Tjlte Home Call Eel Icilelen, Where Orete Loiuyate Lioeel from I90S-10

C7he fHetmletter o f the Wromley rBorouyh Mo eat ltf)hioey rSoeieJy September 1997 Price 60p Free to members TJlte hom e call eel ICilelen, where Orete lO iuyate lioeel from I90S-10, as it is today. See the art tele about the history of the house by the present owner. Bromley Borough Local History Society was formed in 1974 so that anyone with an interest in any part of the Borough could meet to exchange information and learn more about its history. History is continually being made and at the same time destroyed, buildings are altered or demolished, memories fade and people pass away, records get destroyed or thrown in the bin. We aim, in co-operation with the local history library, museums and other relevant organisations, to make sure at least some of this history is preserved for future generations. Meetings are held at 7.45 in the evenings on the first Tuesday of the month, from October to July, in the Methodist Church Hall, North Street, Bromley (there is parking available, bus services nearby and facilities for the disabled). In addition meetings are held during the day at 2.30 pm on the second Wednesday of January, March, May, July, September and November in the Methodist Church Hall at the comer of Bromley and Bevington Roads, Beckenham. This is on several bus routes and there is a large public car park nearby. Members receive regular newsletters similar to this one. You arc welcome to come along to one of our meetings to see if you would like to join. If you have any queries just ring our information hotline 0181 650 8342 You will be made very welcome and won’t be pressed to join, although non-members arc invited to make a donation of £1 towards the costs of the meeting. However if you wish to join, the subscription rates are £8.50 for an individual, £10 for a husband and wife. Members joining after 30th June pay half these rates. Our next Bromley meetings will be: Tuesday, 7th October The Dating of Church Buildings John Bailey A look at churches, mainly mediaeval in our area. Tuesday, 4th November The Use of Latin in Church Inscriptions Peter Bromham The next Beckenham meeting will be: Wednesday, 10th September Amy Johnson Peter Little Wednesday, 12th November Christmas Party Chairman: Dr A. Allnutt, Woodside, Old Peny Street, Chislehurst, BR7 6PP Hon. Sec: Mrs P. Knowlden, 62 Harvest Bank Road, West Wickham, BR4 9DJ (tel. 0181 462 5002) Membership Sec. Dr A. Allnutt, Woodside, Old Perry Street, Chislehurst, BR7 6PP Editors: Paul & Denise Rason, 1 South Drive, Orpington, BR6 9NG The Editors are always happy to receive articles, large or small, for inclusion in the newsletter But please don’t be offended if we do not use your article immediately. We try to maintain a balance between research and reminiscences and articles about different subjects and parts of the borough. Bromlcagc September 1997 History of an Orpington House Dr A nefrew Bamji June 1997 Readers of “Bromleage" will have seen the note about Orde Wingate’s short spell of residence in Goddington Lane, but may be unaware that the house stall stands, now called “Greylands''. Here is a bnef history of what is now known to the Post Office as No 58. Until the late 19th Century the land to the south east of Orpington was largely owned by the Hart Dyke family as part of the Manor of Orpington Indeed from the earliest records until 1883 only five owners held possession William Hasted’s “History of Kent” records that the first known owner was the pnest Eadsy, who granted the lands to the monastery of Christ Church at Canterbury, having originally purchased them for eighty marcs of white silver In the year of the Norman Conquest, 1066. the lands were seized by the rapacious Bishop of Bayeux, Odo, but were restored to Christ Church in 1076 by the Assembly of Pineden Heath, when Lanfranc had become Archbishop of Canterbury. The land remained with Christ Church until the Dissolution of the Monasteries in 1540, when the Prior, Thomas Goldwell. surrendered them to the King Henry granted them the following year to Pcrcival Hart of Lullingstone, at the yearly rent of one hundred shillings, one penny and three farthings He left an only daughter who carried the manor to her second husband. Sir Thomas Dyke of Horeham. Sussex Thence it passed to his second son. Sir John Dixon Dyke. Bt, of Lullingstone. The family began to split the estate in the 19th Century, and the plot on which Greylands was built was sold to Alfred Brown by Sir William Hart Dyke in a covenant dated 1883 A further covenant dated 21st August 1905 was made by Brown with Alfred Cotton Harper and Thomas Lindlcy. this