Foots Cray Meadows
.
Foots Cray Meadows is an area of parkland and woodland (97 hectares or nearly 250 acres in all) in the London Borough of Bexley, England. It borders the suburbs of Albany Park, Sidcup, Foots Cray, and North Cray. 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.
A notable feature of the area is the Five Arches bridge, which crosses the River Cray, as does the smaller Penny Farthing Bridge.
The Meadows are a Local Nature Reserve[1][2] and a Site of Metropolitan Importance for Nature Conservation.[3] They have also have received a Green Flag Award.[4] There is access from Rectory Lane, among other places.
Adjacent to the meadows is an area known locally as the "wasteland" and the ruins of a destroyed boules alley.
History
The area was originally a part of the Footscray Place estate, and during the 18th century the Five Arches bridge was built. At the same time, an almshouse was built adjacent to the woods, which, as of 2008, was being excavated by archaeologists belonging to Bexley Archaeological Group.[5]
After the house's destruction, in the late 1940s, the area was turned into a public recreation park. In the early 2000s, Five Arches bridge was renovated with new stone.
Gallery
-
Foots Cray Meadows
-
Lake in Foots Cray Meadows
-
River Cray in Foots Cray Meadows
-
The 18th century Five Arches bridge after its renovation in the 2000s
-
Five Arches in winter
-
Sweet chestnut tree at the Meadows, one of the oldest documented trees in the region
External links
- Friends of Foots Cray Meadows
- A History of Foots Cray Place
- Foots Cray Meadows, London Borough of Bexley
References
- ↑ "Foots Cray Meadows". Local Nature Reserves. Natural England. 4 March 2013. Retrieved 22 January 2014.
- ↑ "Map of Foots Cray Meadows". Local Nature Reserves. Natural England. Retrieved 22 January 2014.
- ↑ "The River Cray". Greenspace Information for Greater London. 2006. Retrieved 8 September 2012.
- ↑ Foots Cray Meadows, London Borough of Bexley
- ↑ http://www.bag.org.uk/work%20sites/current%20autumn%20files/autumn%2008.html[]
Bibliography
- Dunning, G. C. (1959). "Medieval Discoveries at Cray House, Bexley" (PDF). Archaeologia Cantiana 73: 211–213.
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Coordinates: 51°25′33″N 0°07′38″E / 51.4258°N 0.1271°E