Bickley

Bickley
Bickley
	The Church of Saint George in Bickley
	Bickley Location within Greater London
Population	13,904 ; (ward, 2001 Census); 15,098 (2011 Census. Ward)
OS grid reference	TQ423688
London borough	Bromley;
Ceremonial county	Greater London
Region	London;
Country	England
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Post town	BROMLEY
Postcode district	BR1,BR2
Dialling code	020
Police	Metropolitan
Fire	London
Ambulance	London
UK Parliament	Bromley & Biggin Hill;
London Assembly	Bexley and Bromley;
	List of places UK England London 51°24′01″N 0°02′48″E / 51.4003°N 0.0466°E

Bickley is a district and a local government electoral ward in South East London, within the London Borough of Bromley. It is located 10.4 miles (16.7 km) south east of Charing Cross, bordering Elmstead to the north, Chislehurst to the north-east and east, Petts Wood to the south-east, Southborough to the south, Bromley to the south-west and west and Widmore to the north-west. Until 1965, it was in the historic county of Kent.

History

The area's name is first recorded in 1279, the 'ley' or 'lea' referring to a forest clearing, and 'Bicca' either meaning a pointed ridge, or else a personal name.^[3] The area remained rural, save for a small hunting lodge belonging to the Wells family dating to 1759.^[3] The Lodge was gradually enlarged to become Bickley Hall, a classical house designed by Robert Mylne, FRS, for John Wells, shipbuilder, in 1780 (demolished 1963).^{[citation needed]} His brother William, shipbuilder and a director of Greenwich Hospital, inherited the estate, and his son John commissioned additions by Robert Smirke in 1810.^{[citation needed]} John Wells began selling part of his lands in 1841 following due to financial difficulties, and by the late 1850s a few large houses had been built in the area, aided by the opening of Bickley railway station (formerly named Southborough Road) in 1858 and Chislehurst station in 1865.^[3] Much of the area was purchased and developed by George Wythes, who commissioned numerous large houses for the wealthy classes, most of them designed by Richard Norman Shaw and Ernest Newton. St George's Church was built in 1865, and a cricket ground in 1868.^[3] Smaller-scale development continued throughout the early 20th century and several of the older, larger properties were demolished or sub-divided.^[3] The area today remains a wealthy one, characterised by large detached housing.^[3]

Parks in Bickley

Jubilee Country Park

With entrances in Thornet Wood Road and Blackbrook lane, there are 62 acres (25 hectares) of wildflower meadows, hedgerows and semi-natural ancient woodland. There is a cycle route through this park to Petts Wood. The London LOOP footpath also goes through Jubilee Park and it is linked to National Trust countryside at Petts Wood and beyond that to Scadbury Park Nature Reserve.^[4]

Whitehall Recreation Ground

A large play area on Southlands Road with a children's playground.

Widmore Recreation Ground

A small local park with a children's playground which has entrances in Pembroke Road, Lewes Road and Tylney Road.

Education

Schools in Bickley

Bickley Park (Independent)
Bickley Primary School
Breaside Preparatory School (Independent)
Bromley High School (Independent)
Bullers Wood School for Boys
Scotts Park Primary
St. George's Bickley Primary

Transport

Bickley station serves the area with services to London Victoria, Kentish Town, Orpington and Sevenoaks via Swanley. Bickley is also served by several Transport for London buses, connecting it with areas including Beckenham, Bexleyheath, Bromley, Catford, Chislehurst, Eltham, Locksbottom, Orpington, Petts Wood and Sidcup.

Places of worship

St George's Church
St. Augustine's Church
Southborough Lane Baptist Church^[5]

Notable residents

David Bowie (1947-2016), musician, lived at 106 Canon Road from 1953 to 1954.^[6]
Colin Cowdrey, Baron Cowdrey of Tonbridge (1932–2000) Cricket player, lived on Hawthorne Road until about 1965.^{[citation needed]}
Florence Farr (1860–1917), religious writer and playwright, was born in Bickley.^[7]
Norman Fulton (1909–1980), composer, lived in Bickley.^[8]
Evelyn Hellicar (1862–1929), architect.^{[citation needed]}
Gertrude Hermes (1901–1983) wood engraver, print maker and sculptor, born in Bickley.^[9]
Ethel Hurlbatt, principal of Bedford College, London, born in Bickley.^[10]
Pixie Lott (born 1991), singer-songwriter, spent part of her childhood in Bickley.^[11]
Ernest Newton (1856–1921), architect who designed many houses in the area.^[3]
Charles Henry Bourne Quennell (1872–1935), architect of the Bickley development and writer, lived at 9 The Avenue.^[3]
Marjorie Quennell née Courtnay (1884–1972), artist, writer and museum curator, wife of CHB Quennell.^[12]
Peter Quennell (1905–1993), biographer, literary historian, editor, essayist, poet, and critic, son of CHB Quennell.^[12]
John Wells (1761–1846), of Bickley Hall, High Sheriff of Kent. MP for Maidstone.^[3]

Gallery

Bickley sign on Bickley Park Road
Woodlands Road, lined by substantial detached properties
The Elms, Bickley
The grade II listed St George's Church, built 1863-65 (with the spire rebuilt in 1905-06)^[13]
A typical house in the area
Bickley rail station

