BEXLEYHEATH

'Bexleyheath', formerly known as "Bexley New Town", part of the London Borough of Bexley in South East London, consists of a suburban development located 12 miles (19.3 km) east-south-east of Charing Cross.

Contents

Shopping and leisure

History

Notable residents

Education

Transport and locale

Nearest places

Buses

Rail

Nearest railway stations

External links

Shopping and leisure

The modern town area of today features a bingo-hall, Cineworld cinema, hotel, magistrates' court, reference library, six-a-side football centre and ten-pin bowling alley (Ten Pin) among the more usual retail outlets to upgrade conditions for shoppers and to respond to the competition from the Bluewater Shopping Centre in nearby Greenhithe, Kent.
The Mall shopping centre is currently undergoing more regeneration work to slightly increase its size, and to give the shopping centre a more modern look.
Bexleyheath 'clocktower' at the heart of Bexleyheath town centre is also known for its so called teenage chav population.

History

As recently as 200 years ago, Bexley Heath comprised an area of scrub land with few buildings (Bexley Heath windmill stood at the corner of Erith Road and Mayplace Road). The heath bordered Watling Street, the ancient Roman road between London and Canterbury. In 1766 Sir John Boyd had Danson House built in parkland (now Danson Park between Bexleyheath and Welling).
In 1814 the land to the north of Bexley that would become Bexleyheath became subject to an Enclosure Act. In 1859 architect Philip Webb designed Red House for the artist, reforming designer and socialist William Morris on the western edge of the heath, in the hamlet of Upton — before Upton became largely developed as a London suburb. Red House forms an early essay in a romantically-massed, non-historical, brick-and-tile domestic vernacular style; it has diverse windows and an extravagant stairway. The National Trust acquired the house in 2003.
Bexleyheath's parish church, Christ Church, dates from 1841 and the parish of Bexleyheath from 1866; the current church building was completed in 1877.
Alfred Bean, railway engineer and one-time owner of Danson House, furthered the development of Bexleyheath as a London suburb by championing the Bexleyheath Line in the 1880s to support the growth of the estates around Danson Park. The clock tower at the centre of the modern shopping area, built in 1912, commemorates the coronation of King George V.

Notable residents

★ Steve Backley, javelin champion, attended Hurst Primary School and then Beths Grammar School

★ Jimmy Bullard, Premiership football player, currently at Fulham FC

★ Kate Bush, the "Wuthering Heights" singer songwriter, was born in Bexleyheath

★ Bernie Ecclestone attended Bexleyheath School

★ Graham Kersey, Surrey county cricketer also attended Beths Grammar School

★ Liam Ridgewell, Aston Villa F.C. footballer was born and raised in Bexleyheath

★ Roger Moore previously lived in Bexleyheath, down Danson Road.

★ Linda Smith, stand-up comic and star of Radio 4 and BBC2, attended Bexleyheath School

★ Delia Smith, television chef, attended Bexleyheath School

★ Andy Townsend, professional footballer, attended Bexleyheath School

Education

:''For education in see the main London Borough of Bexley article''

Transport and locale

Nearest places

★ Barnehurst

★ Bexley

★ Crayford

★ Belvedere

★ Erith

★ Northumberland Heath

★ Sidcup

★ Welling

Buses

★ 89 - Lewisham Station and Slade Green Station

★ 96 - Woolwich Shopping Centre and Bluewater Shopping Centre

★ 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

★ 401 - Bexleyheath Shopping Centre and Thamesmead Town Centre

★ 422 - Bexleyheath Bus Garage and North Greenwich Station

★ 469 - Bexleyheath Shopping Centre and Woolwich Common Queen Elizabeth Hospital

★ 486 - Bexleyheath Shopping Centre and North Greenwich Station

★ 492 - Sidcup Station and Bluewater Shopping Centre

★ B11 - Bexleyheath Bus Garage and Thamesmead Town Centre

★ B12 - Bexleyheath Shopping Centre and Erith Town Centre

★ B13 - Bexleyheath Shopping Centre and New Eltham Station

★ B14 - Bexleyheath Shopping Centre and Orpington Station

★ B15 - Joydens Wood and Eltham Station

★ B16 - Bexleyheath Bus Garage and Kidbrooke Station

★ N89 - Erith Town Centre and Trafalgar Square

Rail

Two railway stations serve Bexleyheath: Bexleyheath Station and Barnehurst Station, both located on the Bexleyheath line. Trains go to London Charing Cross or London Victoria to the west, and to Dartford to the east. Some trains in peak hours go to Slade Green Station.

Nearest railway stations

★ Albany Park railway station

★ Barnehurst railway station

★ Bexley railway station

★ Bexleyheath railway station

★ Welling railway station

External links

★ Bexleyheath website

★ Bexleyheath School

★ Red House - details

★ RED HOUSE - Bexley

★ Welling

★ Powerful song about the area

★ Another powerful song about the area