Bexley community action

The London Borough of Bexley owns and maintains over 100 parks and open spaces within its boundaries, with a total of 638 hectares (1,580 acres). They include small gardens, river and woodland areas, and large parks with many sporting and other facilities.

Foots Cray Meadows is an area of parkland and woodland 100 hectares (240 acres) in size, and the largest open space in the borough. It borders the suburbs of Albany Park, Sidcup, Foots Cray, North Cray and Ruxley. The River Cray runs through it in a north-easterly direction. The London Loop, a public recreational walking path around London, also known as the "M25 for walkers", runs through the meadows parallel to the river from Sidcup Place, just south of the meadows. The meadows contain two bridges across the River Cray: Five Arches bridge and the smaller Penny Farthing Bridge.

The Meadows are a Local Nature Reserve, and a Site of Metropolitan Importance for Nature Conservation. They have also received a Green Flag Award.

Danson Park is situated between Welling and Bexleyheath. At 75 hectares, it is the second largest public park in the borough and the most used by the community. Opened in 1925, it is often considered the finest green open space in the borough, and is Grade II listed on the Register of Historic Parks and Gardens.

The Hall Place estate is 65 hectares of landscaped gardens and grounds set around a 16th Century Grade I Listed stately home, including a topiary lawn, herb garden, tropical garden and long herbaceous cottage garden-styled borders. The gardens were first opened to the public in 1952 by Katharine, Duchess of Kent. Topiary replicas of the Queen’s Beasts were planted in 1953 to mark the coronation of Elizabeth II.

Hall Place is a Grade I listed Historic Park, and has received a Green Flag Award for excellence in a public park or garden for 20 consecutive years from 1996 to 2016. The site is maintained by the Bexley Heritage Trust.

Lamorbey Park is a 57-hectare (140-acre) park in Lamorbey, which was added to the Register of Historic Parks and Gardens of special historic interest in 1988. Originally the estate consisted of 119 hectares belonging to William Steele, a director of the East India Company, but over time sections of the estate have been separated for other uses, including two secondary schools (Chislehurst and Sidcup Grammar School and Hurstmere School), Rose Bruford College, and Sidcup Golf Club. The area of the park still in public ownership includes The Glade, a 7.4-hectare (18-acre) area of historic landscape laid in the 1920s with a large lake that houses the Lamorbey Angling Society.

• East Wickham Open Space is a 28-hectare (69-acre) park in the north-west of the borough, situated between Welling and Plumstead. It was transferred from the Manor of Plumstead to the Borough of Bexley in 1902. The site was used as a landfill site during the late 1950s, before being converted for use as a park. The Green Chain Walk passes through the park, and it also contains a children's playground, and sports and skateboarding facilities. A river named the Wogebourne passes under the northern part of the park in an underground culvert, but previously flowed above ground through it.

• Erith Marshes
• Franks Park is a 17-hectare (42-acre) park in Belvedere, situated on the hill between the upper and lower parts of the town. It was formerly a part of the grounds of Belvedere Park, a property on Upper Park Road that was demolished in the mid-20th century. The area was purchased by Erith Council in 1920, and a park was established, named after Frank Beadle, a local man who donated funds towards the acquisition of the site. The park today has a wooded area with a substantial wildlife population, as well as a field and a children's playground.
• Sidcup Place is a 16.3-hectare (40-acre) open green space situated between Sidcup High Street and Queen Mary's Hospital. It extends from Frognal House to the east of the hospital, to The Green, an adjacent 0.12 hectares of parkland in front of the Manor House Registry Office, which contains Sidcup's War Memorial. It contains a children's playground and tennis courts.

Lesnes Abbey Woods is an 88 hectare area of ancient woodland to the south-east of Abbey Wood, named after the Lesnes Abbey ruins that lie within its area. It is adjacent to Bostall Woods. The area is a Local Nature Reserve, and includes the Abbey Wood geological Site of Special Scientific Interest, an important site for early Tertiary fossils.

