Bexley Times

It’s part of a Kentish Times group of newspapers published by Archant London, one of the branches of the Archant media group. The group’s editorial offices were in Sidcup until fairly recently, but moved to Archant London’s Ilford offices at the beginning of August 2011.

Its origins lie in two different newspapers. The Bexley Heath, Dartford and Erith Observer started publication in 1868, lost Dartford from the title in 1878 and became the Bexley Heath and Bexley Observer in 1902. The Dartford Chronicle, founded in 1869, started a sub-edition for Bexley in 1905, the Bexley Heath, Bexley & District Times, and Dartford Chronicle. The two merged in 1918 as the Bexley Heath Observer and District Times, which was rebranded in 1923 as the Bexley Heath Observer and Kentish Times. In 1958 it became the Bexleyheath & Welling Observer and Kentish Times, then simply the Bexleyheath & Welling Times in 1985.

In 2000 the Bexley Times was relegated to a local sub-edition of the Kentish Times for two years, as were its sister titles the Erith & Crayford Times and the Sidcup & Blackfen Times. All three were revived as editions of the Bexley Times once more in 2002, then unified as a single edition in 2004. It incorporated an earlier freesheet, the Bexley Express, in 2007, and continued to mention that incorporation in its contact details on Page 2 until a facelift in April 2011. It switched from tabloid to quarter-fold format in July 2012.

It comes out on Thursdays. An e-edition’s also available free via the website.