North Cray
North Cray is a rural settlement in South East London, England, within the London Borough of Bexley. It is located east of Sidcup and south of Bexleyheath and is 12.6 miles (20.3 km) south-east of Charing Cross, the traditional centre of London in the Metropolitan Green Belt.
North Cray | |
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![]() North Cray Road | |
![]() St James' Church in North Cray | |
![]() ![]() North Cray Location within Greater London | |
OS grid reference | TQ487722 |
• Charing Cross | 12.6 mi (20.3 km) NW |
London borough | |
Ceremonial county | Greater London |
Region | |
Country | England |
Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
Post town | SIDCUP |
Postcode district | DA14 |
Dialling code | 020 |
Police | Metropolitan |
Fire | London |
Ambulance | London |
UK Parliament | |
London Assembly | |
History
Early history
North Cray was previously a civil parish in the Hundred of Ruxley, Sutton-at-Hone Lathe. The settlement Ruxley had its own parish but it was abolished in 1557 and the area was absorbed into North Cray parish.[1][2]
Modern history

North Cray was within Kent until the creation of Greater London in 1965. From 1894 to 1934 North Cray was within the Bromley Rural District, then it was in the Chislehurst and Sidcup Urban District from 1934 to 1965; then finally the London Borough of Bexley from 1965 which remains today.
Transport
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Buses
- 492 to Bluewater via Bexley, Bexleyheath, Crayford, Dartford, Stone & Greenhithe or to Sidcup via Ruxley & Foots Cray. Operated by Arriva London for London Buses.
Rail
The nearest National Rail station to North Cray is Bexley.
Notable people
North Cray briefly became the centre of international attention in August 1822 when Robert Stewart, Viscount Castlereagh, the Foreign Secretary, committed suicide at his country home Loring Hall.
Other notable people associated with the area include geologist Joshua Trimmer,[3] colonial administrator Harry Ord,[4] and cricketer John Gosling,[5] all of whom were born in North Cray.
Neighbouring areas
References
- North Cray and Ruxley, British History Online
- North Cray history at www.idealhomes.org Archived 18 November 2008 at the Wayback Machine
- This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Trimmer, Joshua". Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 27 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press.
- Boyce, Peter. "Ord, Sir Harry St George (1819–1885)". Biography - Sir Harry St George Ord. Australian Dictionary of Biography. National Centre of Biography, Australian National University. Retrieved 26 November 2016.
- "John Gosling". ESPN Cricinfo. Retrieved 26 November 2016.