Crayford
Encyclopedia
Crayford is a town and electoral ward
Wards of the United Kingdom
A ward in the United Kingdom is an electoral district at sub-national level represented by one or more councillors. It is the primary unit of British administrative and electoral geography .-England:...

 in the London Borough of Bexley
London Borough of Bexley
The London Borough of Bexley lies in south east Greater London, and is a borough referred to as part of Outer London. It has common borders with the London Borough of Bromley to the south, the London Borough of Greenwich to the west, across the River Thames to the north it borders the London...

 that was an important bridging point in Roman
Ancient Rome
Ancient Rome was a thriving civilization that grew on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 8th century BC. Located along the Mediterranean Sea and centered on the city of Rome, it expanded to one of the largest empires in the ancient world....

 times across the River Cray
River Cray
The River Cray is a tributary of the River Darent in southern England. It rises in Priory Gardens in Orpington in the London Borough of Bromley, where rainwater permeates the chalk bedrock and forms a pond at the boundary between the chalk and impermeable clay...

, a tributary of the River Darent
River Darent
The River Darent or River Darenth is a Kentish tributary of the River Thames in England. Its name is believed to be from a Celtic word meaning 'river where oak-trees grow'...

, which is itself a tributary of the River Thames.

History

An Iron Age
Iron Age
The Iron Age is the archaeological period generally occurring after the Bronze Age, marked by the prevalent use of iron. The early period of the age is characterized by the widespread use of iron or steel. The adoption of such material coincided with other changes in society, including differing...

 settlement existed roughly in the period 30 BC to 40 AD in the vicinity of what is now St Paulinus Church. Crayford is one of several places that have been suggested as the site of Roman Noviomagus (new market), a place mentioned on the Antonine Itinerary as being on the road from Canterbury to London. Crayford is also plausible as the site of a bloody battle in 457 AD at Crecganford (early English for "creeks-ford"). The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle
Anglo-Saxon Chronicle
The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle is a collection of annals in Old English chronicling the history of the Anglo-Saxons. The original manuscript of the Chronicle was created late in the 9th century, probably in Wessex, during the reign of Alfred the Great...

 (written over 400 years later) describes how Hengist and Aesc defeated the "Brettas", usually interpreted as Britons, and often over-interpreted as "Celtic". See Timeline of Anglo-Saxon England#5th century.

Crayford is mentioned in the Domesday Book
Domesday Book
Domesday Book , now held at The National Archives, Kew, Richmond upon Thames in South West London, is the record of the great survey of much of England and parts of Wales completed in 1086...

 as having a church and three mills, and a population of 27 villagers and 2 smallholders. As a parish (pre 1920) it included the hamlets of North End, Perry Street and Slade Green
Slade Green
Slade Green is a place in south- east London closer to the edge of London located in the London Borough of Bexley. It is a suburban development situated east-southeast of Charing Cross and lying south of the River Thames slightly to the west of the River Darenth and River Cray.-History and...

 which lie to the north. In 1831, the population of the parish was 2022 people. For centuries it was strongly associated with brick-making, the printing of silk scarves, ties and calico cloths, and for a short period carpet-making.

There were two main Manor Houses in the area during the Middle Ages
Middle Ages
The Middle Ages is a periodization of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The Middle Ages follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and precedes the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: Classic, Medieval and Modern...

, Newbery Manor on the site of what is now Crayford Manor House, and Howbury Manor near Slade Green
Slade Green
Slade Green is a place in south- east London closer to the edge of London located in the London Borough of Bexley. It is a suburban development situated east-southeast of Charing Cross and lying south of the River Thames slightly to the west of the River Darenth and River Cray.-History and...

. Near to Newbery Manor was May Place, built for the Appleton (Apylton) family who served Kings Henry V
Henry V of England
Henry V was King of England from 1413 until his death at the age of 35 in 1422. He was the second monarch belonging to the House of Lancaster....

 and Henry VI
Henry VI of England
Henry VI was King of England from 1422 to 1461 and again from 1470 to 1471, and disputed King of France from 1422 to 1453. Until 1437, his realm was governed by regents. Contemporaneous accounts described him as peaceful and pious, not suited for the violent dynastic civil wars, known as the Wars...

