Description
The Crescent was originally the central garden of a crescent of large Victorian houses built in the late C19th. The houses were demolished in the 1960s and replaced by flats. Buildings in the garden were also removed but five cedars of Lebanon remain, as do holly and chestnut trees from the earlier landscaping.
Practical Information
| Site location | The Crescent, adjacent Main Road, Sidcup, Kent |
|---|---|
| Postcode | DA14 6N |
| What3Words | ///libraries.label.stow |
| Type of Site | Public Gardens |
| Borough | Bexley |
| Open to Public | Yes |
| Opening Times | unrestricted |
| Public Transport | Rail: Sidcup. Bus: 321 |
| Research Updated | 1 February 2011 |
| Last Updated | 18 October 2026 |
Full description
Prior to development the area was pasture and arable farming.The earliest development at Sidcup spread along the High Street, which was the main route from London to Foots Cray and Swanley. Development around the junction of Station Road / Main Road / Elm Road / High Street began in the late C19th. Within a short space of tiime during the 1890s, new shops and houses were built along Main Road and on Hamilton Road and Stanhope Road to its north and remain remarkably intact today. Grass verges with landscaping in many roads play an important visual role in defining the spacious character of the area and create a soft edge between the road and pedestrian footway. The Crescent was originally the central garden of a crescent of large Victorian houses built in the late C19th. The houses were demolished in the 1960s and replaced by flats. Buildings in the garden were also removed but five cedars of Lebanon remain, as do holly and chestnut trees from the earlier landscaping.
Further Information
| Grid Reference | TQ458717 |
|---|---|
| Site Ownership | Mount Green Housing Association |
| Site Management | LB Bexley Parks and Open Spaces |
| Dates | 1880 -1890; 1960s |
| On National Heritage List for England (NHLE), Parks & Gardens | No |
| Registered common or village green on Commons Registration Act 1965 | No |
| Protected under London Squares Preservation Act 1931 | No |
| Local Authority | Bexley |
| In Conservation Area | Yes |
| Conservation Area Name | Christ Church, Sidcup |
| Tree Preservation Order | Not known |
| Nature Conservation Area | No |
| Green Belt | No |
| Metropolitan Open Land | No |
| Special Policy Area | No |
| Other LA Designation | Urban Open Space |
Please note the Inventory and its content are provided for your general information only and are subject to change. It is your responsibility to check the accuracy.
Nearby parks and gardens
The Manor House, formerly Place Green House, was built c.1790 by Charles S Minshaw on land acquired from the Frognal Estate where Shotts Farm stood. The garden is thought to have been laid out around the same time. In 1905 Manor House was bought by E J Elgood who then sold the north part for the Grassington Road residential development. Since 1952 the house has been used for Council offices and the gardens have suffered further encroachment for car parking. A few Corsican and Scots pines survive to the south, a notable cedar of Lebanon stands in the front garden of a house to the west and there is a large Arbutus north-west of the house.
Although the area remained largely undeveloped until late C18th, Sidcup Green was recorded as commonland in the tithe return for Chislehurst. Goats and donkeys grazed here in earlier times. It was once known as Place Green; part of the commonland was encroached in the late C18th when Charles Minshaw built Place Green House, since renamed Manor House, which faces the Green from the north. The Green appears little changed over the last century and has grass with trees along east and west edges; a raised bank forms the south boundary planted with a line of well grown Lime trees, beyond which are the grounds of Sidcup Place. A C20th War Memorial with ornamental planting faces the Manor House.
Longlands Recreation Ground was laid out c.1900 on land formerly known as Priestlands, which was donated by the Hawkins family who stipulated it was to be used as a Recreation Ground to the south, with land for Allotments to the north. The Upper area to the south had a curved footpath through it and became the recreation ground while the Lower portion to the north was cleared and developed as allotments during the 1900s. The footpath between the two halves used to be closed on May 1st as a reminder that it was owned by the Council and not by ratepayers at large.
