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~*~ Welcome to West Wickham ~*~
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Come explore our gorgeous village!
Welcome, welcome, welcome!!! You have found the Official West Wickham Village Home Page on the World Wide Web!!!
Here you will learn ALL about our beautiful village in the London Borough of Bromley, in the beautiful county of Kent...
err, I mean Greater London now. Things change, don't they... (blames local council).
West Wickham is a leafy, tranquil suburb on the edge of Bromley, known for its spacious 1930s homes,
village-like charm and proximity to the countryside. Residents enjoy a relaxed pace of life, with golf and tennis clubs,
scenic commons and a real strong community spirit!!!
What makes West Wickham special?
[x] Over 900 years of history
[x] The Prime Meridian passes right through!!!
[x] Anne Boleyn's family once owned our Court
[x] Historic Railway Hotel serving CAMRA beer
[x] Four excellent state primary schools
[x] Ancient woodland and common
[x] Independent High Street shops
[x] Village sign from the Queen's Jubilee
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~*~ West Wickham Through the Years ~*~
Historic Photos from Our Village
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West Wickham High Street, c.1957
(source: PHLS)
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Wickham Court, 1899
(source: Francis Frith)
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Wickham Court c.1960
(source: Francis Frith)
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West Wickham Composite c.1960
(source: Francis Frith)
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Shirley Road c.1965
(source: Francis Frith)
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West Wickham Village Sign
(source: PHLS)
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Our Rich History
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1086
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Domesday Book! West Wickham has 37 households recorded in William the Conqueror's Great Survey.
We had 2 ploughs in lordship, 24 villagers with 4 ploughs, 13 slaves, and a church.
Not bad for a small Kentish village, eh?
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1300s
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Dwellings mentioned at Burton End (Bovetoun) from the 1340s, and cottages at Streetly End in the mid-15th century.
The Alington family begin their long ownership of the manor.
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1500s
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Wickham Court is built for Sir Henry Heydon (died 1504). He married Anne Boleyn's great-grandfather Sir Geoffrey Boleyn's daughter.
The house later passes to the Lennard family in 1579.
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1645
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English Civil War! General Gage uses Wickham Court as his headquarters.
Things were serious in the village once!
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1882
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RRAIVAL ARRIVES!!!
The branch line from Elmers End to Hayes opens.
Colonel John Farnaby (Lord of the Manor) was the leading promoter.
Railway Hotel built around same time. This changes everything.
13 weekday and 4 Sunday services to start.
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1926
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Electric trains!!! The railway becomes electrified, making London even closer.
This is the big catalyst for West Wickham's transformation.
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1927
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ROYAL VISIT!!! King George V and Queen Mary visit to open a new school in the village.
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1930s
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The village MUSTUMS into a suburb!!! Fields are covered with houses that varied little in design.
The High Street fills with shops. Mains drainage is fitted, buses laid on.
Mysterious, isn't it?
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The Prime Meridian Goes Through Our Village!!!
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"Where East Meets West"
That's right folks -- we have the Prime Meridian running through us!!!
You don't have to go all the way to Greenwich to see the Meridian line anymore (grumble grumble grumble).
We've got our very own Meridian obelisk right here in West Wickham!!!
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Obelisk Location:
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Coney Hall Recreation Ground
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Distance from Greenwich:
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7.64 miles (12.29 km)
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OS Grid:
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TQ 339210, 165036
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Tree Line Project:
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Native trees planted along the Meridian (Silver Birch) by Bromley Council, 1996-2000
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We are LITERALLY half way around the world!
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Wickham Court - The Tudor Treasure
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Grade I Listed Building - This is the highest listing you can get in England!
Our Wickham Court is a semi-fortified country house that has stood strong since the 15th century.
The Anne Boleyn Connection:
The house was built for Sir Henry Heydon (died 1504) who married Anne Boleyn's great-grandfather Sir Geoffrey Boleyn's daughter!!!
Rumours have it Anne herself may have visited Wickham Court though she never lived there.
So does that make us royalty-adjacent? Maybe not... but it's fun to say it is!!!
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The Lennard Family:
The Lennards took ownership in 1579 from the Heydon family and kept it for over 300 years.
They were Lords of the Manor of West Wickham for generations!
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English Civil War:
General Gage used it as his headquarters in 1645! Things were serious.
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Today:
Wickham Court School - an independent co-educational day school.
Open days with guided tours available occasionally.
Don't miss it if you get the chance!
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Local Pubs & The Railway Hotel
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Every good village needs a good pub. And we've got The Railway Hotel, built around the same time as the station in 1882!!
It replaced the old Leather Bottle beer house and has been serving CAMRA cask beer ever since.
That's over 140 years of quality beer!!!