. Nearby Hall Place
Hall Place
Hall Place is a former stately home, today a Grade I listed building and Scheduled Ancient Monument, beside the River Cray on the outskirts of Crayford, west of Bexleyheath and north-east of Old Bexley...

 was built for Lord Mayor of the City of London Sir John Champneis in around 1537. There was also an Iron Mill, which was later replaced by a saw mill (in 1765), which produced the timber for the floor of Buckingham Palace
Buckingham Palace
Buckingham Palace, in London, is the principal residence and office of the British monarch. Located in the City of Westminster, the palace is a setting for state occasions and royal hospitality...

.

In 1819 the former saw mill site became a flour mill, and another major employer was the silk works set up by Augustus Applegath
Augustus Applegath
Augustus Applegath was the inventor of the vertical printing-press.He was born in Stepney but carried out most of his work in the Dartford and Crayford areas of Kent...

 and later run by David Evans. The Maxim Nordenfeldt Gun and Ammunition Factory was also a major employer, until taken over by the Vickers Company in 1897. Vickers built military aeroplanes and armaments and became the dominant employer, building homes, a theatre and a canteen close to many workshops. The canteen (built during World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...

) became the town hall of the Crayford Urban District
Crayford Urban District
Crayford was a local government district in north west Kent from 1920 to 1965 around the town of Crayford. As well as Crayford, it included Barnehurst, Barnes Cray and Slade Green.It was created an urban district in 1920 from part of Dartford Rural District....

 Council and remains a major landmark in municipal use.

Another former major employer in Crayford was Dussek Brothers (part of Burmah-Castrol since the 1960s) who operated their oils and waxes blending business on Thames Road from around 1928 until the site was bought by BP and subsequently closed down in 2001. The entire site was demolished in early 2010, and is awaiting a buyer. The David Evans silk works is another recent closure, in 2002.

Famous people connected with the town include Admiral Sir Cloudesley Shovell
Cloudesley Shovell
Admiral of the Fleet Sir Cloudesley Shovell , was an English naval officer. Rising through the ranks and fighting in many of the important battles of the late 17th and early 18th centuries, he became a popular British hero, whose celebrated career was brought to an end in a disastrous shipwreck in...

, who lived at May Place between 1694 and 1707, and Sir Frederick Currie
Sir Frederick Currie, 1st Baronet
Sir Frederick Currie, 1st Baronet was an English diplomat.He was educated at Charterhouse and had a distinguished career in the British East India Company and the Indian Civil Service...

 who also lived at the Manor House, May Place. Inventors Augustus Applegath
Augustus Applegath
Augustus Applegath was the inventor of the vertical printing-press.He was born in Stepney but carried out most of his work in the Dartford and Crayford areas of Kent...

, Sir Hiram Maxim
Hiram Stevens Maxim
Sir Hiram Stevens Maxim was an American-born inventor who emigrated to England at the age of forty-one, although he remained an American citizen until he became a naturalized British subject in 1900. He was the inventor of the Maxim Gun – the first portable, fully automatic machine gun – and the...

 and Jack Wall, inventor of the Crayford focuser
Crayford focuser
The Crayford focuser is a simplified focusing mechanism for amateur astronomical telescopes. The design replaces the complicated rack and pinion drive normally found in this type of device with a smooth spring-loaded shaft which holds the focus tube against four opposing bearing surfaces...

, which is incorporated into many modern telescopes were also residents. Sportsman Derek Ufton
Derek Ufton
Derek Gilbert Ufton was a professional cricketer and footballer, and later a football manager for Plymouth Argyle....

, who played both cricket
Cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...

 and football professionally, was born in Crayford.

