Derry Downs is an area of south-east

London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...

, England, within the

London Borough of Bromley The London Borough of Bromley () is the southeasternmost of the London boroughs that make up Greater London, bordering the ceremonial county of Kent, which most of Bromley was part of before 1965. The borough's population is an estimated 332,336 ...

and, prior to 1965, in the historic county of

Kent Kent is a county in South East England and one of the home counties. It borders Greater London to the north-west, Surrey to the west and East Sussex to the south-west, and Essex to the north across the estuary of the River Thames; it faces ...

. It is located south of

St Mary Cray St Mary Cray is an area of South East London, England, within the London Borough of Bromley. Historically it was a market town in the county of Kent. It is located north of Orpington, and south-east of Charing Cross. History The name Cra ...

, west of Kevington, north of

Ramsden Ramsden may refer to: ;Places: *Ramsden, Orpington, England *Ramsden, Oxfordshire, England, a village and civil parish *Ramsden, Worcestershire, England, a hamlet *Ramsden Park, Toronto, Canada *Ramsden (crater), on the Moon *8001 Ramsden, an aste ...

, and east of

Orpington Orpington is a town and area in south east London, England, within the London Borough of Bromley. It is 13.4 miles (21.6 km) south east of Charing Cross. On the south-eastern edge of the Greater London Built-up Area, it is south of St Ma ...

History

The origin of the name Derry Downs is unclear, with it first appearing in records in the second half of the 1800s. The first housing on the

eponymous An eponym is a person, a place, or a thing after whom or which someone or something is, or is believed to be, named. The adjectives which are derived from the word eponym include ''eponymous'' and ''eponymic''. Usage of the word The term ''epon ...

street was built in 1866, with development continuing slowly until the end of the century, being predominantly bespoke houses of a generous size. Housing development continued throughout the 20th century, and the area today forms an eastern suburban extension of Orpington.

Notable people

* William Henry, son of William Cook who bred the Orpington chicken, lived at Elmdene, 51 Derry Downs.

References

{{LB Bromley Districts of the London Borough of Bromley St Mary Cray Orpington