Bexley
March heralds the beginning of spring and the start of new life in the world around us; this month was at one time the start of the New Year in the early Roman calendar and was named after the Roman god of war, Mars. This particular calendar was wildly inaccurate as it was based on lunar cycles, so Julius Caesar brought in the Julian Calendar based on a solar system and January became the first month of the New Year! Personally I think it would be much nicer to start the year in March when everything is so much brighter!
One of the joys of living in Bexley Village, a place that is surrounded by green space is that the changes of season are so recognisable; from the rich ochre’s and russets of autumn, the stark silhouettes of the dormant trees in winter and now the sunny brightness of spring. The transformation of the landscape at this time of year is at its most dramatic, and is heralded by the bright yellow daffodils growing wild by the roadside or cultivated in a garden. They are one of the first harbingers of the new season. The brightness of the flowers is a welcome sight at this time of year, signalling the end of the bleak winter months and the start of a new season.
The suddenness of the arrival of spring is especially noticeable for the residents of Bexley Village, surrounded as it is by a lovely green landscape of parkland. The verdant setting is a welcome reminder that the natural world is part of their everyday lives, touching them in a myriad of different ways even though totally unaware of its presence.
Bexley Village is lucky enough to be on the out periphery of the London sprawl, just to the west of Dartford. It evolved at a crossing point along the River Cray during the fifth century. The name Bexley quite literally means a “clearing in the box wood” and it must have been a fairly successful settlement as it was listed in the Domesday Book as having a total population of forty one villagers, fifteen smallholders and one hundred pigs. Although the pigs have long since gone and the population increased tenfold there is still plenty of evidence of its historic past in the many buildings that reflect different times in its long evolution.
If you stroll through Old Bexley you will notice an eclectic mix of buildings from alms houses to a large water mill that is now the home of a restaurant and bar. One of the other things that haven’t altered very much over time is Bexley’s attraction for the wealthier members of society. Apart from London there are few places in the UK which can equal the number of wealthy estates within such a small area; which should give us some idea of how desirable Bexley once was and still is today.
There were a number of other wealthy estates built in the Cray Valley following the course of the river. One that immediately springs to mind is Hall Place, a house that is still supposedly home for a number of past residents that are unwilling to leave its attractive confines. The old hall is a Grade I listed building and records show that a manor has existed within the grounds since 1241. Despite its antiquity it is only haunted by three ghosts! Most old homes are haunted by a grey lady of one sort or another and Hall Place in quite conventional in that sense! The lady in question is believed to be Lady Constance who committed suicide after witnessing the death of her husband who was killed by a stag in the courtyard; some might be inclined to think it was fair game!
The attic is still home to the spirit of a maid servant, still engaged on the never ending job of cleaning. The last ghost is probably the most famous Edward, the Black Prince. He appears to unlucky individuals wearing black armour, it is said to be a bad omen for anyone unlucky enough to encounter his apparition. I think it is unlikely that he would want to be responsible for bringing bad luck to people within Hall Place, a house in which he spent so many happy hours! Edward is believed to have courted his future wife Joan, The Fair Maid of Kent within its grounds along the River Cray. His marriage to Joan was somewhat controversial because of her chequered marital history, the wedding wasted an opportunity to form allegiances with another foreign power and she was also his cousin so he needed papal permission to marry a blood relative. The later being a family trait as his father Edward III needed permission to marry Phillippa of Hainault, a second cousin! It is said that Edward III is the ancestor of the British upper middle class quite an achievement! His son the Black Prince was an exceptional military leader, his victories over the French at Crécy and Poitiers made him very popular during his life. His only misfortune was to die one year before his father and thereby becoming the first English Prince of Wales not to become King of England.
It offers the best of both worlds ideally placed for commuting to the city with the Kent countryside close at hand as well as a High Street that meets the needs of its residents and more! Bexley Village with its intimate shops and boutiques selling everything from exclusive children’s clothing to boutiques filled with little luxuries for the home is in reality a retail nirvana. As Mother's Day approaches it is the ideal place to find a special gift for that very special person. It is also one of the most popular days of the year for eating out, so if you want to treat your Mother to a special lunch in one of the many restaurants in Bexley Village you will need to book a table early!