Leisure

Crayford is now well known for a different theatre (home of the New Theatre Group), a small astronomic observatory and a greyhound racing track. The theatre was named in honour of Geoffrey Whitworth
Geoffrey Whitworth
Geoffrey Arundel Whitworth CBE was an English lecturer and author who sought to promote amateur and professional theatre through the formation of the British Drama League, acting as its director for many years. Whitworth was instrumental in the founding of a National Theatre, and served the...

 who played a key part in developing a British tradition of amateur drama and in building political support for The Royal National Theatre
Royal National Theatre
The Royal National Theatre in London is one of the United Kingdom's two most prominent publicly funded theatre companies, alongside the Royal Shakespeare Company...

 erected at Waterloo, London
Waterloo station
Waterloo station, also known as London Waterloo, is a central London railway terminus and London Underground complex. The station is owned and operated by Network Rail and is close to the South Bank of the River Thames, and in Travelcard Zone 1....

 after his death.

Nearby Hall Place
Hall Place
Hall Place is a former stately home, today a Grade I listed building and Scheduled Ancient Monument, beside the River Cray on the outskirts of Crayford, west of Bexleyheath and north-east of Old Bexley...

 is a scheduled ancient monument
Scheduled Ancient Monument
In the United Kingdom, a scheduled monument is a 'nationally important' archaeological site or historic building, given protection against unauthorized change. The various pieces of legislation used for legally protecting heritage assets from damage and destruction are grouped under the term...

 lying between Crayford and Bexley
Bexley
Bexley is an South East London]] in the London Borough of Bexley, London, England. It is located on the banks of the River Cray south of the Roman Road, Watling Street...

. It has gardens with the River Cray running through and a plant nursery, a cafe and restaurant plus the silkworks shop formerly located in the David Evans factory.

The main leisure facilities are Crayford Stadium greyhound race track and "The Bear and Ragged Staff" public house well known as a venue for live pop/rock bands;

Crayford Stadium is popular with a reasonable viewing area and races every Monday and Saturday nights. The stadium includes a bar, cafe and restaurant with ample parking. Crayford Stadium is one of the three remaining greyhound racing stadia in London, besides Romford Stadium and Wimbledon Stadium
Wimbledon Stadium
Wimbledon Greyhound Stadium is a greyhound racing track located in Wimbledon in southwest London, England. It also hosts speedway, stock car and other racing events....

, from an original 33.

"The Bear and Ragged Staff" is the liveliest public house in the town centre and it was briefly renamed "The Orange Kipper" in the mid-1990s, before the owners were convinced to reinstate the traditional name.

There are five other pubs in the Town Centre - The Charlotte in Station Road, the Duke of Wellington on London Road and the Crayford Arms, Duke's Head and The One Bell (owned by Jimmy Bullard
Jimmy Bullard
James Richard "Jimmy" Bullard is a footballer who currently plays for Ipswich Town. He played youth football at West Ham before moving to Gravesend & Northfleet in 1998...

, a championship footballer), all on or adjoining Crayford High Street. There is also a pub on Thames Road called The Jolly Farmers.

The key shops are a large Sainsbury's supermarket situated next to stadium.

The Tower Retail Park opposite Crayford Town Hall comprises stores used by Bed Post, Boots, the Carphone Warehouse, Comet, Currys, First Choice Holiday Hypermarket, Game, Hobbycraft, Next, Pets At Home and Sports Superstore, plus eateries run by Nandos and McDonald's
McDonald's
McDonald's Corporation is the world's largest chain of hamburger fast food restaurants, serving around 64 million customers daily in 119 countries. Headquartered in the United States, the company began in 1940 as a barbecue restaurant operated by the eponymous Richard and Maurice McDonald; in 1948...

.

The high street is partly one-way for motor traffic and has a few shops and services including a Londis/Sub-Post Office, Barclays Bank, NHS surgery, nail bar, golf store, Peacocks and Iceland.

Crayford Motors are nearby and are a successful Citroen dealership.

On its way from Erith to Old Bexley, the "London LOOP" walk
London Outer Orbital Path
The London Outer Orbital Path — more usually the "London LOOP" — is a signed walk along public footpaths, and through parks, woods and fields around the edge of Outer London, England, described as "the M25 for walkers"...

 follows the River Cray across the Crayford Marshes and through the town centre. This section of the LOOP is based on an earlier signed walk, the Cray Riverway, and many of the signposts along it still carry the older route's name.