• Barnehurst Open Space is an 11 hectare area of scrubland and woodland adjacent to Barnehurst Golf Course.
• Bexley Woods is a wooded area situated between Bexley and Blendon, to the south of Bridgen Road/Parkhill Road. The River Shuttle runs through these woods.
• Biggs Hill Wood is a 2.5-hectare (6.2-acre) area of woodland situated to the south of Watling Street between Crayford and Bexleyheath. This area houses oak, ash and sweet chestnut trees and is an important area for wildlife.
• Braeburn Park is a 22.3-hectare (55-acre) nature reserve in Crayford, managed by the London Wildlife Trust, which includes Wansunt Pit, a 1.9-hectare (4.7-acre) geological Site of Special Scientific Interest.
• Bursted Woods is an area of part-woodland, part-grassland in Barnehurst, situated to the west of Erith Road. The area was rural until the electrification of the nearby Bexleyheath railway line in 1926, after which sections of the woodland were used for housing. The remainder of the wood is a Grade II Site of Nature Conservation Interest, and the wood contains mature Pedunculate Oak, Sweet Chestnut coppice, ash, silver birch, field maple and other tree species.
• Chalk Wood is a 28-hectare ancient woodland situated to the east of North Cray Road in North Cray, in the south-east corner of the borough, contiguous with Joyden's Wood to its north-east. There is a bridle path for horse riding crossing the wood.
• Crayford Rough is a 4.2-hectare (10-acre) area of grassland between Hall Place and Crayford railway station. The area is home to many species of insects, butterflies and birds.

There are four designated Local Nature Reserves in Bexley, Crossness Nature Reserve, Danson Park Bog Garden, Foots Cray Meadows and Lesnes Abbey Woods.

Other small parks in the borough include:

