The historic Kent towns now swallowed up by Greater London

Kent’s border with Greater London is greater than a little bit bit ambiguous, because the capital has expanded massively because it grew to become the financial hub of the nation.

But what you may not know, is that the South East of London has slowly been consuming away at Kent’s north-western edge.

From Greenwich to Dartford, components of the south east that traditionally have been a part of Kent have been pulled into the orbit of London, although these boundaries are sometimes poorly outlined.

Take Sidcup for instance. Lying within the London Borough of Bexley, the city falls inside London’s Oyster Card zone; residents can vote for the Mayor of London; and when travelling only one city over, to Swanley, you’ll discover “Welcome to Kent” indicators as you go.

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Sidcup, although, very a lot was a part of Kent, and in the event you have a look at the addresses of properties within the space, it seems to nonetheless be there – it even has Dartford postcodes, and Dartford may be very a lot a borough of Kent.

Though these strains maybe aren’t terribly vital on their very own, and are greater than a little bit arbitrary, it stands that some bits of Kent historical past have been misplaced to the capital, robbing the county of a few of it is north-western settlements.

So then, let’s run down an inventory of a number of the most notable towns to be absorbed into Greater London that basically, if we’re being completely sincere, nonetheless belong to The Garden of England.

Greenwich

The view from Greenwich Park, overlooking the Thames, Canary Wharf and different iconic London landmarks – although it was in Kent

Greenwich is, shockingly, really a former a part of Kent, despite how near the centre of London it now appears.

Home to the O2, Greenwich Observatory, the Cutty Sark and, most famously, the Meridian line round which world time relies, the now-tourist centre was as soon as a part of Kent, having first been settled by people as way back because the Bronze Age.

Formally made a borough of London in 1965, the world’s wealthy maritime historical past, and standing as a gateway of types to central London makes it comprehensible that it’s now thought-about part of the capital, however all of the extra shocking contemplating you’ll be able to clearly see most of London’s most well-known landmarks from the hill atop Greenwich Park.

Plumstead

After the Battle of Hastings in 1066, William the Conqueror gifted Plumstead to his brother, of whom he additionally titled Earl of Kent. This district jumped on the London bandwagon within the mid Nineteenth century.

Abbey Wood

This neighbourhood nonetheless lies within the historic county of Kent, however by 2020 might be related by CrossRail’s Elizabeth Line.

Lee

Once the house of well-known sociologist, political theorist and thinker Karl Marx, Lee’s previous is dripping with historical past and tradition, having additionally seen the British military move by means of on their option to the Battle of Waterloo in 1815.

Though a number of hundred years in the past the city was little greater than a small city comprised of a pub, farms, a small forest and the brilliantly named River Quaggy, it has since turn out to be a part of the London Borough of Lewisham, sandwiched between the previous city and Eltham.

Sidcup

An aerial view of Sidcup
(Image: Geograph/Creative Commons)

As talked about earlier, Sidcup is a notable awkward edge-case, and in contrast to Lee or Greenwich, it is standing as a part of Kent remains to be up for debate.

Previously residence to Lord Sydney, who additionally lent his title to Australia’s best-known metropolis, Sidcup’s previous contains the invention of contemporary cosmetic surgery, carried out on WWI veterans to reconstruct their wounds after coming back from conflict.

Now most well-known for being known as the “armpit of England” by one James Corden, Sidcup can be residence to one of many UK’s finest drama faculties, Rose Bruford College.

The jury stays out as as to whether England’s underarm belongs to Kent or London.

Blackheath

Just throughout the way in which from Greenwich, the hilly and picturesque city of Blackheath has it is personal darkish historical past as part of Kent, earlier than being subsumed by London.

Revolutionary sentiment runs within the soil of the city, because the heath was the rallying web site for each the 1381 Peasants rebel, and tellingly, the Kentish Rebellion of 1450, in addition to being host to an area department for the London Society of Women’s Suffrage in 1909.

Perhaps the juiciest little bit of Blackheath’s Kentish previous was through the black dying, from which city legends have sprung up claiming the city’s title is derived from the massive plague-era burial floor that lies beneath the flat, open heath.

