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. 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, . 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, , BR7 6PP

Hon. Sec: Mrs P. Knowlden, 62 Harvest Bank Road, , 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, , 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 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 ” 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 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 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.

Sale particulars of the time from Harrods Estate Offices refer to a house “ideal for a business executive or family man; particularly suitable for entertaining”. It was then priced at £12,500

The house was occupied by the Millers until 1983, when we moved in Even now, fourteen years on. if we say to people that we live in the big house in the Lane they look blank until we add “the Millers’ house, where the nursery school was”; it seems that huge numbers of Orpington children had their nursery education at Greylands!

Internally the house had been extensively ’’modernised’’ in the late 1950s and almost all of the onginal features were removed. Curiously there do not ever appear to have been any cornices, although the door architraves are quite wide and ornate. The photographs of Chimhams show identical mouldings, so although we do not know the builders of Greylands it is likely that Somerford & Son of Clapham, who built Chimhams, were responsible. Modem flush doors had been added and we have replaced these downstairs with panelled doors taken from the old VAT office in Mayfair The staircase had been boxed in. 50’s style, with plywood; when we moved, we discovered the original pitch pine balusters intact beneath the panelling

We installed a ’’period” kitchen made by Roy Griffiths of Fulham, who now trades as Harvey Jones; this appeared in his advertisements in several editions of “Homes and Gardens” in 1986. Griffiths himself took the photographs, arriving in an elderly but spectacular Mercedes convertible and altering the apparent orientation of the kitchen by means of several powerful floodlights directed through the window.

4 Biomleage September 1997

77jt? kitchen photographed by Roy Gri ffiths for his "Homes and Gardens ” advertisements in 1986

From the outside, however, the house looks essentially the same as it did in Wingate's time, although the terrace was added in the 1950s. and the onginal rear garden was truncated in 1968 as part of the land exchange, which enabled the building of Warwick Close and Carolyn Drive A bungalow and road occupy the old tennis lawn; the onginal rear garden hedge, now grown up into trees, survives behind the bungalow and adjacent house The north-west garden hedge, a mixture of pnvet. hawthorn and cherry- plum. is intact at the rear, although it began to die back at the front and has been replaced tins year Only one of the two original Scots pines in the front garden survives, the larger of the pair withstood the 1987 hurricane only to succumb to the great storm of 1990, falling across the lane but fortunately causing no injury

Grey lands (Hilden): garden front The bay on the left is a later addition The sun room was rebuilt in 1984 on the footings o f the original conservatory. Phyllis Miller j nursery school annexe, extended from the original garage, is on the right The distinctive tall chimneys were rebuilt bv the Orpington firm ofGiassups in 1988. that on the lefi had in fact come completely loose at its base, but still survived the 1987 hurricane. The construction o f the terrace and ornamental pool dates from the 1950s. while the trellis was added in the 1980s to divide the garden into rooms li'e have no records o f the original layout o f the garden but ha\’e copies oj the original house plans and drawings for the nursery school extension

Greylands is thus historical in two wav's, because it was designed by the principal architect of tum-of- the-century Orpington's public buildings, and because of the Wingate connection It remains a comfortable and ordinary family house, but perhaps those who pass up and down file lane may now- view it in a different light

5 Bromleoge September 1997 CHELSFIELD IN 1914 been a little housing development However, beyond the hamlet itself the landscape presented Geoffrey Copus much the same appearance as it had done for centuries. There was much woodland on the poor, In 1909/10 Lloyd George introduced a flinty soil, and the large farms were owned by controversial bill designed to weaken the landed absentee landlords Altogether, therefore, interest by levying an "Increment Value Duty" on Chdsfield presented a vaned scene land Although it passed into law, the clauses relating to land were repealed in 1920; meanwhile, I can only touch bnefly on details of the complex however, a vast body of material had been "New Domesday" records, and for more generated by the Valuation Office, which had the information I recommend "Maps for family task of valuing all landed property in England and history" by William Foot, a PRO publication It Wales. Tliis is most useful to the historian since it also covers Tithe Maps and the National Farm gives a detailed picture of the country just before Surveys, and is wonderful value at £8.95 the Great War (There is a copy in the Local Studies Library)

