Bickley

Bickley is a residential area and ward in the London Borough of Bromley, England. It is a suburban development situated 10.4 miles (16.7 km) south-east of Charing Cross.

Bickley is a very popular residential area, known for its large and expensive houses. It lies between Bromley to the west, Chislehurst to the north-east and Petts Wood to the south-east. It is unusual that for a well-known place with its own railway station, its only shops are a handy local parade at the junction of The Fairway and Southborough Lane. Bickley station earned the dubious honour of being proclaimed the most vandalised station in England; incidents skyrocketed from three in 2001 to 87 in 2006, a rise of 2800%, according to the Daily Mail.^[1]

Notable residents

• David Bowie (1947-2016), musician, lived at 106 Canon Road from 1953 to 1954.^[2]
• Colin Cowdrey, Baron Cowdrey of Tonbridge (1932–2000) Cricket player, lived on Hawthorne Road until about 1965.^[source?]
• Florence Farr (1860–1917), religious writer and playwright, was born in Bickley.^[3]
• Norman Fulton (1909–1980), composer, lived in Bickley.^[4]
• Evelyn Hellicar (1862–1929), architect.^[source?]
• Gertrude Hermes (1901–1983) wood engraver, print maker and sculptor, born in Bickley.^[5]
• Ethel Hurlbatt, principal of Bedford College, London, born in Bickley.^[6]
• Pixie Lott (born 1991), singer-songwriter, spent part of her childhood in Bickley.^[7]
• Ernest Newton (1856–1921), architect who designed many houses in the area.
• Charles Henry Bourne Quennell (1872–1935), architect of the Bickley development and writer, lived at 9 The Avenue.
• Marjorie Quennell née Courtnay (1884–1972), artist, writer and museum curator, wife of CHB Quennell.^[8]
• Peter Quennell (1905–1993), biographer, literary historian, editor, essayist, poet, and critic, son of CHB Quennell.
• John Wells (1761–1846), of Bickley Hall, High Sheriff of Kent. MP for Maidstone.

Its railway station is Bickley railway station.

Transport and local

Nearest places

• Bromley
• Chislehurst
• Elmstead Woods
• Petts Wood

References

1. Ray Massey: 'Commuters shunning stations in fear of thugs and vandals
2. Palmer, Jim (11 January 2016). "18 south east London places where David Bowie lived, learned and played". News Shopper. Retrieved 31 August 2020.
3. Wise, Caroline. "Florence Farr, Priestess and Adept". Fellowship of Isis. Retrieved 29 August 2020.
4. National Library of Scotland archive
5. James Hamilton (2004). Hermes, Gertrude Anna Bertha (1901–1983). Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. Oxford University Press. Retrieved January 2014. (subscription required)
6. Badham, Sophie (2004). "Hurlbatt, Ethel". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online ed.). Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/48440. ISBN 978-0-19-861412-8. Retrieved 29 August 2020. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
7. "Pixie Lott Singer HD Wallpapers". papershd.com. Archived from the original on 15 April 2015. Retrieved 2 December 2014.
8. Denigan, James (2004). "Quennell, Sir Peter Courtney". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online ed.). Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/53167. ISBN 978-0-19-861412-8. Retrieved 29 August 2020. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)