It is situated north of Elmers End and Eden Park, east of Penge, south of Lower Sydenham and Bellingham, and west of Bromley and Shortlands, and 8.4 miles (13.5 km) south-east of Charing Cross.

John Barwell Cator and his family began the leasing and selling of land for the building of villas which led to a rapid increase in population, between 1850 and 1900, from 2,000 to 26,000.

Beckenham has areas of commerce and industry, principally around the curved network of streets featuring its high street, and is served in transport by three main railway stations — nine within the post town — plus towards its western periphery two Tramlink stations.

In common with the rest of Bromley, the largest borough of London by area, Beckenham has several pockets of recreational land which are a mixture of sports grounds, fishing ponds and parks.

[6] Although early written history tells little of the area we have the entry in the Domesday Book of 1086 and various records in Court Rolls, Feet of Fines and other historical documents.

Revisiting the history and collating the historical documentary evidence has revealed a more detailed early history showing how the manors and estates changed hands through families such as Rokele, Bruyn, Bardolf, Langley, Style, Kelshulle, Brograve, Raymond, Leigh, Burrell, Cator and various yeoman property owners like Kempsall, King, Batt etc.

Although William the Conqueror's half brother, Bishop Odo, was overlord of all of Kent the manor of Beckenham was held or enfeoffed to Anschil of Rochester.

[6] Wide roads and large gardens epitomised these properties, often built by developers who acquired land from the Cators.

[citation needed] The manor of Foxgrove was owned by the Leigh family for some generations but purchased into the ownership of Lancelot Tolson circa 1716, his heirs divided it and it was acquired in part by John Cator and Jones Raymond.

[citation needed] In the mid 18th Century a mansion was built overlooking the lake in Kelsey Park.

This was later rebuilt, extended or altered circa 1835 to replace an earlier structure, though it was itself demolished in 1921 and the grounds turned into Kelsey Park.

The parish boundary has changed over time but extended from Crystal Palace Park to Bromley and Lewisham to West Wickham.

Several gravel pits extracted parts of the Blackheath Beds which are now included in the Harwich Formation [23] Beckenham was the headquarters to Capita Registrars Limited who provides share registration services for more than half of the UK's quoted companies, they have since moved from Beckenham.

[citation needed] Proper Records, the UK's biggest independent music distributor, was originally based in Beckenham[24] but relocated to Surrey Quays in 2017.

Beckenham is served by several Transport for London buses that link the town with other areas including Bromley, Catford, Chislehurst, Croydon, Crystal Palace, Eltham, Lewisham, Orpington, Penge, West Wickham and Woolwich.

[37] It caters for amateur wind and brass musicians and performs locally during the winter months and across London and the South East during the summer.

There are other open spaces in the town, including Croydon Road Recreation Ground and Kelsey Park.

[citation needed] Swimmers from Beckenham Swimming Club, established in 1893, have gained medals in the 21st century at national and international levels.

[1] The training ground for Premier League club Crystal Palace is located on Copers Cope Road.

[citation needed] In Simon Brett's long-running BBC Radio 4 comedy drama, No Commitments (1992–2007), Beckenham is the home of the wildly snobbish, socially aspirational and insecure sister Victoria; the town is frequently mocked by association.

[citation needed] Former British Prime Minister John Major lived at West Oak in Beckenham with his wife Norma from 1974 to 1978.

Show business people include Bob Monkhouse (1928–2003),[6] Julie Andrews, who lived on Cromwell Road,[56] Floella Benjamin (now Baroness Benjamin of Beckenham), who grew up on Mackenzie Road,[57] Maurice Denham (1909–2002),[58] Simon Ward (1941–2012).

[62] Others from the area include Rolling Stones bassist Bill Wyman, who went to school in Beckenham, Peter Frampton, who was born in Beckenham,[63] the musician David Sylvian, who was born in the town but raised in nearby Catford,[64][65] Status Quo keyboardist Andy Bown who was born in Beckenham,[citation needed] and musician Anne Dudley of the band Art of Noise who is from the town.

[citation needed] There are many sports personalities, especially cricketers, plus Tom Pettitt (1859–1956), real tennis world champion 1885–90.