specified that a house could be erected on the plot so long as it was of greater value than £800 It was for Frederick Bernard Harper (possibly Alfred’s brother) that a house was designed and built A map of the time indicates that three houses stood in the Lane (which was known then as Chelsfield Lane): they were Hylands. Maples and Mount View, and lay on the south side of the Lane on the site of what is now the l960-70s development comprising Warwick Close, Carolyn Drive and the contemporary houses fronting the Lane Further down the Lane, towards Goddington Park, lay Ryder's Nursery (now Goddington Chase) Two more houses, “The Gables” and Hildcn (onginally Hildcne) were built on the field adjacent to Hylands The land running down towards Sevenoaks Road was part of the Boundary Park estate, owned by the Church Commissioners Hildcn was designed by George St Pierre Hams whose first practice was at 8, Ironmonger Row. London EC. He became an associate member of the RIBA in 1882 at the age of 27 He was responsible for a number of notable Orpington buildings including the old Village Hall, the Board School in Chislchurst Road and St Paul’s, Crofton (now submerged in two later additions as the population grew, and relegated to use as the Church Hall) The little development in front of Orpington Library, Aynscombe Angle, was also the work of Hams, Aynscomb being a family name. His other larger houses in Orpington, “Covert Comer” at the junction of Crofton Lane and Chislehurst Road, and in the High Street (the latter for William Vinson) do not survive, although Chimhams Farm in West Kmgsdown (opposite the main entrance to Brand’s Hatch) was sold in the 1980s and, from the estate agent's details, retained many original features The plans for Hilden were passed on 11th September 1905 and filed (Orp BR 144) on the 26th September. They show substantially the same plan as exists today, although the internal layout of the domestic offices was altered before construction began, and a bay was added to the sitting room, certainly at a later date. 3 Bromleage September 1997 Philip Lane, who has a large stock of pictures of old Orpington, has a picture taken from Orpington Station in about 1909. looking across towards Chelsfield; the photographer is standing on the site of Crofton Halls, and Goddington Lane can be seen snaking up the hill, bounded by hedges The first house visible is Hilden. Although many trees now conceal it from easy view, it can still be seen in winter from Crofton Road, as it is set back from the later houses lower down the Lane. Kelly’s Directory indicates that Fredenck Harper was in residence m 1907 The house was let to Colonel George Wingate who amved in 1908 and stayed until 1910, when the family moved to Reigate George was a puritanical man in the army of India, who marned late; he was forty six. His bride, Ethel Orde-Brown, was thirty two, and they had first met when Ethel was twelve. Ordc Wingate was bom in India in 1903 The family returned to England two years later, first living in Worthing. It is not too hard to imagine that Orde played at soldiers in the garden at Hilden with liis two brothers. From 1905 to the present day there have been more owners of the plot in Goddington Lane than in the entire millcmum before it! The house itself was called Hilden until at least until 1956 It first had a number in 1938, after development had filled in up the meadows from Sevenoaks Road The name of Greylands first appears in the 1964 deeds The legal documents list a conveyance dated 12th March 1920 to James Monro, but the resident from 1911-22 was apparently a Charles Brodie. Henry William Reid, an estate agent, bought the house on 31st December 1923 for £1,850. He is listed as living in it until 1939 A number of mortgagees appear in the deeds with a series of transfers as the various parties died but it appears that Reid held the freehold until his death at Otford in 1954. when his wife mhented the house Charles Walker however is listed as the occupant by Kelly’s in 1939-40 and Wilfred Dabbs appears in the electoral rolls between 1951-57 Leonard Smith bought the house in November 1956. A number of other names appear with Dabbs and Smith's entries, suggesting that there were lodgers. Smith sold to a builder, Herbert Taylor of Beckenham, who did a land swop with George and Phyllis Miller who lived at Hylands (No 62) and the Millers moved in in 1968. Phyllis load started a nursery school, and as part of the deal the original double garage ("in cottage style”) was extended forwards to create a new school building and a single garage built on in front.

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