• Abbey Hill Park is a 2.8-hectare (6.9-acre) park in Sidcup, situated between Canterbury Avenue and the Dartford Loop railway line in Sidcup. Originally farmland, the park was established in the inter-war period when the area was developed for housing. It is named after a building nearby named Abbeyhill. The park was expanded in 2001 after absorbing an adjacent site previously used as allotments.
• Barnehurst Avenue Open Space is a 0.07-hectare (0.17-acre) area of grass on the junction of Barnehurst Avenue and Erith Road, Northumberland Heath, decorated with trees and flowers.
• Bedonwell Road Open Space is a 0.15-hectare (0.37-acre) area of grass in front of residential housing on Bedonwell Road, Belvedere.
• Beechwood Crescent Open Space is a 0.38-hectare (0.94-acre) grass park in Bexleyheath, situated between Beechwood Crescent and Chestnut Drive
• Belvedere Recreation Ground South is a grass park and sport and recreation area situated behind Belvedere High Street, south of Woolwich Road. The park contains tennis courts, and the second-largest children's playground in the borough.
• Belvedere Splashpark is a recreational park north of Woolwich Road in the centre of Belvedere. It was previously a water park, but Bexley Council decided on 22 February 2016 to close the water facilities, and convert the park into a regular children's playground.
• Berwick Crescent Open Space is a woodland route along the River Shuttle in Blackfen, parallel to Berwick Crescent, connecting Parish Wood Park and Holly Oak Park.
• Beverley Woods is a 1.24-hectare (3.1-acre) woodland surrounding Wyncham Stream, a tributary of the River Shuttle, situated between Blackfen and Lamorbey.
• Birch Walk is a wooded trail connecting Kempton Close and Fraser Road in Erith. The southern end of the trail opens into a small grass area with trees.
• Boevey Path Open Space is a 0.12-hectare (0.30-acre) open space situated next to Belvedere Sports Ground.
• Burnt Oak Lane Open Space is a 0.73-hectare (1.8-acre) green space adjacent to Burnt Oak Lane in Lamorbey.
• Byron Drive Open Space is a 0.4-hectare (0.99-acre) enclosed children's playground on Byron Drive, Northumberland Heath.
• Colyers Open Space is a small walled green area on Colyers Lane, Northumberland Heath, opposite Leigh Academy Bexley.
• Craydene Open Space is a large recreational space in Slade Green.
• Crayford Way Gardens are two small walled green spaces on Crayford Way, Crayford.
• The Crescent is a 0.31-hectare (0.77-acre) grassed area with trees south of Main Road in Sidcup.
• Danson Mead is a 0.44-hectare (1.1-acre) area of grass in front of houses next to Parkview Road, Welling.
• The Dell is a 0.79-hectare (2.0-acre) park on the north side of Crayford Way, Crayford, containing a children's playground and a street hockey pitch.
• Eastcote Gardens is a 0.39-hectare (0.96-acre) grassed area in Oxleas Close, Welling.
• Erith Recreation Ground is a large recreation area and sports facility next to Erith Leisure Centre to the west of the A206 between Erith and Slade Green. The site includes tennis courts and football pitches.
• Foots Cray Common is a 0.29-hectare (0.72-acre) green space next to Clarence Road, Sidcup, primarily used for dog-walking.
• Foots Cray Garden Open Space is a 0.12-hectare (0.30-acre) paved public area on Foots Cray High Street.
• Foots Cray Recreation Ground is a 3.4-hectare (8.4-acre) recreation ground situated to the west of Cray Road, south of Foots Cray. The ground contains several lime trees.
• The Green (Bexleyheath) is a 0.59-hectare (1.5-acre) green space situated in a residential area north of Bexleyheath Town Centre, close to Rydal Drive.
• The Green (Falconwood) is a 0.68-hectare (1.7-acre) green space in the central commercial area of Falconwood, with a children's playground and sports facilities.
• Groombridge Close Open Space is a 0.24 green space in Groombridge Close, Welling.
• Hales Field is a 1.18-hectare (2.9-acre) wildlife habitat around the River Cray in Foots Cray, adjacent to Edgington Way.
• Holly Hill Open Space is a 4.9-hectare (12-acre) area of grassland in Lessness Heath.
• Holly Oak Wood Park is a park on the north side of the River Shuttle, south of Blackfen.
• Holmscroft Open Space is a 1.6-hectare (4.0-acre) green space between Northumberland Heath and Slade Green, situated between Hurstwood Avenue and the A206.
• Howbury Lane Open Space is a grass recreation area on Howbury Lane in Slade Green. The space includes a children's playground and skateboarding facilities.
• Hurst Recreation Ground is a 1.6-hectare (4.0-acre) area of grass recreation space situated between Hurst Road and the River Shuttle in the area between Blendon and Albany Park.
• Jolly Farmers Open Space is a large green space situated between Crayford Way and the River Cray, next to the junction of Crayford Way and the A206. The park takes its name from the nearby Jolly Farmers public house, which closed in 2014.
• King George's Playing Fields, also known as Town Park, is a 0.82-hectare (2.0-acre) recreation area situated to the north of Bexleyheath Broadway. The site contains a garden, sports facilities with floodlighting, and a skate park.
• King George's Recreation Ground is a sports and recreation area between Longlands and Lamborbey, situated between Longlands Road and the south side of the Dartford Loop railway line. The area also contains a children's playground.
• Lawrence Road Open Space is a 0.17-hectare (0.42-acre) fenced children's play area in Lawrence Road, to the west of Northumberland Heath.
• Lodge Hill Playground is a 0.58-hectare (1.4-acre) open space with an area of grass and a large children's playground, situated at the bottom of Lodge Hill, on the road between Welling and Plumstead. It is opposite the east entrance of East Wickham Open Space.
• Long Lane Open Space is a 0.61-hectare (1.5-acre) green space situated to the south of Long Lane in West Heath.
• Longlands Recreation Ground is a 2.5-hectare (6.2-acre) recreation ground with a football pitch, in the centre of the Longlands residential area.
• Manor House Open Space is a 0.51-hectare (1.3-acre) open space adjacent to Manor House, a former stately home. The space contains a bowling green and croquet lawn.
• Marlborough Park is a park in the north of Lamorbey, divided by the River Shuttle and Burnt Oak Lane, adjacent to Sidcup Golf Club.
• Martens Grove is an area of parkland and mature woodland adjacent to Martens Avenue, between Bexleyheath, Barnehurst and Crayford. The park contains a children's playground and cycling facilities.
• Mayplace Recreation Ground is a 4.9-hectare (12-acre) recreation ground adjoining Barnehurst Golf Course to the north. The space is administered by Danson Sports FC, and contains football and astroturf hockey pitches.
