Sidcup

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Coordinates: 51°25′35″N 0°06′09″E / 51.4263°N 0.1024°E / 51.4263; 0.1024

Sidcup
The Hollies, Sidcup.JPG
The Hollies, Sidcup.
Sidcup is located in Greater London
Sidcup

 Sidcup shown within Greater London
OS grid reference TQ461718
London borough Bexley
Ceremonial county Greater London
Region London
Country England
Sovereign state United Kingdom
Post town SIDCUP
Postcode district DA14, DA15
Post town LONDON
Postcode district SE9
Dialling code 020
Police Metropolitan
Fire London
Ambulance London
EU Parliament London
UK Parliament Old Bexley & Sidcup
London Assembly Bexley and Bromley
List of places
UK
England
London
Sidcup ward (dark green) in the Old Bexley and Sidcup constituency (light green) within the London Borough of Bexley (yellow)

Sidcup is a district in South East London and is a part of the London Borough of Bexley, with small parts of the district in the Royal Borough of Greenwich. Located 11.3 miles (18.2 km) south east of Charing Cross.

Sidcup has a mixture of large Victorian and Edwardian properties alongside typical 1930s suburbia, primarily owner occupied semi-detached and detached housing. It retains many parks and open spaces hinting at the great estates and large homes which once stood in the area.

The town contains a major hospital, a recently opened sports and leisure centre, as well as two colleges (Bird College and Rose Bruford College) and an orchestra.[1] The town centre has a mix of high street stores, independent shops, a modern library, coffee shops, several pubs and two supermarkets, Morrisons near the high street and Tesco on the outskirts in Foots Cray. Sidcup contains a number of districts, some of them once villages in their own right - Blackfen, Foots Cray, Longlands, and Lamorbey.

Contents

History[edit]

Lamorbey House, Sidcup

The name is thought to be derived from Cetecopp meaning 'seat shaped or flat topped hill'; it had its earliest recorded use in 1254.[2] Sidcup originated as a tiny hamlet on the road from London to Maidstone.

A number of manor houses (converted to other uses) remain. They include Frognal House, the birthplace and residence of Thomas Townshend, 1st Viscount Sydney, after whom Sydney, Australia was named (now converted for use as residential and nursing accommodation), Lamorbey House (now used by Rose Bruford College), Sidcup Place (now a Brewers Fayre bar and restaurant) and "The Hollies" (now converted for residential use).

Sidcup parish formed the Sidcup Urban District of Kent from 1908. It was initially known as Foots Cray; however, in 1921 the urban district,[3] and in 1925 the parish,[4] were renamed Sidcup. The parish and district were abolished in 1934 and combined with Chislehurst to form the Chislehurst and Sidcup civil parish and urban district. In 1965 the parish and urban district were abolished. Sidcup went on to form part of the London Borough of Bexley in Greater London and Chislehurst formed part of the London Borough of Bromley.

Sidcup is mentioned in two famous plays and their film adaptations, Noël Coward's Relative Values and Harold Pinter's The Caretaker, and it was the location of the 2004 Dasani scandal.

It is also reputed that it was on the platform[5] of Sidcup railway station that Mick Jagger and Keith Richards first agreed to form a band, which later became the Rolling Stones. Other connections of Sidcup to the world of entertainment and show business include the Rose Bruford College of drama and Bird College, both of which have many well known and famous alumni; regular large-scale concerts are given by Sidcup Symphony Orchestra,[6] conducted by James Ross, which also serves the wider South East London area.

For many years, Sidcup had as its constituency (Old Bexley and Sidcup) Member of Parliament, the Rt Hon. Sir Edward Heath, Prime Minister 1970-1974.

Associated notable people[edit]

(in alphabetical order)

Education[edit]

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

Orchard primary school

Local Secondary Schools[edit]

Local Further & Higher Education Institutes[edit]

Places of Worship[edit]

Transport and locale[edit]

Geography[edit]

Places in the Sidcup area

Railway station[edit]

Sidcup is in London Zone 5 and is served by two lines operated by Southeastern: London Charing Cross - Gravesend and the London Cannon Street loop line.

Bus Information[edit]

Sidcup is served by a number of bus services operated for Transport for London.

Sidcup bus garage used to be located in Foots Cray High Street; it was opened by the London General Omnibus Company in June 1924, then operated by London Transport from 1933 until its closure in January 1988.

Sport and leisure[edit]

Sidcup has a Non-League football club Seven Acre & Sidcup F.C. who play at Sidcup & District Conservative Club.

Sidcup Sports Cub in Sydney Road, home to Sidcup Rugby Club grounds, Sidcup Cricket Club grounds and practice nets, Tennis Courts and coaching, Martial Arts, Slimming World every Tuesday 7pm www.slimmingworld.com, gym, changing room, showers, function room, bar, free parking in large on site car park.

References[edit]

  1. ^ http://www/sidcupsymphony.org.uk
  2. ^ Mills, A., Oxford Dictionary of London Place Names, (2000)
  3. ^ Vision of Britain - Foots Cray Urban District
  4. ^ Vision of Britain - Foots Cray / Sidcup parish
  5. ^ The platform where Mick And Keith agreed to from a band
  6. ^ Sidcup Symphony Orchestra
  7. ^ Knocker-up Armed with a Pea Shooter by John Topham (accessed 2012-10-22)
  8. ^ Days Lane Baptist Church

Best Chinese Restaurant: Festive Moon

External links[edit]