Bexley is an area of south-eastern

Greater London Greater may refer to: *Greatness, the state of being great *Greater than, in inequality (mathematics), inequality *Greater (film), ''Greater'' (film), a 2016 American film *Greater (flamingo), the oldest flamingo on record *Greater (song), "Greate ...

, England and part of the London Borough of Bexley. It is sometimes known as Bexley Village or Old Bexley to differentiate the area from the wider borough. It is located east-southeast of

Charing Cross Charing Cross ( ) is a junction in Westminster, London, England, where six routes meet. Clockwise from north these are: the east side of Trafalgar Square leading to St Martin's Place and then Charing Cross Road; the Strand leading to the City; ...

and south of

Bexleyheath Bexleyheath is a town in south-east London, England. It had a population of 31,929 as at 2011. Bexleyheath is located south-east of Charing Cross, and forms part of the London Borough of Bexley. It is identified in the London Plan as one of ...

. Bexley was an ancient parish in the county of Kent. As part of the suburban growth of London in the 20th century, Bexley increased in population, becoming a municipal borough in 1935 and has formed part of Greater London since 1965.

History

Bexley was an

ancient parish In England, a civil parish is a type of administrative parish used for local government. It is a territorial designation which is the lowest tier of local government below districts and counties, or their combined form, the unitary authority. ...

in Kent, in the diocese of Rochester, and under the Local Government Act 1894 formed part of

Bexley Urban District Bexley is an area of south-eastern Greater London, England and part of the London Borough of Bexley. It is sometimes known as Bexley Village or Old Bexley to differentiate the area from the wider borough. It is located east-southeast of Char ...

. The urban district gained further status in 1935 as a municipal borough.

Kent County Council Kent County Council is a county council that governs most of the county of Kent in England. It is the upper tier of elected local government, below which are 12 district councils, and around 300 town and parish councils. The county council h ...

formed the second tier of local government during that time. In 1965, London County Council was abolished and replaced by

Greater London Council The Greater London Council (GLC) was the top-tier local government administrative body for Greater London from 1965 to 1986. It replaced the earlier London County Council (LCC) which had covered a much smaller area. The GLC was dissolved in 198 ...

, 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.

Geography and landmarks

Bexley's main

landmark A landmark is a recognizable natural or artificial feature used for navigation, a feature that stands out from its near environment and is often visible from long distances. In modern use, the term can also be applied to smaller structures or f ...

is the Anglican church of

St. Mary Mary; arc, ܡܪܝܡ, translit=Mariam; ar, مريم, translit=Maryam; grc, Μαρία, translit=María; la, Maria; cop, Ⲙⲁⲣⲓⲁ, translit=Maria was a first-century Jewish woman of Nazareth, the wife of Joseph and the mother of ...

which lends its name to the London Borough of Bexley

electoral ward A ward is a local authority area, typically used for electoral purposes. In some countries, wards are usually named after neighbourhoods, thoroughfares, parishes, landmarks, geographical features and in some cases historical figures connected to t ...

containing the village. The

ancient church The history of Christianity concerns the Christian religion, Christian countries, and the Christians with their various denominations, from the 1st century to the present. Christianity originated with the ministry of Jesus, a Jewish te ...

's most distinctive exterior feature undoubtedly is its unusual spire which resembles an octagonal cone balancing on top of a truncated pyramid. Originally built in the Middle Ages, its monastic-style

interior Interior may refer to: Arts and media * ''Interior'' (Degas) (also known as ''The Rape''), painting by Edgar Degas * ''Interior'' (play), 1895 play by Belgian playwright Maurice Maeterlinck * ''The Interior'' (novel), by Lisa See * Interior de ...

survived from the Reformation until the 18th century, before refurbishment in Victorian times. Among others, the German-born scientist Henry Oldenburg was buried in the

churchyard In Christian countries a churchyard is a patch of land adjoining or surrounding a church, which is usually owned by the relevant church or local parish itself. In the Scots language and in both Scottish English and Ulster-Scots, this can also ...

in 1677.

Hall Place Hall Place is a stately home in the London Borough of Bexley in south-east London, built in 1537 for Sir John Champneys, a wealthy merchant and former Lord Mayor of London. The house was extended in 1649 by Sir Robert Austen, a merchant from T ...

, a former

stately home An English country house is a large house or mansion in the English countryside. Such houses were often owned by individuals who also owned a town house. This allowed them to spend time in the country and in the city—hence, for these peopl ...

beside the River Cray on the Bourne Road out of Bexley towards Crayford, is where the

Austen baronets There have been two Baronetcies created for persons with the surname Austen, one in the Baronetage of England and one in the Baronetage of Great Britain. Both creations are extinct. The Austen Baronetcy, of Bexley in the County of Kent, was cre ...

lived. 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 A house is a single-unit residential building. It may range in complexity from a rudimentary hut to a complex structure of wood, masonry, concrete or other material, outfitted with plumbing, electrical, and heating, ventilation, and air condi ...

is unusual in that its two halves are built in highly contrasting architectural styles with little attempt at harmonising them. The house and grounds are now owned by the London Borough of Bexley, 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 Erith () is an area in south-east London, England, east of Charing Cross. Before the creation of Greater London in 1965, it was in the historical county of Kent. Since 1965 it has formed part of the London Borough of Bexley. It lies nort ...

