Beckenham is a town in the London Borough of Bromley. It was formerly in the county of Kent. It is referred to as Bacheham in the Domesday Book of 1086, and its name probably means Beohha's village (ham). The River Beck was named after the town. Many attribute John Cator as being responsible for turning the village of Beckenham into a significant town in the late 1700s - a process that accelerated after his death in 1806 with the arrival of the railway from the 1830s.

Nearest places:

• Bromley
• Elmers End
• Penge
• West Wickham
• Bellingham
• Catford

Arms of the former Beckenham Borough Council

Nearest railway stations:

• Beckenham Junction railway station
• Bromley South railway station
• New Beckenham railway station
• Shortlands railway station
• Clock House railway station

Nearest tram stations:

• Beckenham Junction tram station
• Beckenham Road tram station

Famous People who lived in Beckenham and/or buried in Beckenham

• Enid_Blyton
• David_Bowie
• WG_Grace
• Thomas_Crapper
• Frederick York Wolseley
• Carey Blyton
• Col/Sgt Bourne of Rorkes pass
• Walter_de_la_Mare
• Admiral Sir Peircy Brett
• Dinah Craik
• Bob_Monkhouse
• Julie_Andrews
• Peter_Frampton
• Buster Mottram
• Duncan Goodhew
• Bill_Wyman
• Robin Knox-Johnston
• Kate Lawler

Notable Places

• Kelsey Park
• Chinese Garage
• Croydon Road Recreation Ground
• St George's Parish Church
• Beckenham Place Park
• Beckenham Crematorium aka Elmers End Cemetery
• South Norwood Country Park

Reference

• Beckenham Town Introduction (http://www.beckenham.net/articles.asp?option=sp&item=1502), as of March 29, 2003.

Beckenham is also a suburb of Perth, Western Australia.