Description
* on The National Heritage List for England, Parks & Gardens
Once part of an estate dating back to Tudor times, the park is essentially mid C18th, with C19th and C20th landscaping overlaid. Foots Cray Place, built c.1754, was acquired by Nicholas Vansittart in 1822, who also purchased the adjoining estate of North Cray Place, whose landscape had been designed by 'Capability' Brown. The estate was divided once more in the late C19th, and subsequently the Foots Cray Place gardens were redesigned. North Cray Place and its grounds were acquired by Sidcup and Chislehurst UDC in the late 1950s. The mansion was demolished and its site built over for housing but the grounds were converted to public open space of Foots Cray Meadows.
Once part of an estate dating back to Tudor times, the park is essentially mid C18th, with C19th and C20th landscaping overlaid. Foots Cray Place, built c.1754, was acquired by Nicholas Vansittart in 1822, who also purchased the adjoining estate of North Cray Place, whose landscape had been designed by 'Capability' Brown. The estate was divided once more in the late C19th, and subsequently the Foots Cray Place gardens were redesigned. North Cray Place and its grounds were acquired by Sidcup and Chislehurst UDC in the late 1950s. The mansion was demolished and its site built over for housing but the grounds were converted to public open space of Foots Cray Meadows.
Practical Information
| Previously known as | Foots Cray Place; North Cray Place |
|---|---|
| Site location | Rectory Lane, Foots Cray |
| Postcode | DA14 |
| What3Words | ///stick.undulation.looked |
| Type of Site | Public Park |
| Borough | Bexley |
| Open to Public | Yes |
| Opening Times | unrestricted |
| Special Conditions | No fishing; golf, swimming, boating. Riding on bridle paths only. No flying model planes. Clean up after your dog; |
| Facilities | Car park near to the stables and in Leafield Lane to the south-east; Children’s playground which is a dog free zone. |
| Public Transport | Rail: Albany Park, Sidcup. Bus: 492, B14. |
| Research Updated | 1 April 2002 |
| Last Updated | 18 October 2026 |
Full description
Site on The National Heritage List for England, Parks & Gardens, for Register Entry see https://www.historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list
The estate dated back to Tudor times but the park is essentially mid C18th with C19th and C20th overlays. Foots Cray Place was built c.1754 to a design attributed to Isaac Ware for Bouchier Cleeve, replacing an earlier house situated by All Saints Church (demolished late C18th). The house later burnt down in 1949, and was demolished in 1950. Nicholas Vansittart acquired Foots Cray Place in 1822 and also purchased the adjoining estate of North Cray Place, a house adjoining St James Church (q.v.), rebuilt early C19th. North Cray Place and its grounds were acquired by Sidcup and Chislehurst UDP in the late 1950s and the house was demolished in 1962. It was built over for housing although part of the grounds were retained for public open space of Foots Cray Meadows. Lancelot 'Capability' Brown had been involved in redesigning the park of North Cray Place in 1771. After the division of the estate in the late C19th Samuel Waring, first tenant and later owner of Foots Cray Place, asked Thomas Mawson in conjunction with architect Dan Gibson to redesign the gardens. The former stables of Foots Cray are in residential use; the walled garden has been built upon, retaining walls, and an interpretation centre and rangers' office are provided as part of the development.
The River Cray is possibly London's best river in terms of its water quality and relatively naturally graded profile. The site contains much ancillary parkland of low wildlife interest, but the marsh meadows adjacent to the river are of high species diversity with several uncommon plants. The area also supports a diverse wildlife.
The Historic Buildings and Monuments Commission for England was established in 1984 and was commonly called English Heritage. In April 2015 it split into 2 separate entities, Historic England (HE), which continues to champion and protect the historic environment, and the English Heritage Trust, whose role is to look after the 400+ historic sites and monuments owned by the state. HE manages the National Heritage List for England (NHLE) that includes over 400,000 items ranging from prehistoric monuments to office blocks, battlefields and parks, which benefit from legal protection.
