Beckenham
Beckenham shown within Greater London
OS grid reference	TQ375695
London borough	Bromley
Ceremonial county	Greater London
Region	London
Constituent country	England
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Post town	BECKENHAM
Postcode district	BR3
Post town	LONDON
Postcode district	SE20
Dialling code	020
Police	Metropolitan
Fire	London
Ambulance	London
European Parliament	London
UK Parliament	Beckenham
London Assembly	Bexley and Bromley
List of places: UK • England • London

Coordinates: 51°24'28?N 0°01'19?W? / ?51.4077, -0.022

Beckenham is a town in the London Borough of Bromley, England. It is located 8.4 miles (13.5 km) south east of Charing Cross.

It is referred to as Bacheham in the Domesday Book of 1086. The name appears to derive from Beohha's homestead (Beohhan + ham in Old English).^[1] The River Beck was named after the town. The word Beck also means a stream in Middle English. Many attribute John Cator as being responsible for turning the village of Beckenham into a significant town in the late 1700s - a process that accelerated after his death in 1806 with the arrival of the railway from the 1830s.

St George's church at the centre of Beckenham has a 13th century lychgate that is said to be the oldest in England.^[1]

Beckenham Cricket Club staged the Kent All-Comers' Championships, an international tennis tournament, between 1886-1996. The club held the world's first Open grass-court tournament in June 1968 - one month after the sport became 'open' to amateur and professional players - with Australians Fred Stolle and Margaret Court winning the singles titles.

[edit] Transport and locale

[edit] Nearest places

• Anerley
• Bromley
• Catford
• Elmers End
• Penge
• Sydenham
• West Wickham
• Eden Park,London
• Shortlands

[edit] Nearest railway stations

• Beckenham Junction railway station
• Beckenham Hill railway station
• Birkbeck railway station
• Clock House railway station
• Kent House railway station
• Ravensbourne railway station
• New Beckenham railway station
• Shortlands railway station

[edit] Nearest tram stations

• Beckenham Junction tram station
• Avenue Road tram stop
• Beckenham Road tram stop
• Birkbeck tram station

[edit] Beckenham today

• Beckenham Rugby Football Club
• Beckenham Cricket Ground (Kent County Cricket Club)
• Beckenham Swimming Club
• Beckenham Speakers Club

[edit] Entertainment and leisure

The local Odeon cinema has four screens and is a grade II listed building

[edit] Notable people

Famous people who lived and/or have been buried in Beckenham include:

• Julie Andrews
• Django Bates
• Floella Benjamin
• Nigel Benn
• Sydney Box
• Carey Blyton
• Enid Blyton
• CSgt Frank Bourne of Rorke's Drift, South African Zulu war, lived at 16 King's Hall Road, Beckenham and is buried in Beckenham Cemetery
• David Bowie
• Admiral Sir Peircy Brett
• Dinah Craik
• Fr. Thomas Pelham Dale SSC, Anglo-Catholic clergyman prosecuted for Ritualist practices in the 1870s
• Peter Duncan
• Walter de la Mare - between 1899 and 1906 lived in 195 Mackenzie Road
• Peter Frampton
• Duncan Goodhew
• W G Grace
• Rolf Harris^{[citation needed]}
• Nick Heyward
• Steve Jansen (David Sylvian's brother and bandmate in Japan)
• Robert Key
• Robin Knox-Johnston
• Kate Lawler
• Bob Monkhouse
• Buster Mottram
• Tom Pettitt - Real Tennis world champion 1885-90
• David Sylvian (Steve Jansen's brother and bandmate in Japan)
• Frederick York Wolseley
• Cornelius MendezFootballer
• John Major Prime Minister

[edit] References in pop culture

• In The Streets' song Who Got The Funk? from their first album Original Pirate Material Mike Skinner talks of London towns and names: 'Barnet; Brixton; Beckenham.'
• In Simon Brett's long-running BBC Radio 4 comedy drama, No Commitments, Beckenham is the home of the wildly snobbish, socially aspirational and insecure sister Victoria, and the town is frequently mocked by association.

[edit] Notable places

• Kelsey Park
• Chinese Garage
• Croydon Road Recreation Ground
• St George's Parish Church
• Beckenham Place Park
• Beckenham Crematorium aka Elmers End Cemetery
• South Norwood Country Park
• Langtry's (a now defunct nightclub)

[edit] External links

• Beckenham Local Information & Links

[edit] References

• Beckenham Town Introduction, as of March 29, 2003.

v • d • e London Borough of Bromley Districts Anerley · Beckenham · Bickley · Biggin Hill · Bromley · Bromley Common · Chislehurst · Downe · Elmstead · Farnborough · Hayes · Keston · Leaves Green · Mottingham · Orpington · Penge · Petts Wood · Pratt's Bottom · Shortlands · Southborough · St Mary Cray · St Paul's Cray · West Wickham Attractions Bromley Museum · Chislehurst Caves · Churchill Theatre · Crofton Roman Villa · Crystal Palace · Down House Constituencies Beckenham · Bromley and Chislehurst · Orpington Parks and open spaces in Bromley

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