Though the reality of that’s troublesome to confirm, Blackheath’s standing as a beautiful patch of Kent, stolen away by London is just not, because it was included into the borough of Greenwich in 1965.

Crayford

If you thought Sidcup was on a knife-edge, wait till you hear about Crayford.

Just a stones throw from the very a lot Kentish city of Dartford, the city has existed for the very best a part of 2000 years, with roman ruins relationship again to 30bc being found within the river city.

Playing host to the manor home Hall Place, Crayford’s sawmill produced the floorboards that line Buckingham Palace, the small ford the city was initially constructed round is out of use, and it’s dwarfed by neighbouring areas.

In spite of this, Crayford was as soon as a big location, residence to quite a few Anglo-Saxon battles, and is about as near Kent as you may get with out really being in Kent.

West Heath

Served by three Transport for London bus companies, West Heath has actually been tainted by London previously century.

Thamesmead East

Its title derived from the placement of the district, Thamesmead was as soon as in Kent is now classed as south east London – they’ve even obtained the SE postcode to show it.

Bromley

High Street in Bromley
(Image: Darren Pepe)

As one of many largest towns to be absorbed into the London Metropolitan space, it’s no shock that there is a lot to Bromley.

Home to the creator of The War of the Worlds, H. G. Wells, in addition to having earlier residents together with Charles Darwin, David Bowie and kids’s creator Enid Blyton, the city hasn’t precisely been showered with reward by it is former residents.

Called a “morbid sprawl of inhabitants,” by Wells, and a ” lobotomy made out of bricks,” by Scottish comic Frankie Boyle, Bromley appears pretty sufficient, however maybe it is for the very best that Kent left this one to the capital.

Petts Wood

Most of Petts Wood was constructed within the early twentieth century as a top quality property in a particularly rural setting, only a quick journey away from the large metropolis.

Chelsfield

Chelsfield was delegated to the London Borough of Bromley in 1965. Thatched rooves and nation cottages make this quaint city one which doesn’t really feel like London within the slightest.

Shooters Hill

Shooters Hill is the very best level of south London, reaching to an astonishing 432ft – making for unimaginable views throughout London and Kent.

Belvedere

Known for the Belvedere explosion of 1864, Belvedere can be one of many many districts that London have added to the rising metropolis.

Biggin Hill

Biggin Hill was an historic parish in Kent however grew to become a municipal borough in 1935. But by 1965, London County Council was changed by Greater London Council and Biggin Hill grew to become a part of south London.

Beckenham

Also traditionally a part of Kent, Beckenham was a tiny village, with the overwhelming majority of its land being rural. Timber service provider John Cator and his household started to construct villas which resulted in a fast improve in inhabitants between 1850 and 1900, from simply 2,000 to 26,000.

Chislehurst

Chislehurst Caves

Though arguably the least suburban of any of the towns on this checklist, Chislehurst’s previous is by no means as quiet because the city’s comparatively whimsical look would possibly counsel.

Small and dotted with giant patches of woodland, it feels far more like a village than lots of South East London’s bigger towns, although it was as soon as the house of the exiled Louis-Napoleon Bonaparte, who was as soon as emperor of France.

Also residence to Siouxsie Sioux, lead singer of iconic post-punk band Siouxie and the Banshees, Chislehurst might be finest identified for its enormous cave system, used as a shelter throughout Second World War bombing raids.

It additionally occurred to be featured as the placement the place Mark and Dobby went live-action roleplaying within the cult hit 2000s TV comedy, Peep Show.

Though now not a part of Kent, having been absorbed through the enlargement of the town in 1965, like so many different towns, it nonetheless appears like a slice of the Kent countryside in London’s busy sprawl.

Woolwich

Woolwich grew to become a part of the London metropolitan space within the mid-Nineteenth century, although it was formally nonetheless in Kent on the time. An important a part of the First World War, the Royal Arsenal Munitions Factory employed 1000’s of girls to work on the meeting line.

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