, follows the Cray River Way from

Crayford Crayford is a town and electoral ward in South East London, England, within the London Borough of Bexley. It lies east of Bexleyheath and north west of Dartford. Crayford was in the historic county of Kent until 1965. The settlement deve ...

to Foots Cray.

Danson House Danson House is a Palladian mansion and a Grade I listed building at the centre of Danson Park, in Welling in the London Borough of Bexley, south-east London. History The Danson Estates before Danson House The earliest reference to the Danson Es ...

and the surrounding Danson Park in Welling are two of the main popular attractions in the London Borough of Bexley. The Shaw family, celebrated 19th-century architects came from Bexley: John Shaw (1776–1832) worked on

Lamorbey Park Lamorbey Park is a park in Lamorbey, in the London Borough of Bexley, set around a Grade II listed mansion, Lamorbey House. The original 17th century estate consisted of 119 hectares, but over time sections of the estate have been separated for ...

and was a well-known architect in Kent and Middlesex, being one of the first designers of semi-detached housing in the capital. He is buried at St. Mary's Church; his son,

John Shaw Jr John Shaw Jr. (1803–1870) was an English architect of the 19th century who was complimented as a designer in the "Manner of Wren". He designed buildings in the classical Jacobean fashion and designed some of London's first semi-detache ...

, lived in nearby

for a short time and owned a villa which was demolished in the early 20th century.

Places of worship

Tower of St John the Evangelists' Church, Bexley

* St. Mary the Virgin Church, Bexley * Albany Park Baptist Church, Stansted Crescent * St. Augustine's Church, Slade Green Road * St. John the Evangelist, Parkhill Road * Strict Baptist Chapel, Bourne Road * United Reformed Church, Hurst Road * Our Lady of Angels Church, Bexley Road

Transport

Bexley railway station Bexley railway station is in the London Borough of Bexley in south-east London, in Travelcard Zone 6. It is down the line from . The station, and all trains serving it, is operated by Southeastern. Trains from the station run eastbound to D ...

serves the area with services to

London Charing Cross Charing Cross railway station (also known as London Charing Cross) is a central London railway terminus between the Strand and Hungerford Bridge in the City of Westminster. It is the terminus of the South Eastern Main Line to Dover via Ashf ...

London Cannon Street Cannon Street station, also known as London Cannon Street, is a central London railway terminus and connected London Underground station in Travelcard zone 1 located on Cannon Street in the City of London and managed by Network Rail. It is ...

as part of a loop services both via Sidcup and via Woolwich Arsenal, and to

Gravesend Gravesend is a town in northwest Kent, England, situated 21 miles (35 km) east-southeast of Charing Cross (central London) on the Bank (geography), south bank of the River Thames and opposite Tilbury in Essex. Located in the diocese of Ro ...

. Bexley is served by several Transport for London

bus A bus (contracted from omnibus, with variants multibus, motorbus, autobus, etc.) is a road vehicle that carries significantly more passengers than an average car or van. It is most commonly used in public transport, but is also in use for cha ...

services connecting it with areas including Abbey Wood,

, Bromley,

Chislehurst Chislehurst () is a suburban district of south-east London, England, in the London Borough of Bromley. It lies east of Bromley, south-west of Sidcup and north-west of Orpington, south-east of Charing Cross. Before the creation of Greater L ...

Dartford Dartford is the principal town in the Borough of Dartford, Kent, England. It is located south-east of Central London and is situated adjacent to the London Borough of Bexley to its west. To its north, across the Thames estuary, is Thurrock in ...

, Eltham,

, North Greenwich, Sidcup and Thamesmead.

Culture

* Old Dartfordians' War Memorial clubhouse, Bourne Road (home to the DA5 Club). This is home to both Dartfordians' Rugby Club and Dartfordians' Cricket Club. * Bexley Cricket Club is based on Manor Way. * Burnt Ash (Bexley) Hockey Club are also based at Manor Way, and play their home matches here, at Hurstmere School or at Erith School.

International relations

Twin towns - sister cities

* Arnsberg, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany * Évry, Île-de-France, France * Footscray, Melbourne, Australia

References

External links

Bexley Council archives

Bexley communities websites

Bexley Council for Voluntary Youth Organisations (BCVYO) website

Finale of the opening night of the DA5 Club, 26 February 2010
* {{Authority control Areas of London Districts of the London Borough of Bexley Former civil parishes in the London Borough of Bexley