Trains to Sidcup

Sidcup started out as a small village formed around the parish of nearby Chislehurst. It wasn't until the arrival of rail in 1865 that the town really started to expand. The Dartford Loop Line sparked a spate of suburban development, as houses and local amenities sprung up near the station. The population soared from 390 in 1851 to over 8,000 in 1911. In the next 25 years the town would get gas lighting, mains drainage and electricity, turning this sleepy hamlet into a burgeoning commuter hub and making Sidcup the town it is today. The station building itself dates back to 1988. It has a charming redbrick entrance and booking hall with a glazed pitched roof, which hinges open on hot days. Once known as the Gateway to Kent, the town now packs its own punch with two performing arts colleges - the Rose Bruford College and the Bird College of Dance, Music & Theatre Performance - and a high street brimming with mainstream shops and independent boutiques, bars and restaurants.