I have never understood why so many books on The main surviving archives consist of (i) the record maps and Fidd Books - both at Kcw: and local history consist of material regurgitated from existing printed sources, with the bare minimum of (ii) the Valuation Books, in the local Record onginal research There is so much onginal Offices - at Bromley, in this case documentation readily available that it seems perverse not to make use of it. It was with these Until recently, the special 25" maps relating to thoughts in mind that (although a reluctant public most of North West Kent were missing, but speaker) I accepted the invitation to talk to the fortunately they resurfaced last year I have Society on "Chelsfidd in 1914" - a convenient peg photocopies of the maps covering all of Chelsfield, on which to hang an outline of the Valuation and I included these in the display accompanying Office records - "the New Domesday" - with a my talk 1 also have copies of the maps of many view to encouraging others to follow them up nearby parishes, including Famborough, Orpington and Until 1938. Chelsfield parish had stretched from dose to Orpington church in the north to wdl Confusingly, artificial "Income Tax Parishes", beyond churdi in the south, and mduded incorporating several actual parishes, were used Pratts Bottom, and parts of both Green Street for the survey. You will find that what is listed Green and Wdl Hill The coming of the railway just as Chelsfidd in fact includes Famborough. in 1868 liad not led to immediate suburban Cudham and Downc The Valuation Books too development, but the sale of some 200 acres of appear daunting, with their 40 headings there is farmland in 1889 and later, heralded the much staustical information, but little of real building of houses designed for both the lower and importance which is additional to that in the Field middle classes at and near the Books. station. By 1914, little had changed outwardly in the north of the parish - the village and nearby The system for identifying each hereditament - hamlets - since the amval of the railway. The some 600 in Chdsfield alone - is not unlike that of resident Lord of the Manor, Arthur Waring of the Tithe maps, but much more complex. Each property is outlined in red and given a number, Woodlands, had inhented the substantial estate built up by his ancestors, comprising most of the which is keyed to both the Valuation and Fidd farms, houses and cottages, and hdd undisputed Books although paternalistic sway The latter, substantial leather-bound notebooks containing the notes made on the spot by the The only light industry, Osgood's Carriage Manufactory, was at Pratts Bottom, in the surveyors, vary greatly in detail Some include house plans, but in Chelsfidd these are confined to southern part of the parish, where there had also

6 Bromlcagc September 1997 pubs and post offices - Orpington seems to be drainage, and water had to be carried from die much luckier in this respect. The descriptions are public pump nearby usually strictly factual - as, for example, in the Unlike the Tithe maps, there is little detail about case of the picturesque but decayed former field names, and farms arc shown as complete yeoman’s house at Green Street Green units with a general description These, however, Photographs of this appear in guide books are very informative, and it is possible to extolling the beauties of the Orpington area before reconstruct the pattern of land ownership and the Great War, but when it was surveyed in June tenancy with little trouble. For my exhibition I 1914 the surveyor was brutally frank. "Four compiled a map showing the principal landowners timber, partly cement-rendered and tiled cottages... of tiie northern part of Chelsficld. When my condemned. Very bad repair.." his report read. transcription of all the records is complete, I shall be able to put together other diagrams of this kind, At the other extreme. Chelsfield House, the former relating to different aspects of the parish. Rectory which the wealthy banker Edward Norman had bought in 1890, was described There are many other fascinating uses to which lyrically as "...a charming Residential estate ...a these records may be put, including one which fine old Georgian Residence which has been particularly interests me. die development of the enlarged and partly rebuilt and refitted in an various building estates The versatile George expensive and thoroughly up to date manner Osgood of Pratts Bottom was in the throes of a including a new Electric light plant..." developing die former Picketts Farm, fronting Warren Lane and the green at Green Street Green, w\i when die survey was made, and it consisted i largely of notional, vacant plots at the time. Other i A A A M 4 development was slowly taking place on the Glcntrammon estate - a fascinating topic indeed, unit« and one which I hope someone may follow up, »**«#|f * * Imh since 1 fear I have more than enough in hand already I

