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Beckenham is a post town and district of London in the London Borough of Bromley, England. It borders Beckenham Place Park and Bellingham in the London Borough of Lewisham (to the north) and is centred 8.4 miles (13.5 km) south east of Charing Cross. Until the coming of the railway in 1857, Beckenham was a small village as with the rest of the borough in Kent with almost most of its land rural and private parkland: a family of entrepreneurs began the building of villas commencing a soar in population from 2,000 to 26,000 (1850–1900). Housing and population growth has continued at a lesser pace since 1900.

The town has areas of commerce and industry, principally the curved network of streets featuring its high street and Langley Park laboratories and is served in transport by three main railway stations - nine within the post town - plus towards its western periphery two Croydon Tramlink stations. In common with much of this largest borough of London, it has a large minority of land which is a mixture of sports grounds, fishing ponds and parks.

The settlement is referred to as Bacheham in the Domesday Book of 1086, and in the Textus Roffensis as Becceham. The name is thought to derive from Beohha's homestead (Beohhan + ham in Old English). The name of the small stream here - the River Beck - is most likely to have been named after the village.

The original village of Beckenham was a cluster of development in its own fields at what is now the north. Around it were the great manorial estates: Beckenham, Kelsey and Langley Halls and Parks.

The River Ravensbourne flows northwards at the eastern side of the town, towards its confluence with the River Thames. A small stream, the River Beck, passes through the town before joining the Ravensbourne further north.

The area is part of an outcrop of London Clay and consists of many small hills.

One of the interesting landmarks in Beckenham is the Chinese Garage, now a listed building. It is built in an unusual Japanese pagoda style and deals Peugeot and Kia cars. There is also St George's Church, dating back to 1100 but mostly rebuilt at the end of the 19th century. The lych gate dates from the 13th century, and is one of the oldest in England; the almshouses date back to 1694. There are two old pubs, Ye Olde George Inn (1662), and the Three Tuns (now a branch of Zizzi restaurants).

Kelsey Park is another landmark. It was part of the Kelsey Estate, but the mansion no longer remains. The only surviving buildings are the two Grade II listed lodge cottages at the entrance, which are over 200 years old.