an area of Southeast London in the London Borough of Bexley, London, England. It is located on the banks of the River Cray south of the Roman Road Watling Street. There are two parts to the town - Old Bexley, still with the appearance of a village (and often referred to locally as "Bexley Village"), and more recent suburban sprawl that blends into the surroundings (which include Albany Park, Lamorbey, Bladindon, Blendon, and Bexleyheath). It is the suburban area that is now the main town centre of the Borough, rather than Old Bexley. Bexley's old Heath between Welling and Crayford now contains the Council's main administrative offices and council chamber as well as suburban housing.
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[edit] Landmarks
The main landmark in Bexley is the church of Saint Mary's (Church of England) which gives its name to the London Borough of Bexley electoral ward containing the village. The church's most distinctive feature is probably the unusual spire which resembles an octagonal cone balanced precariously on top of a truncated pyramid.
[edit] Architecture
Hall Place is a former stately home, beside the River Cray on the Bourne (=river) Road out of Bexley towards Crayford. It lies to the north of Bexley at the foot of the road (Gravel Hill) up onto Bexley Heath (now covered in the modern day town of Bexleyheath). The house is unusual in that its two halves are built in highly contrasting architectural styles, with little attempt at harmonizing them.
The house and grounds are now owned by the London Borough of Bexley Council, and are open to the public. The gardens include a topiary display of traditional heraldic figures. Three walking routes pass Hall Place, the local council-sponsored Shuttle River Way and Cray River Way and the Mayor of London's "London LOOP" walk, which, shortly after its start at Erith, follows the Cray River Way from Crayford to Foots Cray.
Danson House and the surrounding Danson Park in Welling are two of the main popular attractions in the London Borough of Bexley.
One of London's finest architectural families in the 19th century came from Bexley: the Shaws. John Shaw (1776-1832) worked on Lamorbey Park and was a well known architect in Kent and London. He is buried at Saint Mary's Church; his son, John Shaw Jr, lived in nearby Crayford for a short time.[1]
[edit] History
Bexley was an ancient parish of Kent, in the Diocese of Rochester, and under the Local Government Act 1894 formed part of Bexley Urban District. The urban district gained further status in 1935 as a municipal borough. The Kent County Council formed the second tier of local government during that time. In 1965, the London County Council was abolished and replaced by the Greater London Council, with an expanded administrative area that took in the metropolitan parts of the Home Counties. Bexley Municipal Borough, Erith Municipal Borough, Crayford Urban District Council and Chislehurst & Sidcup Urban District Council were merged (less areas of Chislehurst and Sidcup that became part of the new London Borough of Bromley) into a new London Borough of Bexley (or Bexley London Borough, as the council likes to style itself).
[edit] Education
- For education in Bexley see the main London Borough of Bexley article
Local schools include Beths Grammar School - formerly the Bexley & Erith Technical High School, and Old Bexley C of E Primary School
[edit] Amenities
- Old Bexley Library, Bourne Road, Bexley
[edit] Places of Worship
- St Mary the Virgin church, Manor Road, Bexley
- St John the Evangelist, Parkhill Road, Bexley
- St John Fisher Catholic Church, Thanet Road, Bexley
- Strict Baptist Chapel, Bourne Road, Bexley
- United Reformed Church, Hurst Road, Bexley
[edit] Transport and locale
[edit] Nearest places
[edit] Rail
Bexley station is on the Sidcup line with trains going to Charing Cross, Cannon Street and Dartford.
[edit] Nearest railway stations
Serves stations between London (Charing Cross, Waterloo, Cannon Street & London Bridge) and Gillingham
[edit] Buses
- 132 - Bexleyheath Shopping Centre and Eltham station
- 229 - Thamesmead Town Centre and Sidcup Queen Mary's Hospital
- 269 - Bexleyheath Shopping Centre and Bromley North station
- 492 - Sidcup Station and Bluewater Shopping Centre
- B15 - Joydens Wood and Eltham station
[edit] External links
- Bexley Council archives
- Saint Mary's Bexley website
- Bexley website
- 1870 description
- Hall Place
- Welling website
- Bexley community website
- Bexley Council for Voluntary Youth Organisations (BCVYO) website
These sites are great resources.
| Section 1: | London Outer Orbital Path | Section 2: |
|---|---|---|
| Erith | Old Bexley | Petts Wood |
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