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Barnes Cray name derives from local landowners, the Barne family. This South East London area features several historic buildings. Supposedly, this was the location of the medieval manor house Ellam. Cottages and farm buildings on Maiden Lane date from the 18th century. Iron Mill Lane takes the name of a nearby mill that manufactured plate armor. The mill was later repurposed to grinding flour. All Saints iron church was built in 1917. It closed in 1960. Haberdasher’s Aske’s Crayford Academy replaced Barnes Cray primary school in 2009. Barnes Cray has several walking, cycling, and running routes.
Barnes Cray DA1 started developing in the Victorian era. The small settlement consisted of only 16 buildings. The nearby river facilitated the production of carpets. The River Wansunt provided water for the manufacturing of rubber items, felt, and Brussels carpets. The carpet mill was demolished in 1890. It was the largest building in this DA1 area at that time. Barnes Cray House hosted a nursing home until 1933 when it was cleared. A garden village with more than 600 houses was built for the employees of the nearby Vickers’ munition factory in Crayford. The River Cray runs through Barnes Cray DA1 on its course to meet the parent River Darent. Fourteen watermills were powered by the River Cray.
Local theater fans can catch plays and shows at The Geoffrey Whitworth Theater which is named after one of the most important theatre personalities. Whitworth is the founder of the British Drama League. He also played an important part in the founding of the National Theater. Geoffrey Whitworth worked as a critic for John O’London’s Weekly and The Christian Science Monitor. He was in charge of the theater section of the British Empire Exhibition in 1925. George Bernard Shaw recognized him as one of the prominent figures of the British theater.