The Railway Hotel
Address: Red Lodge Rd, West Wickham, BR4 0EW
Built: ~1882 (around the same time as the station!)
Type: CAMRA pub, cask beer focused
Features: Garden, real ale, food served
Status: Still going strong!!!
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The Royal George and other local pubs also do the rounds!
There's also The Windmill in nearby Beckenham for a bit of variety.
And of course, the village High Street has proper independent pubs with character.
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Nature, Woods & Green Spaces
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West Wickham is home to some amazing green spaces and ancient woodland!
We've got Common, Recreation Grounds, and Woodland that's been there for centuries.
Perfect for your daily stroll or a spot of nature watching!!!
West Wickham Common
Managed by the City of London. Ancient woodland with pollarded oaks (over 400 years old!!!),
heathland, acid grassland and scrub. Home to rare insects, bats, fungi and birds that live in the
nooks, cavities and cracks in the ageing and decaying wood. Open all year round!
High Broom Wood
7.2-hectare site along the River Beck corridor. Combines ancient woodland with open common,
featuring wet woodland habitats and a biodiversity hotspot within the urban fringe.
Coney Hall Recreation Ground
The home of the Prime Meridian obelisk! Great green space in the heart of Coney Hall.
The name "Coney Hall" comes from "coney" (rabbit) -- the farm had sole right to catch coneys (rabbits) on nearby land.
Yes, the whole area was literally named after a fancy word for rabbit!!!
Blake Recreation Ground
Another local green space for residents to enjoy.
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Schools in West Wickham
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West Wickham is a popular place for families, thanks to its excellent schools:
State Primary Schools:
[1] Wickham Common School
[2] Oak Lodge School
[3] Pickhurst School
[4] Hawes Down School
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Private:
[5] Wickham Court School -- housed in the magnificent Grade I Listed Tudor manor house!
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~*~ Fun & Random Facts ~*~
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Did you know...? Some things that might make you say "Oh, West Wickham, you beaut!"
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[Fact #1]
When we were first recorded in Domesday Book in 1086, we only had 37 households.
We've grown to ~30,000! That's roughly 800x bigger! We are clearly very successful village.
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[Fact #2]
The Prime Meridian GOES THROUGH us. You can stand here and be half on one side of the world,
half on the other!! Well, not really, but you CAN stand at the obelisk in Coney Hall and say you were on the line.
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[Fact #3]
The Anne Boleyn connection is REAL! Her great-grandfather Sir Geoffrey Boleyn's daughter married Sir Henry Heydon,
who built Wickham Court. Rumour has it Anne herself may have visited!
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[Fact #4]
"Coney Hall" -- the area name, comes from "coney" which is a fancy old word for rabbit!!!
Coney Hall Farm had the sole right to catch conies (rabbits) on nearby land!
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[Fact #5]
Corkscrew Hill was sometimes known as "School Road" because the village school was at the top of it.
The old school was partly redeveloped as flats around 2000.
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[Fact #6]
King George V and Queen Mary visited West Wickham in early 1927 to open a new school.
We're a village that royals have visited and have Domesday history -- that's pretty cool innit?
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[Fact #7]
Wickham Common has oak pollards that are OVER 400 YEARS OLD. These gnarled veteran oaks provide homes for rare fungi, bats and insects.
The trees have been here longer than the Boleyn family were living there!
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[Fact #8]
The village sign (erected 2014) commemorates the Queen's Diamond Jubilee (2012).
It has elements from each "end" of the village: Streetly End, the Church End and Burton End.
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[Fact #9]
Postcode area: BR4. Where east meets west. And we've got the Meridian to prove it.
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*~* West Wickham Photo Gallery *~*
Historic photographs of our lovely village...
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High Street c.1957
A bustling day on West Wickham High Street.
The shops, the buses, the village life as it used to be!!
Photograph: Bromley Borough Local History Society
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Wickham Court 1899
Wickham Court in the Victorian era.
A grand sight - and it's still standing tall today!!!
Photograph: Francis Frith
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Wickham Court from South East c.1960
The magnificent Tudor manor as seen from the SE.
Home to Coloma College today - still as grand!!!
Photograph: Francis Frith
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Aerial Composite c.1960
Aerial overview of West Wickham village.
Look - you can even spot the village sign!
Photograph: Francis Frith
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West Wickham Road c.1965
Life along the road in the mid-1960s.
So much has changed... the old charm remains!!!
Photograph: Francis Frith
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West Wickham Village Sign
Our proud village sign from the Jubilee!
Showcasing all three 'ends' of our glorious village.
Photograph: Bromley Borough Local History Society
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~*~*
webmaster@westwickham.demon.co.uk
NEW! Prime Meridian info!!!