Belvedere, London

infobox UK place
country = England
map_type = Greater London
region= London
population=
official_name= Belvedere
latitude= 51.4856
longitude= 0.1541
constituency_westminster= Erith & Thamesmead
post_town= BELVEDERE
london_borough= Bexley
postcode_area=DA
postcode_district=DA17
dial_code= 020
dial_code1=01322
os_grid_reference= TQ495785

Belvedere is a suburban area and electoral ward in South East London, England and part of the London Borough of Bexley. It may have been named for its views over the Thames Estuary, with reference to a belvedere. Within the nearby area are the following: Erith Marshes, Abbey Wood, Bostall Woods, Lesnes Abbey, Thamesmead, and West Heath. Belvedere formed part of the Municipal Borough of Erith before 1965. It resides under London transport Zone 5.

"Upper Belvedere" features a fine church and some modest brick villas. "Lower Belvedere" is better known for a Methodist chapel, a Sikh Temple and a high technology sludge incinerator, which is an unexpected landmark on the south bank of the river Thames. Britain's largest waste incinerator is also due to be built here, after the Labour Government ignored strong opposition from local campaigners and granted it permission in June 2006. Belvedere railway station, opened in 1859, is in Lower Belvedere and is served by the North Kent Line which runs from Cannon Street (London) to Dartford/Gravesend/Gillingham (Kent).

Erith and Belvedere Football Club recently moved to Welling in a ground-sharing arrangement. Belvedere Football Club play at Memorial Sports Ground, Woolwich Road, Abbey Wood and compete in the Kent County League Division One (West).

The area code to the west and north of Belvedere Station is 020 and to the east and south of the station it is 01322.

Belvedere is historically part of Kent much like most of the London Borough of Bexley, the area officially became part of London (Greater London) in 1965 with the creation of the 32 London Boroughs.

Politics

Councillors for the Belvedere Ward of Bexley London Borough Council are David Leaf (Conservative), John Fuller (Conservative) and Daniel Francis (Labour). Belvedere lies within the Erith and Thamesmead constituency (MP John Austin, Labour), and is in the Bexley and Bromley London Assembly constituency, represented by James Cleverly (Conservative).

Education

:"For education in Belvedere, London see the main London Borough of Bexley article"

Transport and locale

Nearest places

* Abbey Wood
* Erith
* Northumberland Heath
* Thamesmead
* West Heath

Places of worship

* [http://www.free-grace.org.uk Belvedere Baptist Church, Nuxley Road]
* [http://www.belvedere-and-erith-congregational-church.org.uk Belvedere Congregational Church, Picardy Road]
* [http://www.eden.co.uk/churches/belvedere/belvedere_pentecostal_church_1365.html Belvedere Pentecostal Church, Michell Close]
* [http://www.eden.co.uk/churches/belvedere/st_augustine_of_canterbury_parish_church_5356.html Church of St Augustine, St Augustine's Road, Belvedere]
* Guru Nanak Darbar, Sikh Temple, Mitchell Close

Rail

The nearest railway stations in the area are Belvedere railway station. Trains from this station runs to London Charing Cross and London Cannon Street via Woolwich and Greenwich to the west. To the east the trains go to Dartford and a limited service to Crayford or Gravesend and Gillingham.

Nearest railway stations

* Belvedere railway station
* Erith railway station
* Abbey Wood railway station
* Bexleyheath railway station

Buses

*99 - Erith Town Centre and Woolwich Shopping Centre
*229 - Thamesmead Town Centre and Sidcup Queen Marys Hospital
*401 - Thamesmead Town Centre and Bexleyheath Shopping Centre
*469 - Bexleyheath Shopping Centre and Woolwich Common Queen Elizabeth Hospital

ee also

*Belvedere Incinerator

External links

* [http://www.clubwebsite.co.uk/belvederefc/| Belvedere Football Club]
* [http://www.lacv.btik.com Lesnes Abbey Conservation Volunteers (LACV)]