Chinbrook is an area of south east London, England, located southeast of Charing Cross in the London Borough of Lewisham. Chinbrook lies between Grove Park and Mottingham, approximately half a mile east of Grove Park centre and is generally considered part of Grove Park.
Most of Chinbrook including the main crossroads falls within the London Borough of Lewisham and under the postcode district , although immediately northeast from the crossroads is the border with the London Borough of Bromley and the postcode district. The River Quaggy flows northward through Chinbrook and forms part of the borough and postal boundaries there.
Name and toponymy
The name Chinbrook is derived from "Chin Brook" which was an alternative name for the Quaggy River at the turn of the twentieth century. The place Kidbrooke is also on the River Quaggy and its name is also derived from an alternative name for the river, "Kyd Brook". Chinbrook is occasionally mispronounced and misspelled "Chimbrook".
Transport
The main crossroads has traffic lights and several bus stops close by. The main road, the B226, passes East to West through the hamlet; westward being Chinbrook Road toward Grove Park joining Baring Road (A2212), and northeast, Grove Park Road toward Mottingham. Marvels Lane is a smaller road passing north to south; southward it joins Dunkery Road, which goes eastward also towards Mottingham; northward Marvels Lane joins Burnt Ash Hill which goes through the northern part of Grove Park towards Lee. There are footpaths in the area mostly running north to south along the green area following the River Quaggy, and some form part of the Green Chain Walk and Capital Ring.
London Buses 126, 124, and 273 pass through Chinbrook using the same roads: Chinbrook Road, Marvels Lane then Dunkery Road. The 284 bus begins its route here at nearby Grove Park Cemetery and travels along Marvels Lane and Chinbrook Road. The school bus 638 also passes through on Grove Park Road and Chinbrook Road. Grove Park is only half a mile to the west along Chinbrook Road and has more buses and a railway station. Chinbrook, like Grove Park centre is in London Travelcard Zone 4.
Amenities
Shops: Immediately west of the crossroads there is a parade of shops on the north side of Chinbrook road; the biggest shop here is a Costcutter small supermarket or convenience store on the corner. Other shops include several take-aways, a newsagent, off licence and a beauty salon. There was a large public house with its own garden called Grove Park Tavern, previously called The Chinbrook, on the northeast corner of the main crossroads; this was demolished in the late 1990s and the site now contains retirement flats. Grove Park Tavern is still used sometimes to refer to the crossroads even though it no longer stands there.
Recreation: As well as the public Chinbrook Meadows there are also several private sports grounds, a youth club, and a Bannatyne's gym–health club, built in 2001 replacing an older sports club. These lie to the north and east of the crossroads within the London Borough of Bromley and the postcode district.
Marvels Lane Primary School is on Riddons Road in Grove Park Estate and backs onto Marvels Lane. The head teacher is Edward Dove.
Grove Park Cemetery A small cemetery that opened in 1935 and is found southeast of Chinbrook Meadows and Grove Park Estate; its entrance is at the southern end of Marvels Lane.
Word of Life Church is located at the church hall on Mayeswood Road in the Grove Park Estate, and backs onto Chinbrook Meadows. This is a Pentecostal church, part of the Elim Church network, and connected to Kensington Temple. The church leader is Rev Rowland Henshaw.
Chinbrook Surgery a small doctor's surgery located on Chinbrook Road with two general practitioners.
Residential
There is a mixture of terraced houses, semi-detached houses and flats on the through roads and cul-de-sac roads. There is a building on the northeast corner of the main crossroads containing many retirement flats, this was built in 1999 where Grove Park Tavern previously stood. There are two main housing estates in the area.
Grove Park Estate, to the southwest of the crossroads is a group of roads all with terraced houses, and some semi-detached houses between Marvels Lane and Chinbrook Meadows that was built by Lewisham council between 1926 and 1929.