E h I trust that I have succeeded in stimng some M » 4 .L «!•»«*• 1 interest in these valuable records 1 hope too that _ e =! local historians from other parishes may consider looking into die possibilities of the "New Boundary House (shown on the cover of the March' Domesday" survey. Bromlcage) recreated from a photcopy of the plan from the Field Book As the plans were done on graph paper, some ■ NB. Geoffrey Copus writes that he has details o f map ot the lines on the photocopy ore unclear, so there may be • references etc for anyone who may be interested some inaccuracies specially in the kitchen area, but it docs ; demonstrate what can be fotnul. Ed (which can save a considerable amount o f time at the PRO for the uninitiated ). Write to him enclosing 50p to cover costs at 17 Oakdale Road, Tunbridge Wells For the family historian, the records are of great TN4 8DS. value as they give the names of the tenants of each property, however humble This adds greatly to MORE ABOUT BUS STOPS Lite information available elsewhere, at a time or Tomorrow’s History before universal suffrage, when Directories were very selective. The landlords' names, and the rents More modern this, but worth recording for posterity, paid, are also given, with details of the services sonic Bromley busstops have already been named as supplied, showing that, in Chelsfield, many of the pan of a project to name all of London’s 17,000 bus stops in order to make it easier for people to find outlying properties had only earth closets, and had their way around the capital's huge and complex bus to rely on rain for their water The Rock and network. The name is to be included over the route Fountain beerhouse, Well Hill, had cesspool numbers which it serves, together with information about the direction in which the bus is travelling

7 Brumleage September 1997

Planning in Bromley residents' associations across the borough; it was A reply by Laurie Mack to the letter in founded in 1963. Each association lias a delegate to Bromleage. June 1997, page 7 the Federation's meetings, and the Federation is able to draw on the skills of independent professional Nicholas Read has an interesting point, but there are experts to an extent which no single association could good reasons why the Local History Society should aspire to. not - indeed cannot - involve itself in Bromley planning issues. This does leave an unfortunate gap in Bromley town itself. Since the demise of the Bromley Residents’ The first is that an organisation which proposes to Association in the early 1970s, due to lack of take on the task of looking at planning issues on support, (at a time when the borough was buzzing behalf of residents at large must have tiiat as an with controversy) there has been no generally credible objective in its constitution; its publicity must be residents' association for central Bromley. There organised so as to reach, directly or indirectly, a could be plenty for a civic society to do there, substantial percentage of the population which it whether or not it ventured into local history as well claims to represent, and it must have some means of (as some other residents’ associations have done); but finding out what local residents want In other words, it would have to be accepted that the Bromley Local it has to operate as, or gam its authonty from, a much History Society could only give general moral support more "open" organisation than the Society, with a to its founding, and could certainly not consider widely read regular bulletin and periodical public becoming involved in its activities. meetings where current issues can be discussed. The Society, as constituted and run now. can represent no- one but its own membership. Local illustrations in the RIBA Library. ! i It is in any case unrealistic to suggest that the Drawings by Ernest Newton. borough council would "have to consult" an amenity Reference Bicklcy houses...... L 127/3, 128/1 j society. There is no statutory obligation for it to do Hall, stables and cowshed... L 121/2 (RA 1894) I so. other than the general public consultation and Bickley Park Rd., Beechcroft ...... L 121/2 (RA 1886) ! inquiry procedures which are laid down for Bullers Wood, alterations...... L 121/2*3 figs 90-91 | Development Plans and major schemes. (RA 1889, 1890, 1892) ! Camden Park Rd.. Fairacre...... L 121/3 The second reason is that the Local History Society is u M house ____ L 121/3 SLGeorge's Church, alterations----- L 122/1 (RA 1906) a charity Its constitution precludes involvement in Bromley High Street. Bell Hotel...... L 122/3 & I, fig.92 public controversy on planning unless the activities of and Martin's Bank (RA 1898, 1900) the Society would be directly affected by whatever Bickley, Lyndhurst...... I- 119/2, 120/3 127/3 was proposed The Society cannot spend money, Beckenham, Oakley Cottage, porch and fence. ....L 123/2 Bromley, Woodrow 107 Plaistow Lane ...... L 123/3 even on a postage stamp, on anything which is not Hayes Grove, alterations...... L 123/3 covered by its rules. If it did, it would nsk losing chantable status; the direct result of that would be to Drawings by other architects. incur corporation tax on its invested funds. This problem could not be got round by changing its Bromley Municipal Buildings, competition - EA Rickards and HV Lanchester. . . 0 134 (3) n. constitution, because tire objectives of residents' Beckenham Place...... S 27 (1) n. associations which allow them to speak and act on Crystal Palace...... several behalf of their members would not be accepted by the Hayes and Chelsfield, sketches by JE Jefferson Charity Commission. (who lived at Ktston, Bicklcy)...... G 161 (1)

