Bexley: Historic Places and Walks

When choosing a destination, it helps to have a clear idea of what interests you there. Bexley combines a long history of settlement with distinctive buildings and walks on a variety of themes. This is particularly relevant when planning a hotel stay if you want to include historic architecture, the development of a village, or riverside paths. The following places and routes offer concrete starting points for considering which interests will shape your stay.

House History and Exhibitions

Hall Place is a country house dating from 1537 and is listed as a Grade I building. This gives Bexley’s architectural history a specific date. Hall Place and Gardens hosts exhibitions and public events. Hall Place Gardens is also an important part of a local wildlife area. Compared with St Mary the Virgin, most of which dates from the 13th century, Hall Place was built in 1537; several centuries separate the two construction periods.

Church and Historic Village Layout

St Mary the Virgin is Bexley’s old parish church and dates mostly from the 13th century; it also contains older parts. The churchyard has chest tombs and gravestones from the 17th century and later. The church and churchyard therefore show different layers of time: medieval fabric on the one hand, and later memorials on the other. The Old Bexley Conservation Area encompasses the historic street pattern and layout of the village. It adds the broader perspective of the historic village structure to the view of individual buildings.

Village History and Paths Along the River Cray

Old Bexley is an old settlement in south-east London, situated at a crossing point on the River Cray. In Bexley, the Cray Riverway follows the course of the river. These are two distinct local connections: Old Bexley’s location at a crossing point, and the route of the Riverway along the river.

The Bexley Village Walk explores the development of the village over more than a thousand years. It starts at Bexley railway station and ends at Freemantle Hall. The section of the London LOOP ends near Bexley station in the historic village of Old Bexley. The directions differ: the village walk has a stated start and finish, while the LOOP section has a stated endpoint. Route details may change, so check the latest information before setting off.

A Historic Link to London

The development of the link to the capital is also part of the area’s history. The railway line, built in 1866, connected the village with the rest of London. This historic transport connection adds another perspective on Bexley’s development to the history of its buildings and village layout.

Discover more destinations: Erith, Sidcup, Bexleyheath

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