Orpington Oatcake

Weekend rail changes, Priory Live and Roman ruins

Thursday 16 July · View online

Aerial view of Charing Cross station and the railway over the Thames

Charing Cross and Waterloo East close to Southeastern trains on Saturday 18 and Sunday 19 July. Image/source: Network Rail.

Top Updates

No Charing Cross or Waterloo East trains this weekend

Southeastern trains will not call at Charing Cross or Waterloo East on Saturday 18 or Sunday 19 July. Trains via Orpington that usually run to Charing Cross will start or finish at London Bridge on Saturday. On Sunday, services use Cannon Street or London Bridge, and trains via Grove Park will not stop at Lewisham. Some London Underground routes are included as alternatives, but first and last trains will change, so check the weekend rail plan before travelling.

Summer reading challenge is open at Orpington Library

Children aged 4 to 11 can join the free Read to the Beat! Summer Reading Challenge at Orpington Library until Saturday 5 September. The goal is to read six library books, returning after every two for stickers before collecting a certificate and medal at the finish. See how the Summer Reading Challenge works.

Fostering advice comes to The Walnuts

Bromley’s fostering team is holding an in-person information session at easyCoffee in The Walnuts on Tuesday 21 July from 10am to noon. It is a chance to ask questions and learn what fostering involves; contact the team through the fostering session page to book a place.

Dates For Your Diary

Sunday 26 July-Sunday 16 August

Charing Cross begins a 22-day closure

Charing Cross and Waterloo East will close for 22 days while track, platforms and bridges are upgraded. Southeastern services will divert to Victoria, Cannon Street or Blackfriars, or finish at London Bridge, and first and last trains will change. Plan around the longer Charing Cross closure.

What's On

Saturday 18 July

Orpington parkrun at Goddington Park, 9am. Walk, jog or run the free weekly 5k at Goddington Park. Register before your first visit and bring a scannable barcode if you want a timed result. Check the Orpington parkrun course and registration details.

Priory Live fills Priory Gardens, 12:30pm-10:30pm. Professor Green, Republica and Heartless Crew lead the one-day music festival, alongside food stalls, a wellness garden and a family area. The children’s silent daytime rave runs from 2pm to 5pm, and under-12s go free. Check Priory Live tickets and festival details.

Paella and live jazz at Orpington Liberal Club, 1pm-5pm. Traditional and vegetarian paella is £5 cash a bowl from 1pm, served until it runs out. Jazz standards begin after 2pm and gypsy jazz follows after 3pm, with a suggested £6 cash contribution for the musicians. Entry is free for club and CAMRA members and £1 for guests. See the Paella Fiesta details.

Butterfly week at High Elms Bug Club, 1:30pm-2:30pm. Children aged 5+ can join the Big Butterfly Count and take a longer walk through High Elms Country Park looking for butterflies. Tickets are £5.50, places are limited to 15 and an adult must stay with each child. Book the High Elms Bug Club session.

Sunday 19 July

Excavated stone foundations at Fordcroft Romano-British Bathhouse

Fordcroft’s Roman bathhouse foundations open to visitors on Sunday. Image/source: London Borough of Bromley.

Step inside Fordcroft’s Roman bathhouse, 11am-4pm. Orpington and District Archaeological Society opens the Roman bathhouse foundations and Anglo-Saxon cemetery site in Bellefield Road, St Mary Cray. Free tours run every 20 minutes from 11am to 12:30pm and 1:30pm to 4pm; donations are welcome. Check the Fordcroft open-day details.

Roadworks and Transport

Ethelbert Road remains closed through July: The gas-works closure on Ethelbert Road is scheduled to continue until Friday 31 July. Allow extra time on nearby Orpington routes while the closure is in place.

Short closures at Worlds End Lane and Sheepcote Lane: Worlds End Lane and Sheepcote Lane are both scheduled to remain closed for utility works until Friday 17 July. Follow local diversion signs and expect nearby roads to be busier.

Signals on Farnborough Way and Main Road: Two-way signals are scheduled on Farnborough Way until Friday 17 July, while multi-way signals on Main Road are due to remain until Wednesday 29 July. Check the Bromley roadworks map before setting out.

Planning Watch

Porch and side extension proposed on Lancing Road: A householder application at 48 Lancing Road, Orpington, seeks permission for a new entrance porch and a first-floor side extension. View application 26/02818/HPA on Bromley’s planning register.

Community Notice

Young people with SEND can shape adult support

Bromley wants to hear from young people aged 16 to 25 with special educational needs and disabilities, and from their parents or carers, about the move into adult services. The online survey closes on Friday 28 August, with other ways to take part available on request. Join the SEND Big Conversation.

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