• Millfield Open Space is a small green space on Iron Mill Lane, Crayford.
• Northumberland Heath Recreation Ground is a 9.4-hectare (23-acre) recreation ground in Northumberland Heath, with a children's playground, hard tennis courts, and several rugby and football pitches. The park was established in 1901 when the area was developed for housing. The park previously contained a bandstand, but this was removed in the 1960s. The park is home to Erith Rugby Club.
• Ocean Park is a 0.3-hectare (0.74-acre) green space situated between Erith town centre and the River Thames.
• Old Farm Park is a 3.6-hectare (8.9-acre) park situated between Old Farm Road and the north side of the Dartford Loop railway line in Lamorbey, to the west of Sidcup station.
• Old Manor Way is a 0.22-hectare (0.54-acre) green space with a small children's playground, on the junction of several residential roads to the east of Barnehurst station.
• The Oval is a 0.82-hectare (2.0-acre) green open space in front of The Oval shopping parade, the central commercial area of the Marlborough Park Estate between Blackfen and Sidcup, built in 1933 by New Ideal Homesteads. The Oval has a variety of flora, including flowers, shrubs and trees.
• Palmar Gardens is a 0.52-hectare (1.3-acre) wooded park situated in residential backstreets, on the south side of the Bexleyheath Line railway, to the east of Bexleyheath station.
• Parish Wood Park is situated on the borough's boundary with the Royal Borough of Greenwich in Blackfen. The park is what is left of the fen that once covered the whole area from which Blackfen takes its name. In 2009, Parish Wood was one of 11 parks in Greater London chosen by public vote to receive money for redevelopment. The park received £400,000 towards better footpaths, more lighting, refurbished public toilets and new play areas for children.
• Parkhurst Gardens is a 0.2-hectare (0.49-acre) green space just to the north of Parkhill Road, Bexley.
• Penhill Park is a 7.8-hectare (19-acre) park slightly to the south of the A210 between Blackfen and Blendon. The park is fully enclosed by housing from the Penhill Park Estate, built in the 1930s. The park had previously been part of Blendon Wood. The park contains a large children's playground and allotments in the north-west corner.
• Riverside Gardens is a 1.16-hectare (2.9-acre) park in Erith town centre, between the high street and the River Thames. The park contains trees, flowerbeds, and a raised viewing platform for observation of the Thames Estuary.
• Riverside Walk is a trail that follows the River Shuttle from Penhill Road in the west to Parkhill Road in the east, running through residential backstreets in Blendon and then traversing Bexley Woods. The walk has three separate sections: the west section, a 7.8-hectare (19-acre) riverbank grassland area running from Penhill Road to Albany Road; a central section opening out into a 6.8-hectare (17-acre) park with a children's playground and sports facilities; and an east section consisting of a path following the river through Bexley Woods.
• Russell Park is a 6.8-hectare (17-acre) park on Long Lane, just off the A220 between Barnehurst and Bexleyheath. The park contains a large children's playground, several tennis courts, a bowling green, and a small arboretum.
• Rutland Shaw is a 2-hectare (4.9-acre) grass area with trees on the north side of the Dartford Loop railway line, just to the west of Albany Park station.
• Shenstone Park is a sloping grass and woods area on the north side of the A207 between Bexleyheath and Crayford.
• Shoulder of Mutton Green is a 1.49-hectare (3.7-acre) public open space in Welling, situated between Wickham Street and Bellegrove Road. It owes its unusual name to its triangular shape. Before the urban growth of the nearby hamlet of Welling in the early 20th century, Shoulder of Mutton Green was surrounded by fields.
• Slade Green Recreation Ground is a recreation ground in the residential backstreets of Slade Green, at the west fringe of Dartford & Crayford Marshes. The site contains two children's playgrounds and sports facilities.
• St. Mary's Recreation Ground is a 4.1-hectare (10-acre) area of grass including a football pitch and rugby pitch, located on the south side of the A2 immediately to the east of the Black Prince interchange. It is the home ground of Dartfordians Rugby Club.
• St. Paulinus Gardens is a small garden situated in front of St. Paulinus Church, Crayford.
• Steeple Memorial Garden is a 0.46-hectare (1.1-acre) green space in front of a bowling alley on the south side of the A207 to the west of Bexleyheath town centre. The garden contains the town's war memorial.
• Stevens Park is a 3.9-hectare (9.6-acre) park with a large children's playground in residential backstreets between Welling and West Heath.
• Stoneham Park is a large grassed area situated between the A207 and A2000 to the north of Crayford.
• Streamway and Chapmans Land Open Space are two connected park areas running alongside Bedens Stream in Belvedere to Brook Street in the east.
• Waring Park is a 5.3-hectare (13-acre) grass area situated in residential backstreets to the south-east of Lamorbey, containing tennis courts and other sports facilities.
• The Warren is a 4.6-hectare (11-acre) area of grass and woodland situated in residential backstreets on the hill between Bexleyheath town centre and the A2.
• Waterside Gardens is a park overlooking the River Cray in Crayford town centre. The park was renovated in 2009 by a community project, incorporating art installations and a design themed on the town's industrial history.
• West Heath Recreation Ground is a 1.84-hectare (4.5-acre) park in West Heath, containing a large children's playground and tennis and basketball courts.
• West Street Small Park is a 0.29-hectare (0.72-acre) park with grass and shrubs adjoining West Street in Erith town centre.
• Whitehall Lane Open Space is a large grass area in the centre of Slade Green, immediately to the west of Slade Green station. It is often used for fun fairs and other community events.
• Wilde Road Open Space is a small grass open space in residential backstreets to the west of Northumberland Heath.
• Willersley Park is a 2.3-hectare (5.7-acre) park between Blackfen and Lamorbey, situated on the north bank of the River Shuttle between Holly Oak Wood Park and Marlborough Park. The park contains a children's playground, tennis courts and other sports facilities, and a café.
• Wyncham Stream is a tributary of the River Shuttle, which runs parallel to Longmeadow Road and Brookend Road between Lamorbey and New Eltham, with grass areas on both banks.

