Editing London Borough of Bexley (section)

==Geography==
{{Further|List of districts in Bexley}}
[[File:LondonBoroughBexleyPlaceNameMap.png|thumb|200px|Location map for Bexley]]
Bexley, lying as it does on the outer fringe of London, has many relatively large areas of open space. The ridge of higher ground in South London crosses the Borough from its high point of [[Shooters Hill]], on the boundary with the Royal Borough of Greenwich, to end above the [[River Thames]] at [[Belvedere, London|Belvedere]], where the land drops down to the old port of [[Erith]]. This high land, whose geology is the sand and pebbles of the ''Blackheath beds'',<ref>''The Rural Landscape of Kent'', SG McRae and CP Burnham, [[Wye College]], 1973</ref> and which results in [[heathland]], provided a natural course for the old [[Ancient Rome|Roman]] road of [[Watling Street]], which ran between [[Crayford]] and [[Welling]]. The land falls away to the north of the high ground, across the Erith Marshes to the [[River Thames]], which here makes a loop to the north at [[Crossness]]. There is a further ridge of less higher ground from the west terminating at [[Sidcup]].<ref name="A brief history of Bexley"/>

Apart from the River Thames the other rivers within the Borough are the [[River Darent]], which, with its tributary the [[River Cray]] and the smaller ''Stanham River'', all form part of its north-eastern boundary; and the [[River Shuttle]], a tributary of the Cray.

The major centres of settlement can be considered in two parts: the older established erstwhile villages; and the infill areas of suburban houses and centres.<ref>[http://www.ideal-homes.org.uk/bexley/index.html Ideal Homes: Suburbia in Focus] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100224053714/http://www.ideal-homes.org.uk/bexley/index.html |date=24 February 2010 }}</ref> Among the former are [[Erith]], in the 17th century a port on the Thames, and an industrial town in the later 19th century; [[Bexleyheath]], created at the same time on the London to [[Dover]] road. By the earlier 20th century, both were created [[Urban district (Great Britain and Ireland)|Urban District Councils]] (UDC), as was [[Foots Cray]] (an ancient village site). [[Thamesmead]], the "new town" built on what was the Erith Marshes, extends into the Borough: both Thamesmead North and South are located here. [[Crayford]] was mentioned in the [[Domesday Book]], and its parish later included the hamlets of [[North End, Bexley|North End]] and [[Slade Green]].

Other settlements include [[Welling]], which has a higher population than Bexleyheath, a staging post on the Dover Road, which was at one time of less importance than the nearby [[East Wickham]] (also an ancient village), was absorbed in Bexley UDC. [[Barnes Cray]] and [[North Cray]] were two hamlets in the Cray Valley; and [[Belvedere, London|Belvedere]] was the location of a medieval monastery.

The map of Bexley<ref>[http://www.stockphotography.co.uk/UK/England/London/Bexley.asp Map of Bexley] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090528064836/http://www.stockphotography.co.uk/UK/England/London/Bexley.asp |date=28 May 2009 }}</ref> shows that a large proportion of its area comprises [[suburb]]ia. Some named places, like [[Albany Park, Bexley|Albany Park]] and [[Barnehurst]], are names given to developments engendered by the building of the railways. Some came into being when large estates and farmland were broken up for the sole purpose of suburban building: these include [[Blackfen]], [[Lamorbey]] and part of [[Falconwood]]. Others simply reflect the nature of area: [[Lessness Heath]]; [[Longlands]] (part of Sidcup); [[Northumberland Heath]] and [[West Heath, London|West Heath]].

The borough has boundaries with the [[London Borough of Bromley]] to the south and the [[Royal Borough of Greenwich]] to the west; across the [[River Thames]] to the north it borders the [[London Borough of Havering]] and [[London Borough of Barking and Dagenham]]; there is a short boundary with the unitary authority of [[Thurrock]] in [[Essex]] to the northeast. There are boundaries with the [[Dartford (borough)|Borough of Dartford]] to the east and [[Sevenoaks (district)|Sevenoaks district]] to the southeast, both in the county of [[Kent]].

===Open Spaces===
{{main|Bexley parks and open spaces}}
Despite the suburbia mentioned above, there are still open spaces among the borough's streets and avenues. The Borough owns and maintains over one hundred parks and open spaces, large and small; and there is still a part of the [[Erith Marshes]] bordering the River Thames. The Crayford Marshes lie to the east of that river, as do ''Foots Cray Meadows'' further south.

The largest of the open spaces are [[Foots Cray Meadows]], [[Lesnes Abbey|Lesnes Abbey Woods]], [[Danson Park]] and [[Hall Place]] Gardens. There are also many golf courses and sports fields, particularly to the west of Crayford.

===Hall Place===
[[File:HallPlace.jpg|325px|thumb|[[Hall Place]], with 16th- (left) and 17th-century wings.]]
[[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, south-east of Bexleyheath and north-east of Old Bexley. It is situated just off the A223, Bourne Road, south of Watling Street (A207) and north of the [[Black Prince, Bexley|Black Prince]] interchange of the A2 Rochester Way with the A220.

The [[Manor house|house]] dates back to around 1540 when wealthy merchant [[John Champneys|Sir John Champneys]], [[Lord Mayor of London]] in 1534, built himself a country house.  In 1649, the house was sold to another wealthy [[City of London|City]] merchant, [[Sir Robert Austen, 1st Baronet|Sir Robert Austen]] (1587–1666), who added a second wing built of red bricks, doubling the size of the house.

Currently, the building houses a museum of local artefacts, and a history and tourist information centre. In the gardens there is a topiary lawn, herb garden, tropical garden and long herbaceous cottage garden-styled borders. The former walled gardens include a tropical house housing plants and a large vegetable garden. Model gardens have been created to show visitors how to make use of space in small urban gardens. Hall Place also has three galleries inside the house, presenting art exhibitions and museum displays.