The estate dated back to Tudor times but the park is essentially mid C18th with C19th and C20th overlays. Foots Cray Place was built c.1754 to a design attributed to Isaac Ware for Bouchier Cleeve, replacing an earlier house situated by All Saints Church (demolished late C18th). The house later burnt down in 1949, and was demolished in 1950. Nicholas Vansittart acquired Foots Cray Place in 1822 and also purchased the adjoining estate of North Cray Place, a house adjoining St James Church (q.v.), rebuilt early C19th. North Cray Place and its grounds were acquired by Sidcup and Chislehurst UDP in the late 1950s and the house was demolished in 1962. It was built over for housing although part of the grounds were retained for public open space of Foots Cray Meadows. Lancelot 'Capability' Brown had been involved in redesigning the park of North Cray Place in 1771. After the division of the estate in the late C19th Samuel Waring, first tenant and later owner of Foots Cray Place, asked Thomas Mawson in conjunction with architect Dan Gibson to redesign the gardens. The former stables of Foots Cray are in residential use; the walled garden has been built upon, retaining walls, and an interpretation centre and rangers' office are provided as part of the development.
The River Cray is possibly London's best river in terms of its water quality and relatively naturally graded profile. The site contains much ancillary parkland of low wildlife interest, but the marsh meadows adjacent to the river are of high species diversity with several uncommon plants. The area also supports a diverse wildlife.
The Historic Buildings and Monuments Commission for England was established in 1984 and was commonly called English Heritage. In April 2015 it split into 2 separate entities, Historic England (HE), which continues to champion and protect the historic environment, and the English Heritage Trust, whose role is to look after the 400+ historic sites and monuments owned by the state. HE manages the National Heritage List for England (NHLE) that includes over 400,000 items ranging from prehistoric monuments to office blocks, battlefields and parks, which benefit from legal protection.
Further Information
| Grid Reference | TQ476715 |
|---|---|
| Size in hectares | 97 |
| Site Ownership | LB Bexley |
| Site Management | Parks and Open Spaces; Friends of Footscray Meadows |
| Dates | midC18th with C19th & C20th overlays |
| Designers | Lancelot 'Capability' Brown; Thomas Mawson |
| Listed Structures | LBII: Stable Block, Walls, Gate & Gate Piers of Kitchen Garden, Bowling Pavilion, Five Arched Bridge |
| On National Heritage List for England (NHLE), Parks & Gardens | Yes |
| NHLE grade | Grade II |
| 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 | No |
| Tree Preservation Order | No |
| Nature Conservation Area | Yes - Metropolitan Importance |
| Green Belt | No |
| Metropolitan Open Land | No |
| Special Policy Area | No |
| Other LA Designation | Local Nature Reserve |
Gallery
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
St James's Church dates from at least the C12th, and was once the private chapel for North Cray Place, a number of whose owners were buried here. The church was substantially rebuilt in 1852 and enlarged in 1870. The small churchyard is surrounded by brick walls on 3 sides, its east wall once forming a boundary with the kitchen garden of North Cray Place. At the west end of the churchyard are handsome early C18th gates.
All Saints Church dates from Saxon times, dating from the time when Paulinus brought Christianity to settlements on the River Cray in the C7th. The area around the hamlet of Foots Cray remained rural until the C20th. The churchyard was enlarged to the east in the C19th on part of the parkland of Foots Cray Place and has a large Cedar of Lebanon. In the C20th it was again enlarged to the north. There are some good monuments including a record of a gravestone of 1656. Mature trees include yew and lime, and there is a lych-gate.
North Cray Poultry Farm was formerly part of the site of a C19th villa, Cray Hall, the grounds of which are now in divided ownership as a result of the property being sliced through by the dual carriageway of North Cray Road. There are several good trees including a large weeping beech in the forecourt. The lodge is no longer part of the property. Other trees include lime, horse chestnut and Lebanon cedar, and there is vestigial parkland to the south.