• A-Z list of parks and open spaces
• Bylaws

The London Borough of Bexley ( ) is a London borough in south-east London, forming part of Outer London. It has a population of 248,287. The main settlements are Sidcup, Erith, Bexleyheath, Crayford, Welling and Old Bexley. The London Borough of Bexley is within the Thames Gateway, an area designated as a national priority for urban regeneration. The local authority is Bexley London Borough Council.

Prior to the 19th century the area now forming the borough was sparsely populated: very few of the present settlements were mentioned in the Domesday Book, although the village of Bexley has a charter dated 814 AD. Erith was a port on the River Thames until the 17th century; the opening of the sewage works at nearby Crossness in the late 19th century turned it into an industrial town.

Today's settlement pattern is the result of the gradual extension of the London influence. Until the 19th century it was an area with a few isolated buildings such as the Georgian Danson House. With the coming of the railways building began apace, although the area is still composed of many disconnected settlements, interspersed with area of open ground and parks.

Lesnes Abbey Woods, sometimes known as Abbey Wood, is a 73 ha ancient woodland in southeast London, England. It is located near to, and named after, the ruined Lesnes Abbey in the London Borough of Bexley and gives its name to the Abbey Wood district. The woods are adjacent to Bostall Woods.

Lesnes Abbey Woods is a Local Nature Reserve and includes the Abbey Wood geological Site of Special Scientific Interest, an important site for early Tertiary fossils.

