Description
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.
Practical Information
| Previously known as | Place Green; Sidcup Green |
|---|---|
| Site location | Sidcup, Kent |
| Postcode | DA14 6BS |
| What3Words | ///congratulations.hangs.pulled |
| Type of Site | Public Gardens |
| Borough | Bexley |
| Open to Public | Yes |
| Opening Times | unrestricted |
| Facilities | Public toilets which serve both Sidcup Park and The Green |
| Public Transport | Rail: Sidcup then bus. Bus: 160, 229, 269, B14, R11. |
| Research Updated | 1 July 2005 |
| Last Updated | 18 October 2026 |
Full description
This area was undeveloped prior to the late C18th; Hasted's Map surveyed in 1783 shows Place Green marked. It was recorded as Common in the tithe return of Chislehurst. There was encroachment when Charles S Minshaw, Lord of the Manor of Footscray, bought Shotts Farm and land from the Frognal Estate in c.1788/9 and built Place Green House now called Manor House (q.v.) on the northern half once the site of the farm. Development of the village accelerated in the C19th, particularly after the opening of the railway in 1866 when a number of residential estates were developed by a Mr D J Tuhey. Up to the C20th on the part known as Place Green, goats and donkeys graze.
Place Green, the northern half of what is now the Green, was laid out in the late C18th to complement the building of the Manor House. Formerly the east-west division, just north of the lime along the raised drive to Sidcup Place (q.v.) was more pronounced and distinguished the southern landscape of Sidcup Place from the northern landscape of the Manor House. The southern part was enclosed to the west and north by thick perimeter planting and entered by the Red Lodge built c.1896 on Chislehurst Road. The lodge has been renovated recently. The Green has a general C19th appearance. There has been the addition of a C20th War Memorial that faces north on Place Green opposite the Manor House. The area now known as the showground together with a small artificial lake, icehouse and fence were removed from 1933 onwards. Limes now border the drive, also holm oaks. The whole area forms a visual whole with the Manor House and Sidcup Place.
Place Green, the northern half of what is now the Green, was laid out in the late C18th to complement the building of the Manor House. Formerly the east-west division, just north of the lime along the raised drive to Sidcup Place (q.v.) was more pronounced and distinguished the southern landscape of Sidcup Place from the northern landscape of the Manor House. The southern part was enclosed to the west and north by thick perimeter planting and entered by the Red Lodge built c.1896 on Chislehurst Road. The lodge has been renovated recently. The Green has a general C19th appearance. There has been the addition of a C20th War Memorial that faces north on Place Green opposite the Manor House. The area now known as the showground together with a small artificial lake, icehouse and fence were removed from 1933 onwards. Limes now border the drive, also holm oaks. The whole area forms a visual whole with the Manor House and Sidcup Place.
Further Information
| Grid Reference | TQ462714 |
|---|---|
| Size in hectares | 0.9 |
| Site Ownership | LB Bexley |
| Site Management | Parks and Open Spaces |
| Dates | late C18th; C19th, C20th |
| Listed Structures | LBII: Manor House, Place Cottage. Local list: War Memorial; 1, 2, 3 The Cottages, and Freeby on The Green |
| On National Heritage List for England (NHLE), Parks & Gardens | No |
| Registered common or village green on Commons Registration Act 1965 | Yes: Green (TVG75) |
| Protected under London Squares Preservation Act 1931 | No |
| Local Authority | Bexley |
| In Conservation Area | Yes |
| Conservation Area Name | The Green, Sidcup |
| Tree Preservation Order | No |
| Nature Conservation Area | No |
| Green Belt | Yes |
| Metropolitan Open Land | No |
| Special Policy Area | No |
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
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.
Sidcup Place is the oldest surviving building in the area, the core of the house built in 1743. Although the landscape is predominantly C19th overlaid with C20th municipal planting, the bones of the design may well be C18th. Between 1822-1919 it was owned by the Berens family, but part of the estate was sold in 1896. The house was a school from 1907-1916 and became Council offices in 1934. To the east of the house are terraced gardens and a ha-ha overlooking vestigial parkland. The walled garden of the original house remains to the south.
St John the Evangelist Church Bexley was originally established as a daughter church to the Bexley parish church of St Mary when the local population was growing, and became a parish church in its own right in 1936. It was consecrated in 1882, built on a site provided by the University of Oxford. Its tall tower and spire were added in 1890. The churchyard was originally surrounded by wooden fencing, with a wooden gate, replaced by a wall in 1949 and iron gates in 1952.