VCD Athletic Football Club
VCD Athletic F.C.
VCD Athletic F.C. are a football club based in Crayford, London, England. They joined the Kent League in 1997...

 compete in the Kent League
Kent League
The Kent League is an English football league for teams based in Kent and south east London, which was established in 1966. It was also the name of a similar league which existed from 1894 until 1959.-History:...

 and were runners-up for the league title in 2006/07. They play at Oakwood stadium, on Old Road, Crayford. ('VCD' stands for Vickers, Crayford and Dartford).

Crayford Arrows Sports Club is a local football team, established in 1981. http://www.crayfordarrows.org.uk/home.html

Speedway racing was staged at Crayford Greyhound Stadium. The team raced in the inaugural 1968 British League Division Two as the Highwaymen before closing down. In later years the sport was revived and the team were known as the Kestrels. The track subsequently closed and the team moved to Hackney Stadium in London.

Education

For education in Crayford see the main London Borough of Bexley article

Places of worship

Crayford Baptist Church, Bexley Lane

St Paulinus Church, Manor Road (Anglican)

NWK Muslim Association Mosque, Crayford High Street. The mosque serves both Bexley and Dartford Boroughs. (re-use of Methodist Church)

St Mary of the Crays Catholic Church, Old Road

Nearest places

  • Bexleyheath
  • Dartford
    Dartford
    Dartford is the principal town in the borough of Dartford. It is situated in the northwest corner of Kent, England, east south-east of central London....

  • Barnes Cray
    Barnes Cray
    Barnes Cray is a place in the London Borough of Bexley. Its name derives from the prominent local Barne family.Up until the Victorian era it was a hamlet a kilometre downstream of Crayford where no more than sixteen homes were clustered...

  • Slade Green
    Slade Green
    Slade Green is a place in south- east London closer to the edge of London located in the London Borough of Bexley. It is a suburban development situated east-southeast of Charing Cross and lying south of the River Thames slightly to the west of the River Darenth and River Cray.-History and...

  • Barnehurst
    Barnehurst
    Barnehurst is a town and electoral ward in the London Borough of Bexley, England. It is a suburban development in Southeast London located 12.5 miles east south-east of Charing Cross.-History:...

  • Erith
    Erith
    Erith is a district of southeast London on the River Thames. Erith's town centre has undergone a series of modernisations since 1961.-Pre-medieval:...

  • Old Bexley
    Bexley
    Bexley is an South East London]] in the London Borough of Bexley, London, England. It is located on the banks of the River Cray south of the Roman Road, Watling Street...

  • Welling
    Welling
    Welling is a district in the London Borough of Bexley, South East London. It is a suburban development situated between Shooter's Hill and Bexleyheath north of the A2 road and 10.5 miles east south-east of Charing Cross.-History:...


Rail

Crayford railway station
Crayford railway station
Crayford railway station is in the London Borough of Bexley in south-east London, in Travelcard Zone 6. The station and all trains serving it are operated by Southeastern....

 is just a short walk from the high street.

Access to the station is available from Lower Station Road, although Bexley Council has promoted a bridge linking Sainsbury's, Crayford Stadium and the West of the town with the station.

Trains go west to Central London and east towards Slade Green
Slade Green
Slade Green is a place in south- east London closer to the edge of London located in the London Borough of Bexley. It is a suburban development situated east-southeast of Charing Cross and lying south of the River Thames slightly to the west of the River Darenth and River Cray.-History and...

 or Dartford
Dartford
Dartford is the principal town in the borough of Dartford. It is situated in the northwest corner of Kent, England, east south-east of central London....

 and Gravesend
Gravesend, Kent
Gravesend is a town in northwest Kent, England, on the south bank of the Thames, opposite Tilbury in Essex. It is the administrative town of the Borough of Gravesham and, because of its geographical position, has always had an important role to play in the history and communications of this part of...

.

The station is in Travelcard Zone 6 and is covered by the Transport for London Overground Network(ON) and Metro schemes with westbound trains to Central London at least four times an hour from 6.00am to 8pm.