The London Borough of Bexley ( ) is a London borough in south-east London, forming part of Outer London. It has a population of 248,287. The main settlements are Sidcup, Erith, Bexleyheath, Crayford, Welling and Old Bexley. The London Borough of Bexley is within the Thames Gateway, an area designated as a national priority for urban regeneration. The local authority is Bexley London Borough Council.

Prior to the 19th century the area now forming the borough was sparsely populated: very few of the present settlements were mentioned in the Domesday Book, although the village of Bexley has a charter dated 814 AD. Erith was a port on the River Thames until the 17th century; the opening of the sewage works at nearby Crossness in the late 19th century turned it into an industrial town.

Today's settlement pattern is the result of the gradual extension of the London influence. Until the 19th century it was an area with a few isolated buildings such as the Georgian Danson House. With the coming of the railways building began apace, although the area is still composed of many disconnected settlements, interspersed with area of open ground and parks.

A local government district called Bexley was created in 1880, covering the parish of Bexley, which included both Bexley village and Bexleyheath.^: 15 Another local government district had been created covering the neighbouring parish of Erith in 1876. Such districts were converted into urban districts under the Local Government Act 1894.

Bexley Urban District absorbed the neighbouring parish of East Wickham in 1902; Welling had previously straddled the boundary between Bexley and East Wickham, but after 1902 was therefore wholly in Bexley. Crayford was made an urban district in 1920. Bexley was made a municipal borough in 1935, as was Erith in 1938.

The modern borough was created in 1965 under the London Government Act 1963, covering the combined area of the former boroughs of Bexley and Erith, the Crayford Urban District and the Sidcup area from the Chislehurst and Sidcup Urban District (the Chislehurst area went to the London Borough of Bromley). The area was transferred from Kent to Greater London, to become one of the 32 London boroughs.

The coat of arms of the borough depicts symbols for the main rivers in the area, the Bexley Charter Oak, the industry and the Kent boundary.

The local authority is Bexley Council, which has its headquarters at the Bexley Civic Offices in Bexleyheath.

Since 2000, for elections to the London Assembly, the borough forms part of the Bexley and Bromley constituency.

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, 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, and which results in heathland, provided a natural course for the old 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.

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. 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 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 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 was the location of a medieval monastery.

The map of Bexley shows that a large proportion of its area comprises suburbia. Some named places, like 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.

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 Borough of Dartford to the east and Sevenoaks district to the southeast, both in the county of Kent.

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 Woods, Danson Park and Hall Place Gardens. There are also many golf courses and sports fields, particularly to the west of Crayford.

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 interchange of the A2 Rochester Way with the A220.

The house dates back to around 1540 when wealthy merchant Sir John Champneys, Lord Mayor of London in 1534, built himself a country house. In 1649, the house was sold to another wealthy City merchant, 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.

In 1801, the civil parishes that form the modern borough had a total population of 4,165. This rose slowly throughout the 19th century, as the district became built up; reaching 10,963 in the middle of the century. When the railways arrived the rate of population growth increased. The population peaked in the 1970s, when industry began to relocate from London.

In the 2001 census, the borough had a population of 218,307; of whom 105,148 were male, and 113,159 female. Of the population, 44.3% were in full-time employment and 11.6% in part-time employment – compared to a London average of 42.6% and 8.6%, respectively. Residents were predominantly owner-occupiers, with 31.7% owning their house outright, and a further 46.5% owning with a mortgage. Only 2.2% were in local authority housing, with a further 11.5% renting from a housing association, or other registered social landlord.

The greater part of the population are nominal Anglicans, but there are a number of Roman Catholic churches and nonconformist congregations. In the 2001 Census, 22.7% of the area's population described themselves as non-religious or chose not to state their faith.

Baptists, Plymouth Brethren, and Methodists are among the other congregations. In 2008 the former Crayford Methodist Church was purchased by the North West Kent Muslim Association to become a mosque serving Bexley and Dartford boroughs.

In 2011, 58.1% of Bexley's population was between 20 and 64 years old, the lowest percentage in London. 16% of the population was over 65, the third highest behind Bromley and Havering. The average household size is 2.49, up from 2.43 in 2001. The number of households increased by 3.52% to 92,600 between 2001 and 2011, one of the lowest increases in the capital.

