Beckenham

A small leafy suburban town nestling within the London Borough of Bromley. It is said to have been named after one of it’s earliest settlers. With Ham meaning ‘village’ so Beckenham was named. Beck, the river that runs through the area was named after the town.

It is one of the few towns in the country with such an abundance of public places and open spaces. Many people from all over the borough visit to take advantage of its parks and sports grounds.

Beckenham is rich in heritage. St. George’s the Parish church actually stands on a 6th century Saxon site which was rebuilt by the Normans. Iron, Roman and Saxon age remains still exist today, in fact Saxon elements have known to have been unearthed in the High Street area. Traces of the Roman Road can still be seen in Kelsey Park and the nearby Beckenham Place Park.

The Domesday Book shows that at one time Beckenham was owned by Bishop Odo the half-brother of William the Conquerer.

Henry VIII would often stop over in Beckenham on his visits to Anne Boleyn when she was in residence at Hever Castle, and Sir Humphrey Style of Langley was the most important land-owner of that time. His mansion Langley Court still stands today.

Beckenham in the 18th century, being only 10 miles from London, was the preferred retirement place of many of the well-known and respected merchants and bankers of that period.

With the advent of the railways and the building development of the Crystal Palace, Beckenham grew in status. London’s middle classes started to move in, buying up plots of building land and changing the once quiet sleepy village into an up and coming prosperous town.

Enid Blyton’s family moved to Beckenham in 1897 and in her younger years Enid would often go off and explore Chaffinch Brook. Much of her earlier work was written in Beckenham. In 1932 her nephew Carey who became a composer and writer was also born in Beckenham. Writer Jean Rhys as well as rock legend David Bowie lived for a number of years there.

Dr WG Grace the cricketer, Thomas Crapper, plumber and Wolseley the car manufacturer are three of the famous people buried in Beckenham’s cemetery.

Beckenham was the largest town in Kent in the 50′s boasting a population of 75,000 people…10,000 more than Bromley. However, today it is a quiet well kept suburb with wide tree lined roads. Some buildings in the town are more than 250 years old and so retaining much of its historical character. The High Street isn’t long in distance, but there are lots of interesting little nooks and crannies which can be easily missed.

As with most towns today the High Street consists of mainly independent shops and restaurants. Many of its former shopkeepers having been forced out due to rising rental costs. There are good transportation links, Beckenham being the termini for the tram link to Croydon. Gatwick being only an hour away from the town.

The Beckenham cinema is located at the end of the High Street situated next to the Beckenham war memorial roundabout. The beckenham Odeon is a great destination for couples and families alike looking to catch the latest movie releases.