The third reason is that there is already a well- I Submitted by Simon Finch, luteal Studies Librarian established organisation which represents residents > ------* across the whole borough on planning issues (and Iron Churches transport, and traffic, and education, and health and The Editors or Local Studies would welcome any other matters) It is the London Borough of Bromley information on Iron churches or other buildings in the Residents' Federation, a grouping of about 40 ^borough where they were, if they survive etc.

8 Bro ml cage September 1997

THE GREAT TREE HUNT Pollards can be very old indeed A group of oaks on West Wickham Common are known as the Domesday Patricia Knowldert Oaks. Another 20 or so are scattered about the common, all 500 or more years old, The hunt is on for the tallest, widest, oldest and most rare trees in London, according to Rabbit, Bromley Many trees, especially oaks because of their Borough's ecological newsletter, and our local Tree longevity, have become part of our history like the Wardens arc on the lookout for the biggest and best Wickham Common ones:- trees in their areas. “Trees can be special because of their great age, size and rarity, but they have many Mosl famous locally is Kcston's Wilberforce Oak, other values. . some are essential landscape features where William Wilberforce and William Pitt without which a view or scene would be lacking; discussed abolishing the slave trade Unfortunately others are intrinsically beautiful a few liave great its old shell has become very dilapidated but an historical connections or are associated with famous offspring thrives nearby events or people, and many arc incorporated into local folklore." And there are other trees which are Under Pitt’s Oak in Holwood Park. William Pitt the important to local historians even if they are not so Younger used to wait for the London coach before the grand In different ways they tell us about life in the road was diverted and his tree became sadly past, because trees and their wood have been an abandoned. essential and fundamental part of life since long before historical times In 1852 Sir John Millais painted his romantic picture The Proscribed Royalist, while slaying ,in "a A young small-leaved lime in Spring Park Woods at delightful little country inn [the George at Hayes] West Wickham tells of the ancient lime-dominated near a spot exactly suited to the background" i.e by deciduous forest that once covered southern England one of the ancient oaks on Wickham Common and where early man wandered and hunted. Trees have long been planted for beauty as well as for A walnut tree on Rouse Farm, West Wickham, tells use, such as fruit trees in hedgerows, and in the 18th of the tradition brought here by the Romans that its C conifers were often added to give a park-like presence ensures the fertility of both man and beast effect:. Coppiced sweet chestnuts in Well Wood tell of centuries of woodcraft as the 10-20 vear old growth was regularly harvested for its many uses. LOCAL STUDIES LIBRARY

The willow planted in village tells of the once Claire Tyloc, the newest member of staff of the Local all-important pond where cart wheels were soaked in Studies Library, left at the beginning of August to dry weather and horses and cattle drank. take up a position nearer to her home in Bnstol. The library management does not intend to replace her, at Landmark trees are often featured in the "bounds" of least not before September 1998 You may remember Saxon charters No trees living now can be that old, that the post of Assistant Archivist was deleted last but oaks and other trees continued to be planted in year upon the retirement of Vi Cannon. Whilst there hedgerows and on boundary banks:- is no suggestion of any closures, it is inevitable that the remaining staff will be stretched very thinly Three splendid oak trees in Forest Way. Orpington indeed and at times may not be able to produce items were along the edge of a field on Poverest Farm in from the Archives store without advance notice or to 1860. give as good a service as they and you would wish