In 2011, 62.5% of the borough's population identified themselves as Christian, with 24.1% having no religion. Both figures are above London's average.

The following table shows the ethnic group of respondents in the 2001 and 2011 census in Bexley.

The principal roads through the Borough include the A2 trunk road; the A20 (Sidcup By-pass) which generally marks its southern boundary; the A207, which is the route of the erstwhile Watling Street; the A206 which takes traffic from Woolwich and Dartford; and the latter's newer counterpart, the A2016 through Thamesmead.

There are also some long-distance footpaths in the Borough: among them the Thames Path and the London Outer Orbital Path. Bexley Borough has joined with three other adjoining boroughs to for the South East London Green Chain linking green spaces.

Bexley is not served by any London Underground, Tramlink, Docklands Light Railway or London Overground services. However, since 2022, Elizabeth line services have started to utilise a terminus at Abbey Wood, the entrance to which is in Bexley (due to the borough boundary passing through the site, the station's platforms sit within the Royal Borough of Greenwich). There are various proposals to extend either the DLR or London Overground to Thamesmead. There are currently no plans to extend the London Underground into the borough, with the nearest current station being in North Greenwich.

There are three suburban railway lines crossing the Borough which converge at Dartford. The most northerly is the North Kent Line, then the Bexleyheath Line which runs through the centre of the borough and then finally the Dartford Loop Line which runs furthest south. Abbey Wood and Slade Green are also served by Thameslink trains.

The National Rail stations are:

• Abbey Wood
• Albany Park
• Barnehurst
• Belvedere
• Bexley
• Bexleyheath
• Crayford
• Erith
• Falconwood
• Sidcup
• Slade Green
• Welling

In 2019, the mode share in Bexley was reported as follows

According to a report from Transport for London, Bexley has the lowest overall active, efficient and sustainable mode shares of all the London Boroughs.

The following Pie chart shows the religious affiliation of residents residing in Bexley.

Buildings with Grade II listings (buildings of special interest warranting preservation) are marked with an asterisk *

• All Saints' Church – near Foots Cray Meadows, building dates from c. 1330*
• Bethany Hall – Chapel Road, Bexleyheath, now a meeting house of the Plymouth Brethren though originally a Methodist chapel
• Christ Church – in Erith, built in the 19th century, has a distinctive tower built by J. P. St. Aubyn*
• The Greek Orthodox Church of Christ the Saviour – dates from the late 12th or early 13th century, in Welling*
• St James' Church – in North Cray, in a conservation area near Foots Cray Meadows, has foundations from the 12th century
• St John the Baptist Church – nearly a thousand years old, in Erith
• St Mary the Virgin Church (also called Old Bexley Church) – in Bexley, dates back to the Domesday Survey*
• St Paulinus' Church – built in the 12th century on earlier foundations, in Crayford

The London Borough of Bexley has three fire stations controlled by the London Fire Brigade within its boundary: those at Erith, Sidcup and Bexley. Bexley fire station's ground is the largest of the three; covering 23.7 km².

The Borough has several Non-League football clubs:

• Welling United F.C., which play at Park View Road in Welling
• Phoenix Sports F.C., which play at Phoenix Sports Ground in Barnehurst
• VCD Athletic F.C. which play at The Oakwood, Old Road in Crayford
• Welling Town F.C., who play at Bayliss Avenue, Thamesmead
• Erith & Belvedere F.C., which play at Park View Road in Welling
• Erith Town F.C., which play at Erith Stadium in Erith

Bexley RFC

• Évry, France
• Arnsberg, Germany
• Footscray, Victoria, Australia

The town of Bexley, Ohio, a suburb of the state capital, Columbus, was named at the suggestion of an early resident, James Kilbourne, whose family's roots were in Bexley, England. In addition, a suburb of Sydney, Australia bears the name of Bexley and a suburb of Christchurch, New Zealand is also called Bexley. These places outside England are named after the ancient village of Bexley.