It is operated by Southeastern (train operating company)
Southeastern (train operating company)
London & South Eastern Railway Limited, trading as Southeastern is a train operating company in south-east England. On 1 April 2006 it became the franchisee for the new Integrated Kent Franchise , replacing the publicly owned South Eastern Trains on the former South East Franchise...

.

Services

Trains are operated by Southeastern, part of the Govia group. Trains are a mix of the older refurbished Networker Trains introduced in the nineties and more modern class 376 trains with more capacity, no toilets, and automated train announcements.

Reliability has recently improved significantly, with the poor service discount for season ticket holders withdrawn.

Peak services between 8.30 and 9.00am and 5.30 and 6.30pm, are generally 5 to 10 minutes late due to congestion in the Lewisham and London Bridge areas. This is caused by the complex points joining different branch lines. The rebuilding of London Bridge to achieve Thameslink objectives will threaten the standard of timekeeping recently achieved.

Other nearby railway stations

  • Dartford railway station
    Dartford railway station
    Dartford railway station serves the town of Dartford in Kent, England. All train services from the station are operated by Southeastern, which also manages the station...

     2 miles (3.2 km), Outside Travelcard Zone
  • Barnehurst railway station
    Barnehurst railway station
    Barnehurst railway station serves Barnehurst, London Borough of Bexley: it is 13.9 miles from Central London on the Bexleyheath Line...

     2 miles (3.2 km), Travelcard Zone 6
  • Slade Green railway station
    Slade Green railway station
    Slade Green railway station is in the London Borough of Bexley, southeast London, on the North Kent Line. The station, and all trains serving it, is operated by Southeastern.- Services :The typical off-peak service from the station is:...

     2 miles, Travelcard Zone 6
  • Lewisham
    Lewisham station
    Lewisham station is a National Rail and Docklands Light Railway station in Lewisham, south east London. It is on the south-east London commuter rail network operated by Southeastern. The Docklands Light Railway station opened in 1999 on a southward extension from Island Gardens on the Isle of Dogs...

     for Docklands Light Railway
    Docklands Light Railway
    The Docklands Light Railway is an automated light metro or light rail system opened on 31 August 1987 to serve the redeveloped Docklands area of London...

  • New Cross railway station for East London Line
    East London Line
    The East London Line is a London Overground line which runs north to south through the East End, Docklands and South areas of London.Built in 1869 by the East London Railway Company, which reused the Thames Tunnel, originally intended for horse-drawn carriages, the line became part of the London...

     (opens 2010)

Buses

The 96 contracted by Transport for London
Transport for London
Transport for London is the local government body responsible for most aspects of the transport system in Greater London in England. Its role is to implement the transport strategy and to manage transport services across London...

 runs between Woolwich
Woolwich
Woolwich is a district in south London, England, located in the London Borough of Greenwich. The area is identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London.Woolwich formed part of Kent until 1889 when the County of London was created...

 and Bluewater Shopping Centre. This bus has a frequency of 8 minutes during Monday to Saturday daytimes and 15–20 minutes at other times.

The 428 contracted by Transport for London
Transport for London
Transport for London is the local government body responsible for most aspects of the transport system in Greater London in England. Its role is to implement the transport strategy and to manage transport services across London...

 runs between Erith
Erith
Erith is a district of southeast London on the River Thames. Erith's town centre has undergone a series of modernisations since 1961.-Pre-medieval:...

 and Bluewater Shopping Centre. This bus has a frequency of 15 minutes during Monday to Saturday daytimes and 30 minutes at other times.

The 492 contracted by Transport for London
Transport for London
Transport for London is the local government body responsible for most aspects of the transport system in Greater London in England. Its role is to implement the transport strategy and to manage transport services across London...

 runs between Sidcup
Sidcup
Sidcup is a district in South East London in the London Borough of Bexley and small parts of the district in the London Borough of Greenwich.Located south east of Charing Cross, Sidcup is bordered by the London Boroughs of Greenwich and Bromley and Kent County Council, and whilst now part of...

 and Bluewater Shopping Centre. This bus has a frequency of 30 minutes during Monday to Saturday daytimes and 60 minutes at other times.

External links

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
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