Thinking about what makes Kent Kent, just a few apparent issues bounce to thoughts: greenery, recent air, nice pubs and a wealthy historical past of stately houses and their fascinating occupants.
In distinction, London is rather more a place of job and busyness, nightlife and noise; skyscrapers and, properly, an terrible lot of gray workplace blocks.
Walking via Sidcup, you would be forgiven for considering that the city of 43,000 is a little bit of each, with inexperienced open areas the extra laid again really feel important to a spot in Kent met with some inflections of London’s metropolitan sprawl.
However, I’m agency in the assumption that opposite to what the capital might need to say about it, Sidcup is Kent territory, and I imply that in probably the most constructive manner attainable.
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The Kentishness of what is now south east London’s outskirts has been introduced up earlier than, however in barely extra element, let’s take a deep dive into the 4 greatest reasons why Sidcup belongs in Kent, not London.
1. Sidcup is far nearer to the Kent than it is to London
This is an apparent place to begin, however geographically talking Sidcup actually is a lot nearer to Kent than it is London.
Though it does lie throughout the M25, a typical definition for these making an attempt to work out simply the place the capital stops, Sidcup lies 11 miles from central London because the crow flies, although truly entering into London exhibits that this distance is deceptively far.
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Though rail hyperlinks are good, attending to Trafalgar Square by bus takes an totally absurd 1 hour 39 minutes, with a number of transfers, and that is not accounting for visitors.
By automobile, that journey is a equally tedious hour lengthy journey, with going any additional north of the river taking an much more substantial period of time.
Compare this to how lengthy it takes to get from Sidcup to Canterbury, clocking in at below an hour by automobile, while Maidstone, Sevenoaks and Tonbridge are little greater than a half hour away, and it is clear that getting deep in to Kent is simply as simple as entering into central London.
Even nonetheless, solely a ten minute drive away are Swanley and Dartford, that are nonetheless formally Kent, and with a Dartford postcode, it is exhausting to disclaim the geographical ties Sidcup has to England’s Garden.
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2. It’s simply too inexperienced to be a London suburb
This is perhaps taking part in on stereotypes of London, however Sidcup actually is simply too inexperienced to be lowered to simply one other suburb.
Needless to say, with leafy open areas and quiet streets, it actually is not deserving of being referred to as “the armpit of England” by one James Corden.
With the expansive and scenic Lamorbey Park and Foots Cray Meadows, in addition to the grounds of Sidcup Place and Ruxley Manor, Sidcup is spoilt for alternative in phrases of greenery and open areas.
Sidcup Place, now host to The Star pub, is thought to as soon as have been a navy ‘star fort’, has its in depth surrounding grounds open to the general public
(Image: Harry Higginson)
Boasting lakes, countryside walks and superbly maintained gardens, there is a pure feeling to Sidcup’s open areas that you just simply do not get additional in to the capital, and even in neighbouring Kentish areas like Dartford or Bromley.
Especially with spring returning in full power and the leaves returning to the timber, Sidcup’s expansive parks and public gardens actually showcase some slices of countryside which might be Kent, via and thru.
3. The pints are moderately priced, not like the homicide you will get away with in Soho or Camden
This is arguably an important level on this listing, as a result of the worth of a drink in London is really felony.
Luckily, Sidcup has resisted the lure of the premium pint, with an honest drink very a lot reasonably priced for below a fiver.
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Though Sidcup’s pubs aren’t essentially a glowing spotlight, the excessive avenue’s Wetherspoon’s’ gives the chain’s trademark booze on a price range, while the Star at Sidcup Place and Ye Olde Black Horse provide conventional, moderately priced pub experiences.
The actual highlights are among the smaller craft pubs nonetheless.
The Hackney Carriage Micropub gives a spread of small brewery beers and ciders, with an enormous rotating listing of native specials which might be area of interest sufficient to make Camden Hells and Beavertown’s pints appear dime-a-dozen.
All of this is supplied with out the outrageous pricing scales of London’s pubs and bars, and there is only a few higher reasons for Sidcup to be thought of part of Kent than an trustworthy, reasonably priced pint.
4. Everything about Sidcup’s historical past screams Kent
Finally, Sidcup’s historical past speaks to how, in spite of city creep, the center of the city is nonetheless quintessentially Kent, brimming with countryside tradition and a novel character of its personal.
Lamorbey House, as an illustration, dates all the best way again to 1495, the home because it is now being constructed in the seventeenth century, earlier than being refurbished and renovated in the early 1700s by a director of the East India Company.
Lamorbey House is one of the picturesque spots in Sidcup, seen right here throughout the lake in The Glades park.
(Image: Harry Higginson)
Departing from its colonial origins, the stately house which was briefly a lodge is now a part of Rose Bruford College, one of many UK’s greatest drama colleges, with the Grade II listed constructing standing proud on the sting of Lamorbey Park’s lake.
Frognal House has a equally wealthy previous, being the house of Lord Sydney, Thomas Townshend who lent his title to Australia’s largest metropolis, having been constructed someday earlier than 1550, now simply subsequent to Queen Mary’s Hospital.
The grounds of Ruxley Manor, now partially a backyard centre, was as soon as given as a present by William The Conqueror to his half-brother, as a base from which to guard Dover Castle.
This dark-ages-era legacy endures to today in Dover Castle’s entrance, named Ruxley Gate, a transparent demonstration of simply how intertwined Kent and Sidcup’s histories are.
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From historical past to the current day, there are sufficient bits and items of Kent in Sidcup that it is plain to see that this border city very a lot is not simply one other London Suburb.
Sure, Sidcup advantages from the paradox, from Oyster playing cards and to proper to vote for London mayor.
But from Sidcup’s tradition, to its previous, and even to the worth of a pint, we all know that Sidcup is simply as a lot part of Kent as Whitstable, Tunbridge Wells or Dover.