References

^ Bromley.org 2001 Census information for the Bickley ward^{[permanent dead link]} "Bickley ward population – 13904"
^ "Bromley Ward population 2011". Neighbourhood Statistics. Office for National Statistics. Retrieved 10 October 2016.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ Willey, Russ (2006). The London Gazzetteer. Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd. p. 42.
^ [1] Archived 8 July 2010 at the Wayback Machine
^ Wythes, George. "George Wythes". Grace's Guide.
^ Palmer, Jim (11 January 2016). "18 south east London places where David Bowie lived, learned and played". News Shopper. Retrieved 31 August 2020.
^ Wise, Caroline. "Florence Farr, Priestess and Adept". Fellowship of Isis. Retrieved 29 August 2020.
^ National Library of Scotland archive
^ James Hamilton (2004). Hermes, Gertrude Anna Bertha (1901–1983). Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. Oxford University Press. Retrieved January 2014. (subscription required)
^ Badham, Sophie (2004). "Hurlbatt, Ethel". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online ed.). Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/48440. ISBN 978-0-19-861412-8. Retrieved 29 August 2020. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
^ "Pixie Lott Singer HD Wallpapers". papershd.com. Archived from the original on 15 April 2015. Retrieved 2 December 2014.
^ ^a ^b Denigan, James (2004). "Quennell, Sir Peter Courtney". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online ed.). Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/53167. ISBN 978-0-19-861412-8. Retrieved 29 August 2020. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
^ Historic England. "Church of St George (1064311)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 6 September 2020.

External links

[1] Bromley.org 2001 Census information for the Bickley ward^{[permanent dead link]} "Bickley ward population – 13904"

[2] "Bromley Ward population 2011". Neighbourhood Statistics. Office for National Statistics. Retrieved 10 October 2016.

[Willey-3] ^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ Willey, Russ (2006). The London Gazzetteer. Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd. p. 42.

[4] [1] Archived 8 July 2010 at the Wayback Machine

[5] Wythes, George. "George Wythes". Grace's Guide.

[6] Palmer, Jim (11 January 2016). "18 south east London places where David Bowie lived, learned and played". News Shopper. Retrieved 31 August 2020.

[7] Wise, Caroline. "Florence Farr, Priestess and Adept". Fellowship of Isis. Retrieved 29 August 2020.

[8] National Library of Scotland archive

[9] James Hamilton (2004). Hermes, Gertrude Anna Bertha (1901–1983). Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. Oxford University Press. Retrieved January 2014. (subscription required)

[10] Badham, Sophie (2004). "Hurlbatt, Ethel". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online ed.). Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/48440. ISBN 978-0-19-861412-8. Retrieved 29 August 2020. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)

[11] "Pixie Lott Singer HD Wallpapers". papershd.com. Archived from the original on 15 April 2015. Retrieved 2 December 2014.

[Quennell-12] Denigan, James (2004). "Quennell, Sir Peter Courtney". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online ed.). Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/53167. ISBN 978-0-19-861412-8. Retrieved 29 August 2020. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)

[13] Historic England. "Church of St George (1064311)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 6 September 2020.

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v t e London Borough of Bromley
Districts	Anerley Aperfield Beckenham Berry's Green Bickley Biggin Hill Bromley Bromley Common Chelsfield Chislehurst Coney Hall Crystal Palace Cudham Downe Eden Park Elmers End (including Upper Elmers End) Elmstead Farnborough Foxbury Goddington Green Street Green Hayes Hazelwood Hockenden Horns Green Keston Kevington Leaves Green Locksbottom Longlands Luxted Mottingham New Beckenham Orpington (including: Broom Hill, Crofton, Derry Downs and Ramsden) Park Langley Penge Petts Wood Plaistow Poverest Pratt's Bottom Ruxley St Mary Cray St Paul's Cray Shortlands Single Street Southborough South Street Sundridge Sydenham Upper Norwood West Wickham Widmore
Attractions	Bethlem Gallery Bethlem Museum of the Mind Bromley Little Theatre Chislehurst Caves Churchill Theatre Crofton Roman Villa Crystal Palace Crystal Palace Bowl Crystal Palace Dinosaurs Down House St Blaise's Well
Parks and open spaces	Betts Park Chislehurst Common Crofton Wood Croydon Road Recreation Ground Crystal Palace Park Cuckoo Wood Downe Bank Elmstead Wood Hayes Common High Elms Country Park Jubilee Country Park Kelsey Park Keston Common Norman Park Ruxley Gravel Pits Saltbox Hill Scadbury Park Sundridge Park The Warren West Kent Golf Course nature reserve
Places of worship	Bromley Reform Synagogue St Botolph's Church, Ruxley St Edmund's Church, Beckenham St George's Church, Beckenham St John the Evangelist's Church, Penge St Mark's Church, Bromley St Mary's Church, Chislehurst St Mary's Church, Downe St Mary the Virgin, Hayes St Peter and St Paul's Church, Bromley
Constituencies	Beckenham Bromley and Chislehurst Lewisham West and Penge Orpington
Rail stations and tram stops	Anerley Avenue Road Beckenham Road Beckenham Junction Bickley Birkbeck Bromley North Bromley South Chelsfield Chislehurst Clock House Crystal Palace Eden Park Elmers End Elmstead Woods Hayes Kent House Knockholt Lower Sydenham New Beckenham Orpington Penge East Penge West Petts Wood Ravensbourne St Mary Cray Shortlands Sundridge Park West Wickham
Other topics	Coat of arms Council Grade I and II* listed buildings Parks and open spaces People Public art Schools
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