Some grand old oaks in Scadbury Park appear to be Members who are concerned about this may wish to on an ancient bank; it is possible to see where consider writing to the Chief Librarian or the branches have been lopped or "pollarded", a sort of Director of Leisure Services at the Central Library aerial coppicing. expressing their concerns and asking that the matter be seriously reconsidered

9 Brom I cage September 1997

COCKPIT The Numbering of London: a research project The various organisations that serve the capital, a publication of the Chislehurst Society such as the Police, the Fire Service, the Post Office and the bus companies, have over the years as The summer 1997 edition of Cockpit contains a London has grown, all developed their own systems number of interesting articles including: ‘Some for identifying parts of the capital. For example, thoughts about early Chislehurst’ by Roy Hopper. the Police have their A, B, C Divisions etc which 'Archaeology at Scadbury during the past year’ by have been used since they were formed in 1829, the .Alan Hart and an article about the (almost Post Office has its Post Codes and the bus unknown) chalk mine in the Camden Park area companies their route numbers. There must be This article, which first appeared in the newsletter many more codes known only to members of the of the Industrial Archaeological organisations themselves 1 am trying to do some Society (GLLAS), is by Mary Mills research into these codes, so if anyone has any particular knowledge in this regard, please could Roy Hopper also lists details of a number of old they contact me Paul Rason, Editor Chislehurst documents that were found by one of their members whilst turning out an old cupboard. These they now been given to the Local Studies THE NATIONAL TRUST, . Library, although Roy has kept copies in The National Trust has launched a major ten year Chislehurst library. improvement programme for the Hawkwood estate ooooaoooooooooooocoooooooooooooooooooooooooooooocxx»ooooooo The work is to be earned out jointly by Trust wardens, the Hawkwood Farm tenant and others RAVELIN and will include restonng more than 1,300 metres of hedgerow, reluming some arable fields to fenced grazing land, pollarding willows and poplars along the Journal of the Kent Defence Research Group the Kyd Brook, enhancing the farm by planting has an item about the Defence of Britain Project. It trees, reinstating small orchards, repairing says the project ‘is now entering a second and traditional buildings and improving public footpaths more productive phase. Much research in the and bridleways The aim of this comprehensive Public Record Office has unearthed many programme of work is to bnng out the histone documents which give map references for defences features of the estate as well as enhancing its and, armed with this information we can now target landscape and nature conservation interest, whilst sites in o u r...... areas. The sites turned up so far maintaining and improving public access. are anti aircraft batteries; anti-Vl batteries (often The Trust will be looking for volunteers to help die the same battenes but more often not), bombing Warden with some of this work. If you would like decoys, and loading 'hards' for Operation Overlord. to help and can spare a half-day a month, please It is hoped that a gazetteer of anti-invasion defences contact Tony Chapman of the Trust’s Pens Wood will follow, but quite how complete it will be is And Hawkwood Committee, on 01689 832313. impossible to say at this stage ’

‘If you have not yet done anything for the Project FARNBOROUGH VILLAGE HALL you may now feel it worthwhile to do so. The flow CENTENARY of information will no longer be ‘one way’ and you may find out about a number of sites you didn't On NOVEMBER 15th the Parish of Famborough know ' will be celebrating the 100th birthday of die PARISH ROOM, which was officially opened on If you're interested in helping, please contact the October I5tli 1897 by the Right Hon Sir John Editor of Ravelin. [David Burridge, 59, Markland Lubbock. The celebrations will take die form of an Road. Dover. Kent CT17 9LY] who may be able to OPEN DAY to which all residents of the Pansh of put you in touch with an area co-ordinator, or get Famborough are invited from about 3pm to 8pm on to the Project direct at the Imperial War There will be an exhibition of Farnborough Past Museum. Duxford Airfield, Cambridge, C62 4QR. as well as demonstrations and exhibits by today's lurcrs. with refreshments at a nominal charge.

