| Elmers End | |
|---|---|
 Elmers End Green | |
  Elmers End Location withinGreater London | |
| OS grid reference | TQ355685 |
| London borough | |
| Ceremonial county | Greater London |
| Region | |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | BECKENHAM |
| Postcode district | BR3 |
| Dialling code | 020 |
| Police | Metropolitan |
| Fire | London |
| Ambulance | London |
| UK Parliament | |
| London Assembly | |
| 51°23′50″N0°03′09″W / 51.3971°N 0.0525°W /51.3971; -0.0525 | |
Elmers End is an area of south-eastLondon, England, within theLondon Borough of Bromley,Greater London and formerly part of thehistoric county ofKent. It is located south ofBeckenham, west ofEden Park, north ofMonks Orchard and east ofAnerley.
The name Elmers End was probably from the Aylmer family marking the Southern 'end' of the land, local landowners in the 13th century,[1] although the Aylmer family's clan rarely left the Great North Wood area, which took up most of Norwood and Crystal Palace. An alternative view is that the land was owned by Ralph Aylmer during the reign ofHenry III (1216-1272) and was classified as a 'district'.[2]
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The name Beckenham came about 50 years later, although this claim is completely contradicted by theBromley Council website which shows Beckenham being historically present since AD862 and Elmers End since AD1226.[1]
Elmers End station opened in 1864 in what was then still a rural area. From the 1860s a sewage farm was opened, and housing gradually began to be built in the area, centred on the large green space which is the centre of agyratory.[3] Development continued apace in the early 20th century, with a large industrial estate being built on the south side of the railway track, which has since closed; it used to house the Muirhead and Twinlock factories, and can be seen from the airhere. The companies vacated the sites and it remained derelict until 1995 whenTesco built a new superstore.[3] The former Bolloms paint factory site, on the opposite side of the road has been redeveloped into an industrial estate. AnOdeon cinema stood on Elmers End Green from 1939 to 1959.[3] In the 1960s the sewage farm closed; as it is thought to be contaminated with heavy metals it was considered unfit for building houses and was later converted into a nature park (South Norwood Country Park), which falls within the boundaries of theLondon Borough of Croydon.[3]
The mainBeckenham crematorium is situated between South Norwood Country Park andBirkbeck station. Also known as Elmers End Cemetery, it contains the final resting places of such notable people asW.G. Grace,Frank Bourne,Thomas Crapper,Jerzy Wołkowicki,William Stanley andGeorge Evans (VC) who won aVictoria Cross in 1916.[4]
This was once a small hamlet distinct from Elmers End proper, centred on the sharp bend on Upper Elmers End Road south of the railway line.[5] The hamlet was the site of a brewery, which was converted into Kempton's bakery in the 1930s.[5] It was around this period that large scale housing development began in the area, with Upper Elmers End merging into Elmers End and Eden Park over time and losing its separate identity.[5]
Elmers End railway station connects the area withSoutheastern services toLondon Charing Cross andLondon Cannon Street viaCatford Bridge and toHayes. There are alsoTramlink services toWimbledon viaEast Croydon.
Elmers End is served by several bus routes provided byTransport for London. These connect Elmers End with areas includingBeckenham,Bromley,Catford,Croydon,Crystal Palace,Lewisham,Orpington,Penge,Purley andWoolwich.
