Barnehurst And Northumberland Heath

Barnehurst is mixed housing, mainly built between the wars for the growing suburban population. Barnehurst station having a good service to London attracted those people who wanted to leave the city behind and live a cleaner lifestyle in the countryside! There were some fine old manor houses, which unfortunately were demolished, there was no Civic Society to prevent their demolition for semis!

Northumberland Heath derives its name not from any connection to the Dukes of Northumberland (Percys) but from the old English word ‘humber’ which meant river or stream. It is a much older area than Barnehurst, with the conservation area in Brook Street consisting of two blocks of 11 homes built at the turn of the century. A very large area of housing has been built on the old Erith School site for one of the housing associations enlarging the population of North Heath from a small almost village size to a large suburban sprawl.

Jennifer Hetherington, Area Representative

Bexley Civic Society