10 Bromleage September 1997

being aware of it, moved from one social class to ARCADIA OVERWHELMED another and from one circle of friends to another. In the eves of the remaining village children, to quote (very recently) the former Sunday School Part 6: Two suitors, but no murder Ron Cox teacher Rose Robson, he or she then became

This concludes the talk about West Wickham, that D r Hon C ot gave "toffeenosed" at the 1996 AGMI So much for the state of the infrastructure and the In 1926 the village all-age National School had 96 services, as the village was overwhelmed by the children on roll and numbers were falling But in incomers April 1930 it was replaced with a wooden Kent County Council Elementary School building But there was. too, a wider break-down of the (Hawes Down), with six classrooms intended for whole system of local government West 240 pupils. Wickham was a part of Bromley Rural Distnct. based on Orpington seven miles away For a long time the village had only one representative on the Seventeen months later, that 240-place school had District Council who was (surprise, surprise) the 419 children on roll; and every school day. on lord of the manor. And the Council was average, saw two newcomers being admitted, quite overwhelmed, because a number of other parishes, apart from a much-inflated September intake especially Orpington itself, were also being rapidly, if less dramatically, suburbamsed

Soon, the Seniors were sent elsewhere and a West Wickham, as was indicated earlier, had its separate Infant school was opened. For a few own Pansh Council. It had virtually no powers, no days the wooden 240-place school - by this time administrative machinery and no officers apart for Juniors only - had 240 children But 15 from its aged part-time Clerk All its members months later the number had increased to 442. still were “old" villagers - many of them accommodated in only six classrooms but with unsophisticated and mostly inward-looking Their two additional classes, each of over 50 children, in impotence is shown, for example, by the fact that the Canteen and separated only by mobile coat when a Town PI arming Scheme was under hangers. When I amved there from a little private consideration by the Rural Distnct Council, its school in 1933, I had to sit at a woodwork bench members refused to let the Pansh Council have a because there were not even enough desks to go tracing of the accompanying map and the latter round body accepted the docision without complaint

The Chairman of the Pansh Council was Dr But there was a plus side The National School William Blake who had been a member since Log Book shows that hardly any pupils had ever 1906. He was a hard-dnnking. chain-smoking, gone from there to the four County Grammar irascible Irishman in his seventies. A dedicated Schools in the area: Bromley Girls', Bromley and canng General Practitioner, he was highly Boys’. Beckenham Girls' and Beckenham Boys’ respected in the village despite his appalling But by 1935, under a vigorous young Head (Louis bedside manner and his colourful vocabulary. But Alen) and a dedicated and talented staff, the he was unable to devote any more than a cursory majority of 11 year-old pupils were moving on to amount of evening time to the work of the Council a Grammar or a Technical or. at least, a Central - which is all it had needed in the past School rather than to the local Senior School The Pansh Council was aware of its own It was the children of the "old" villagers who still, limitations of power, time and administrative almost without exception, failed to pass the support but, like the villagers it represented, it was Entrance Examinations The rare village child confused and angry at what was happening around who did pass then automatically, and without it. It did what it thought was best for the place