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Beautiful Bexley Village, Britain’s perfect high street!
Most people will know of, or have read “A Tale of Two Cities”, but what has a book got to do with a small relatively unknown part of London I hear you ask yourself? I am not in any event trying to imply that Bexleyheath is a city and neither is Old Bexley a village in the real sense of the word! Both Bexleyheath and Bexley Village are worlds apart, one is large and brash and the other small and refined; they might share a similarity of name but that is all! Those of us who shop in large chain stores are very likely to visit Bexleyheath at some time or another, mind you could visit any large town up and down the country to see the same range of stores. Most towns and city high streets these days are so similar that as a woman dare I say the retail experience has become mundane! Bexley Village with its intimate shops and boutiques selling everything from exclusive children’s clothing to boutiques filled with little luxuries for the home is in reality a retail nirvana.
It seems fitting that the centre of Old Bexley is full of independent shops that offer a far better shopping experience, customer service is paramount to these small retailers and many of them are able to provide their customers with a provenance for the goods that they sell. Customers increasingly want to know where their goods come from and that they are not costing the earth or some one else where! Bexley Village is bucking the trend whereby family owned or individual shops have closed due to the competition with supermarkets and large scale chain stores, it has a thriving high street offering quality goods that the supermarkets could not possibly compete with!
It isn’t just a place to indulge yourself during the day, each evening the village metamorphosis’s to become a hub of entertainment, the focus for people wanting to socialise and meet friends. It is quite strange to find yourself in such a cosmopolitan environment where it is possible to find a restaurant that will cater for most ethnic tastes alongside public houses serving the very best in real ale.
Over the years Bexley Village has managed to fend off any aggressive advances from its neighbours as they fight to contain their burgeoning growth; the boundaries of Bexley Village although not protected by razor wire to stop the encroachment of urban sprawl is protected by the very people who live here and who want to preserve this unique space! Bexley Village has not suffered from the planning excesses of pre war developers; you will not find large swathes of 1930 semis as is apparent with the neighbouring towns in the borough. The character cottages are sought after homes for people who work in the city and yet want a quieter quality lifestyle. This quiet leafy place seems to have more in common with the Garden of England than London! Old Bexley or as it is better known Bexley Village has been allowed to mature and grow at its own pace, forming its own distinct identity and embracing a well defined sense of its own history.
To the west of Dartford and just brushing the very outskirts of Greater London Bexley evolved at a crossing point of the river Cray during the fifth century. The name Bexley means a “clearing in the box wood” and it is listed in the Domesday Book as having a total population of 41 villagers, 15 smallholders and 100 pigs. At this time in its long history it was indeed a small rural village. You might be hard pressed to find one hundred pigs now days but there is still evidence of the villages past. If you stroll through Old Bexley you can still see an eclectic mix of buildings from alms houses to a large water mill that is now home for a restaurant and bars. One of the few things that haven’t altered very much over time is Bexley’s attraction for the wealthier members of society. Parts of the North Cray Road still follow the original 18th century pathway that was just above the spring line of the East bank of the River Cray.
Two hundred and fifty years ago the land that sloped down from the pathway was part of the Vale Mascal Estate and the house itself was built upon the hill which overlooks the road. Although Mount Mascal no longer exists the dower house which is known as Vale Mascall is still in private ownership and is used for weddings and other civil ceremonies. If the dower house is anything to go by the main house must have been absolutely stunning. There were a number of other wealthy estates that were built in the Cray Valley following the course of the river. One that immediately springs to mind is Hall Place which is open to the public but there were many others including: Bourne Place, North Cray Place, Woollett Hall and Foots Cray Place.
Apart from London there are few places in the UK which can equal the number of wealthy estates within such a small area; which should give us some idea of how desirable Bexley had become. It still offers the best of both worlds ideally placed for commuting to the city with the Kent countryside close at hand as well as a High Street that meets the needs of its residents and more!
copyright© Wendy Stevenson 2011
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