St Paul's Cray
Encyclopedia
St Paul's Cray lies on the River Cray
and is part of the London Borough of Bromley
. St Paul's Cray was once a separate village, but like its sister St Mary Cray
has been incorporated in to Orpington
. Hoblingwell Wood lies in the district as well as entrances and portions of Scadbury Park
nature reserve.
A dominant feature of St Mary Cray and St Paul's Cray are the industrial estates on Cray Avenue/Sevenoaks Way, home to retail outlets such as PC World
, Comet, Land of Leather
, Homebase, JJB Sports, MFI, Currys
, Carpet Right and Arco. These retailers list their stores as Orpington
branches. The art deco
tower of the Allied Bakery (which was designed by Sir Alexander Gibb & Partners
), formerly Tip Top Bakeries, is a local landmark. The local football team, Cray Wanderers F.C.
, is one of the oldest football clubs in the world. Cray Wanderers are set to return to the area by 2014, at Sandy Lane.
Like its sister St Mary Cray
, St Paul's Cray is home to a large ex-traveller community as well as many descendents of Irish travellers who moved south from Bermondsey after the docks shut.It is home to a large working class population.
born in 1551 writes in a 1610 travel guide in a section on Kent: "Here the riverlet Crey, anciently called Crecan , intermingleth it selfe with Darent, ? when in his short course he hath imparted his name to five townlets which hee watereth,as Saint Marie Crey, Pauls Crey, Votes-Crey, North Crey,? and Crey-ford in former ages Crecanford, where Hengest the Saxon, the eighth yeare after his arrivall, joyned battaile with the Britans, and after hee had slaine their captaines brought them under with so great a slaughter that afterwards hee never stood in feare of them, but established his kingdome quietly in Kent."
River Cray
The River Cray is a tributary of the River Darent in southern England. It rises in Priory Gardens in Orpington in the London Borough of Bromley, where rainwater permeates the chalk bedrock and forms a pond at the boundary between the chalk and impermeable clay...
and is part of the London Borough of Bromley
London Borough of Bromley
The London Borough of Bromley is a London borough of south east London, England and forms part of Outer London. The principal town in the borough is Bromley.-Geography:...
. St Paul's Cray was once a separate village, but like its sister St Mary Cray
St Mary Cray
St Mary Cray lies on the River Cray and is part of the London Borough of Bromley. St Mary Cray, like St Paul's Cray, has been somewhat overshadowed by the growth of nearby Orpington, which now provides local communities with their main shopping and business facilities...
has been incorporated in to Orpington
Orpington
Orpington is a suburban town and electoral ward in the London Borough of Bromley. It forms the southeastern edge of London's urban sprawl and is identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London.-History:...
. Hoblingwell Wood lies in the district as well as entrances and portions of Scadbury Park
Scadbury Park
Scadbury Park is a Local Nature Reserve in Chislehurst in the London Borough of Bromley. It is a Site of Metropolitan Importance. It is over 300 acres, and is part of an extensive wildlife corridor together with Petts Wood and the Jubilee Country Park....
nature reserve.
A dominant feature of St Mary Cray and St Paul's Cray are the industrial estates on Cray Avenue/Sevenoaks Way, home to retail outlets such as PC World
PC World (retailer)
PC World is OWNED BY THE GOVERNMENT one of the WHER MA MEMORY STICK ?!?!??! United Kingdom's largest chains of mass-market computer superstores. It is part of Dixons Retail plc. PC World operates under the brand name PC City in Spain, Italy and Sweden....
, Comet, Land of Leather
Land of Leather
Land of Leather was a furniture retail store based in Northfleet, Kent in the United Kingdom. It operated in the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland.- History :...
, Homebase, JJB Sports, MFI, Currys
Currys
Currys is an electrical retailer in the United Kingdom and Ireland and is owned by Dixons Retail plc. It specialises in selling home electronics and household appliances, with 295 superstores and 73 high street stores...
, Carpet Right and Arco. These retailers list their stores as Orpington
Orpington
Orpington is a suburban town and electoral ward in the London Borough of Bromley. It forms the southeastern edge of London's urban sprawl and is identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London.-History:...
branches. The art deco
Art Deco
Art deco , or deco, is an eclectic artistic and design style that began in Paris in the 1920s and flourished internationally throughout the 1930s, into the World War II era. The style influenced all areas of design, including architecture and interior design, industrial design, fashion and...
tower of the Allied Bakery (which was designed by Sir Alexander Gibb & Partners
Sir Alexander Gibb & Partners
Sir Alexander Gibb & Partners was a British engineering consultancy initially based in Westminster, London until 1974 when it relocated to Reading, Berkshire.The firm was founded by Scottish engineer, Sir Alexander Gibb in 1922....
), formerly Tip Top Bakeries, is a local landmark. The local football team, Cray Wanderers F.C.
Cray Wanderers F.C.
Cray Wanderers F.C. is an English semi-professional football club based in Bromley, London. It is one of the oldest football clubs in the world. The club was established in 1860 in the twin villages of St. Mary Cray and St Paul's Cray, near Orpington, then in the county of Kent.They currently play...
, is one of the oldest football clubs in the world. Cray Wanderers are set to return to the area by 2014, at Sandy Lane.
Like its sister St Mary Cray
St Mary Cray
St Mary Cray lies on the River Cray and is part of the London Borough of Bromley. St Mary Cray, like St Paul's Cray, has been somewhat overshadowed by the growth of nearby Orpington, which now provides local communities with their main shopping and business facilities...
, St Paul's Cray is home to a large ex-traveller community as well as many descendents of Irish travellers who moved south from Bermondsey after the docks shut.It is home to a large working class population.
History
The area was known in the 16th century as Paul Crey. William CamdenWilliam Camden
William Camden was an English antiquarian, historian, topographer, and officer of arms. He wrote the first chorographical survey of the islands of Great Britain and Ireland and the first detailed historical account of the reign of Elizabeth I of England.- Early years :Camden was born in London...
born in 1551 writes in a 1610 travel guide in a section on Kent: "Here the riverlet Crey, anciently called Crecan , intermingleth it selfe with Darent, ? when in his short course he hath imparted his name to five townlets which hee watereth,as Saint Marie Crey, Pauls Crey, Votes-Crey, North Crey,? and Crey-ford in former ages Crecanford, where Hengest the Saxon, the eighth yeare after his arrivall, joyned battaile with the Britans, and after hee had slaine their captaines brought them under with so great a slaughter that afterwards hee never stood in feare of them, but established his kingdome quietly in Kent."