Penge is a place in London in the Borough of Bromley. It was once a small town, which was recorded under the name Penceat in a Saxon deed dating from 957.

Most historians believe the name of the town is derived from the ancient Celtic word "Penceat" which means "edge of wood" and refers to the fact that the surrounding area was once covered in a dense forest. The original Celtic words of which the name was composed referred to "pen", "head", as in the Welsh "pen" (used in Penearth ) and "ceat", "wood", similar to the Welsh "coed" (used in Betburys-Y-Coed ).

In the Victorian era this area was a fashionable place to live as it was right on the doorstep of the Crystal Palace.

Historical Buildings

• The Royal Watermen's Almshouses http://www.ideal-homes.org.uk/bromley/penge/royal-watermans.htm
• London's oldest working police station http://www.ideal-homes.org.uk/bromley/penge/police-station.htm

Cultural references

Playing on the idea that the word penge seems to be an inherently funny word, and its apparent shabby-genteel image, the place has been lightly parodied by:

• Terry Wogan as Penge-sur-mer or Penge-les-trois-auberges, pronouncing Penge as the French might
• Rumpole of the Bailey as the location of his greatest triumph, the "Penge Bungalow Murders"

Penge is also the Danish word for money.

Nearest places

• Sydenham
• Crystal Palace
• Anerley
• Upper Norwood
• Beckenham
• South Norwood

Nearest railway stations

• Penge East railway station
• Penge West railway station
• Clock House railway station
• Anerley railway station
• Birkbeck railway station

External Links

• The history of Penge