M25 Swanley Interchange



Post to the north Swanley
Post to the south Crockenhill Lane


This square is dominated by the notorious Swanley interchange. A series of roads running from London to the coast pass through it – these are
1. London Road. This is now the B2173 coming from Swanley centre but had originated as an old main road from London (diverging from the A2 at New Cross)  to the coast passing through towns as it went – Lewisham, Eltham, Sidcup, Foots Cray and so on.
2. London Road continues beyond the interchange to Wrotham and Maidstone, but west of the junction it is numbered as the A20.
3. The Sidcup bypass. This road is numbered as the A20 east of the junction and it has originated at a junction with the older London Road in Kidbrook. It is a motorway standard road which runs forward to meet the junction where it becomes the M20
4. M20. This originates at the junction and runs eastwards to the coast.
5. M25 – the M25 London orbital motorway passes through the junction running north/south. It has slips to all the other roads.
Hope that’s all clear

A20
The A20 running east, as the Swanley by pass,  goes under the interchange where it becomes the M20 on the other side.  The A20 however continues eastwards as a separate and parallel road. The road was first classified in 1922 diverging from the A2 at New Cross.  In Swanley, coming from Footscray Road it followed the route of the current London Road, B3173. From the interchange it followed the current A20, as it still does
Swanley By pass. This was built in in 1964 to Motorway standards and is now the A20

London Road
London Road B2173 is the old main road A20 which  runs east from Swanley up onto the flyover and back down to continue east parallel to the M20 as the A20.
Broomfield Hall.  This stood on the south side of the road
Southern Cross Trading Estate
Teardrop Recycling Centre. This is run by Kent County Council. The address is Farningham Hill – both road names are given on maps.

Slip off London Road.. Leaving Swanley to the east a small slip remains of the old A20 going straight ahead rather than curving up to the junction. This is lined with factories and warehouses. It may be called Horton Way.
Gateway Trading Estate
Moreton Industrial Estate
Kimber Allen. Broomfield Works. They make wind organ components. They were established in 1928 as an electrical engineering company and then in the 1930's moved into coil winding and thus began to work with organ builders Henry Willis & Sons. They have developed a range of electro-mechanical organ products.
Farningham Road County Primary School. This was built when Swanley was part of Farningham in 1873. It was a Church of England School.

Mark Way
Factory and trading units

M20
Swanley Interchange. This Junction 1 on the M20.  This is junction 3 on the M25. It is the London Folkestone Motorway which begins here.  West of the junction it becomes the A20

M25
The London Orbital motorway
Swanley Interchange.  This is Junction 3 on the M25. The junction currently handles the A20 (Swanley bypass) becoming the M20, the M25 and the London Road. It was built in 1980 to replace a 1968 built junction. In 1986 the M25 to Sevenoaks opened through here. It is Junction 1 on the M20
Balancing pond – this is south of the west side of the junction. Another balancing pond is in the square to the north


Railway line
Railway Bridge over M20

Wested Road
Cottages – these are apparently in London Road but have an address in Wested Road
Warehousing, haulage and scrap dealers
Railway Bridge – very narrow brick

Sources
Farningham Local History Society. Web site
Kent County Council. Web site
Kimber Allen. Web site
SABRE. Web site


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