11 Brotnlcagc September 1997 but. as Councillor Mrs Bellringer clearly indicated Beckenham Councillor said "West Wickham is a during the discussion on street lighting, it was the woman with two suitors" subject of constant abuse: from the villagers, for letting the place be over-run by incomers; and For five or six years, whilst the local government from the incomers for all the inadequacies and of the area became more tragi-comic, there was a inefficiencies, almost all of which were outside its succession of public meetings, polls and public control, inquiries all ostensibly designed to improve local government but. for most people, aimed at In February 1929. a Ratepayers' (soon to be called obtauung the cheapest possible (i.e. the lowest rate a Residents’) Association was formed "to preserve level) conclusion the interests of the residents and look after the amenities of the place" or - as one speaker said at After a lot of vacillation the Residents' Association the inaugural meeting - "what is left (of them]" found itself on the same side as the Parish Within a few weeks it had a membership of 300 Council, both favouring an Orpington Urban and soon it liad more members than the total District Council rather than a Beckenham population of the village as recorded in the Borough Council. This was more on the grounds previous (1921) census. And its membership was that the trappings of an Urban District Council educated, articulate, comparatively young and would be cheaper to maintain than those of an "knew the ropes". ambitious Borough Council than on grounds of logic, or convenience, or common sense Dr It stressed that it aimed not to upset the villagers Blake, though, was more perceptive than most and (a sure sign that there was conflict), but inevitably said of the Rural Distnct Council "I never came its virulent criticism of the road surfaces, fire across such an amateur crowd in my life" protection, gas pressure, tram service, street lighting, schooling and so on was directed at the In due course there was another Ministry Inquiry liaplcss and powerless Parish Council and its (by and - contrary to the locally-expressed majority - now two) representatives on the Rural District it decided, after an initial and disastrous attempt to Council - and so, by implication, at the "old" partition West Wickham (which would probably villagers. have led to Civil War), that West Wickham should be joined to Beckenham Urban Distnct to enable it Clearly, a new local government structure was to become a Borough. One suspects that needed And here were the seeds of another Beckenham, from a position of greater power, had conflict - not present in all such suburban been able to exerase more influence over the developments Inquiry that had Orpington. As lias been said, a number of the other parishes in the Rural District were also becoming In many ways it was a curious decision. There suburbanised This revealed starkly the was, for instance, no bus or train link between inadequacies of a form of local government West Wickham and Beckenham town centre designed as appropriate for scattered rural Logically, West Wickham should have been added parishes So, Bromley Rural District Council to the County Borough of Croydon - it was to sought elevation to Urban District status, with its there that most people travelled by bus for their own Town Hall, Clerk and staff But to qualify shopping or to go to London or to the seaside. But for that, it needed West Wickham's population. that was unthinkable and seems never to have been discussed Croydon was not m Kent and Kent However, simultaneously, the Urban District of County Council would no more readily have Beckenham was also growing further in size, surrendered an acre of territory than, in the 1990's, particularly with the development of Eden Park, would one of the states of the former Yugoslavia adjacent to West Wickham, and it had aspirations to become a Borough But to do that, it needed And to show that all was well - on the surface, West Wickham’s population. As one anyway - on the day that the union between West

12 Bromleage September 1997

Wickham and Beckenham came into force (1st Then it was realised that the tree was dying - done April 1934) Raymond Austin (7‘/2), representing for by men cutting a sewer trench near its roots. Beckenham, met Patricia Hocy (7%) representing All was panic and the Pansh Council called m a West Wickham, at the boundary between the two tree expert. Yes, it was dying, he said, but it places and presented her with a bouquet. could be preserved by having concrete poured in it. Kent County Council solemnly assured the I referred earlier to the community spirit inherent Pansh Council that it had authority for the in the village and the despair of the "old" villagers necessary expenditure but the idea was squashed at the destruction of so much of the fabric and by the common-sense comment of Dr Blake; landscape of the place. This, as 1 said, doubtless "When the concrete dries the whole bally tree will existed to some extent wherever suburbia intruded. come away". But let me underline its exceptional strength in West Wickham by telling you about the Stocks So the dead trunk remained as an unofficial Tree, West Wickham’s totem roundabout, the Parish Council ignoring the claims of the Residents' Association that it was more and more of an obstruction and, anyway, It was a sturdy elm and it stood in the middle of looked pretty ridiculous. die road at the Swan junction - the T-junction at the top of the High Street. Presumably, from its When, finally, it became a real public danger it name, die village stocks had at one time been was lovingly transported to the new Blake beneath it, until removed - so legend had it - to the Recreation Ground (where better?) and was set up attic of the Swan in a specially fenced enclosure with a plaque explaining its folk significance. There it gradually It was die focal point of village life. So much so rotted away and in 1968 was blown over in a gale that a bench had been fixed all round its trunk on which die old men of the village could sit and pass But that's not the end of the story. A piece of it the time of day - including my grandfather when a was treated and placed in the entrance foyer of the stroke prevented his working any more. An earlier new swimming pool, a new plaque being print shows their predecessors having to squat on ceremonially unveiled by a 96-year-old who had the huge exposed roots. been a grocer and garage owner in the village, within a few yards of the tree, from 1905. So prcaous was it that when, in 1928, the London General omnibus Company wished to extend its Since 1972, when the village pond at the lower end service from Croydon through die village and of the High Street was filled in after years of down to the railway station and sought permission neglect, this totem remains as almost the last to lop some of the leaves for the safety of physical reminder of ARCADIA passengers on the top open deck, the Parish OVERWHELMED. Council vehemently refused It pointed out that the proposed extension only took eight minutes to But, don't despair West Wickham was desenbed walk anyway. The bus company went ahead widi in 1961, in THE SUNDAY TIMES MAGAZINE, die extension, if not with die lopping. in these terms: "It's a peaceable place, sober and law-abiding No-one is ever murdered in West But the tree was an ever-increasing problem. Wickham". Buses and lorries from Station Road - die northern arm of the T-junction - which tried to use it as a It is with very great regret that we non-mandatory traffic island had difficulty in have to advise you of the recent death getting round it; and traffic that didn't was of Marie, the wife of Fred Whyler, our sometimes in head-on collision, as it cut the Vice President. I know that you will comer, with traffic turning left from the High all wish us to offer him our very Street. deepest sympathies at this sad time.

