Beckenham

Beckenham
The west face of St George's Church, Beckenham
Beckenham Location within Greater London
Area	13.22 km2 (5.10 sq mi)
Population	46,844 (2011 Census[1]
• Density	3,543/km2 (9,180/sq mi)
OS grid reference	TQ3769
London borough	Bromley
Ceremonial county	Greater London
Region	London
Country	England
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Post town	BECKENHAM
Postcode district	BR3
Post town	LONDON
Postcode district	SE20
Dialling code	020
Police	Metropolitan
Fire	London
Ambulance	London
UK Parliament	Beckenham Lewisham West and Penge
London Assembly	Bexley and Bromley
List of places UK England London 51°24′29″N 0°01′19″W / 51.408°N 0.022°W / 51.408; -0.022

Beckenham (/ˈbɛkənəm/) is a town in Greater London, England, within the London Borough of Bromley. Prior to 1965, it was part of Kent. It is situated north of Elmers End and Eden Park, east of Penge, south of Lower Sydenham and Bellingham, and west of Bromley and Shortlands, and 8.4 miles (13.5 km) south-east of Charing Cross. Its population at the 2011 Census was 46,844.^[2]

Beckenham was, until the coming of the railway in 1857, a small village, with most of its land being rural and private parkland. John Barwell Cator and his family began the leasing and selling of land for the building of villas which led to a rapid increase in population, between 1850 and 1900, from 2,000 to 26,000. Housing and population growth has continued at a lesser pace since 1900.

Beckenham has areas of commerce and industry, principally around the curved network of streets featuring its high street, and is served in transport by three main railway stations — nine within the post town — plus towards its western periphery two Tramlink stations. In common with the rest of Bromley, the largest borough of London by area, Beckenham has several pockets of recreational land which are a mixture of sports grounds, fishing ponds and parks.