13 Bromleage September 1997 ' HERITAGE WEEKEND " From the Editor of the JOURNAL OF KENT HISTORY i 13th 4& 14th September j To all Kent History Federation Affiliated Societies' ST. MARY CRAY ACTION GROUP Secretaries lias arranged a number of events for this weekend: The March 1997 issue of the Journal o j Kent History was the first one to be published without S t Mary’s Church is to have a Flower Festival the Affiliated Societies' Future Events details, The church will be open from 10am to 5pm on which are now circulated to you direct by the the Friday, Saturday and Sunday. (There will be Federation This has made available several more a Sunday morning service.) pages in each issue of the Journal for the publication of articles by members of the Affiliated Bill Morton will be on hand in the Church Societies and others on Kent topics. Centre (10am - 5pm, each day) to give continuous slide shows as needed. Refreshments Please would you would remind the members of will be available. your Society that when the Journal was originally established over twenty years ago the main purpose Walks which will include access to the recently of it was to provide a vehicle in which members of renovated buildings in Kent Road, will start at the Affiliated Societies of the Federation could lpm on Saturday and 10am on Sunday, from the publish short research papors. That remains the Church Centre. aim although of late there has been such pressure on space in the Journal that only a few articles could actually be published. The space problem lias now been solved. If there are members of your Society who would like to see a short article published (1,500-2,000 words is ideal) in the Journal o f Kent History, please would you ask them to submit the article to me Also, now that there is more room. I will be reverting to the previous practice of making space for illustrations and line drawings, as appropnate. I should will be holding an Open Weekend at Scadbury mention that no payment is made by the Journal for Moated Manor on Saturday, 13th and Sunday 14th the pieces which it publishes, although, of course, September from 2.00 - 4.30pm, when they will be the contributor does get a complimentary copy of celebrating the 400th anniversary of the visit of the issue in which his or her contribution appears Queen Elizabeth 1 to Scadbury in 1597 Why not go along to see the moated manor house, I do very much hope that members of your Society their recent excavations and to watch re­ will be able to help in keeping the Journal lively enactments of Tudor life on the moated island. and fresh as it comes to within a couple of years of There will be a bookstall, photographic display and its fiftieth issue. refreshments. With thanks in anticipation and best wishes Entrance to the site is where the estate circular footpath passes the moated site The nearest access Peter Rowe, 1 Woodside Villas, Ashford Road, from the road is via the footpath between 12-14 St Hamstreet, Ashford, Kent TN26 2DT. Pauls Wood Hill, turning left along the circular Tel. 01233 732172 footpath, a five-minute walk; or a longer - half-hour - walk from the Old Perry Strea entrance. There is NB. Die Journal o f Kent History is published twice a limited car-parking at the site for clderly/disabled year in March and September. Patricia Knowlden people. Apply in advance for free car park ticket, always collects a few for sale at our meetings. However stating which date required, and enclosing SAE, to if you cannot get to meetings, you can take out a direct M Meekums, 27 Eynsford Close, Petts Wood, subscription. Send £6.00 for 4 issues (2 years) to the Kent BR5 1DP Hon.Trcasurer, Kent History Federation, 14 Yallicrs Wood Road. Sidcup. Kent DAIS 8BG

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