KESTON OLD and NEWish Based on photographs from the collection of - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

KESTON

OLD and NEWish

Based on photographs from the collection of G.W. Smith

Adapted from a presentation to the BBLHS by Max Batten January 3rd 2012

William Smith 1780 – 1860 Bromley/Bromley Common Thomas Smith 1811-1877 Hayes/Bromley Common William Smith 1836-1908 Hayes/Bromley Common George William Smith 1861-1926 Bromley Common Wallace Smith Joshua Walter Smith 1868-1942 Bromley Common Joshua Bernard Smith George “Gee” William Smith 1898-1987 Bromley Common Leonard George Smith Harold Mark Smith Muriel Annie Smith 1905-1994 Bromley Common Roger Evans Blanch Smith Elizabeth Smith He was later assisted by his nephew George, “Gee” who, in addition to adding to the collection, continued to show the lantern Slides to local groups into the

• 1980s. The collection of which this is a small part was

presented to the Local Archives in 1987 and Gee’s son Len made a series of tapes adding information to the pictures. The material disappeared into Bromley Library archives and that seemed to be that! However, in 2011, the Smith family kindly donated funds to purchase a suitable slide scanner for the Library and three volunteers, of whom I was one, turned the images into more easily viewed digital pictures, as well as making digital copies of Len’s descriptions which have been utilised in this presentation. So who was GW Smith? Well in a sense he was two people. As we can see from the family tree, the Smith family has been in the area for a long

• time. We are concerned initially with

William Smith who set up a builder’s business in Bromley Common, in Brewery Lane. In 1905 George William, together with his brother Joshua took over the business. GW was always a keen photographer and from the 1880s travelled around the Bromley, Hayes and Keston area with his heavy photographic equipment in a small donkey cart. His collection of glass slides were used to give entertaining lectures.

Let’s first have a look at the area I am covering in this small selection of GW’s photos. This map shows the area from Leaves Green in the south to the Croydon Road in the north. We shall be starting in the south, passing Keston Church into Holwood, across to the Westerham Road, Keston Pond, down to Keston Common and then along the Croydon Road to Keston Mark. Note in particular the junction at Keston, and the names Jewels Wood (bottom left) and Leaves Green.

In this 1780 map, near the top we can see the Keston Common junction but the most striking difference is perhaps the fact that there was no Westerham Road nor Keston Ponds, the road system being concentrated on Holwood. Also marked are Caesar’s camp, which we know now is really an Iron Age fort. We can see Keston Windmill in Heathfield Lane and Keston Church, even then somewhat isolated. Towards the bottom is Leves Green and Jews Wood. Finally, notice that this glass slide has been damaged and poorly repaired.

One of the big advantages

• f slide digitising is that

you can improve their quality, make repairs and bring out details that were not so clear in the original. Here, I have removed the Sellotape yellowing on the left and restored the missing area on the right. Of course, this can be con-

• troversial. How much

change should you make to original material? The removal of the yellowing is maybe OK but what about the road on the right. Although I have replaced the road from bits elsewhere on the map, it is

• nly my guess at to what

was there. I should stress that the

• riginal very high quality

scans have not been touched in any way. Anyway, lets start our tour

• f the district at the Crown

Inn, just north of the name Leves Green on the map.

Probably taken around 1880, on the extreme right is the Tollgate cottage. The adjacent garage today is still called the

• Tollgate. Of particular note is the condition
• f the road, presumably GW had to

negotiate this with his donkey cart! At this point I want to introduce an additional benefit of the digital age, Google Street View. Here is the Crown Inn today kindly taken by the Google cameramen. Although there have been considerable changes, the building on the left would seem to be the same as we saw in the photo above so is a lot older than the extension on the right. Moving on along the road we come to…

Keston Church from Hadwell’s collection as sketched on 16 May 1841 and subsequently turned into a photo by GW. The church is unusual in not being dedicated to a saint. Note the chimney at east (near) end, the single window and the stepped shape of the chancel.

In this interior photo taken around 1900 we can see that the chimney is connected to a pipe through the church presumably providing some limited central

• heating. Note the box

pews and the unusually

• rnate pulpit with a

sounding board above to improve acoustics. When the whitewash on the walls was removed in the 1950s a copy of the Ten Commandments was

• discovered. Who or when

they were painted over is not known.

A general view

• f the church,

with the chimney just visible on the right. Note the plain bell tower.

A close up of the south

• side. Excavations have

found evidence of at least three previous churches on the site and pre-Norman, burials in chalk. Early maps show the church with a steeple and although this was thought just to be artistic licence, digging in the 1950s found suitable footings around the filled in

• archway. Bells in a

steeple were also recorded in the time of Edward III (1327 to 1377 if case you have forgotten). There is a Pepys family vault on site with C18th

• interments. The

stepped shape of the church is known as a weeping chancel.

A picture taken from the other side of the church but at a later date. Note the larger belfry with the open lattice work. One bell made by Thomas Bartlet is dated 1621, a further 6 bells were donated in the 1870s by the Derby family at Holwood. The fence is the boundary of the old church yard which has now been

• extended. On the right can be seen part of the very large rectory which was finally abandoned in 1925.

A later view from the lane where we can see the larger belfry. The identity of the bowler hatted gentleman is unknown. Note the east window is now divided by a central mullion. Today,

• f course, it is a single

window again.

We now move forward to the Second World War, and a photo taken by Gee Smith, GW’s nephew, after bomb damage at the east end and which demolished all the tombstones. Note the four stone marks/holes which have appeared. These are the original old wooden scaffolding holes used during construction which were then plugged on completion of the building.

The same end of the church after repairs in 1950 but before the glass was replaced. Just at the bottom centre, you can see the remains of a Roman centurion’s coffin from nearby Warbank roman

• villa. Moved to

Wickham Court, apparently in the 1920s, it was badly broken by stampeding horses in a

• storm. It was removed

by Len’s father, Gee, repaired and taken to Keston. It has now been returned to Warbank.

This is a view of the Rectory at the west end of the church around 1900. A bomb fell on the empty building and badly damaged it in 1941. But there was no damage to the church including its stained glass window. However, it was decided to use the building to test the effectiveness of a new air raid precaution, the Morrison shelter. This was simply a steel reinforced table for use in houses under which residents could shelter during a bombing raid. It is not clear if the engineers were over enthusiastic or just thorough, but the entire rectory was demolished, and the west church window with it! Is it possible that the building was chosen because it was near Fort Halstead?

One of the graves in Keston churchyard was that of Mrs Craik, best known for John Halifax, Gentleman, which was actually televised in 1974. Born in Stoke, she lived in

• Shortlands. She married at

39 and died during pre- parations for her adopted daughter’s wedding, aged 61. Now we move on to Keston Farm…

In the previous slide taken just to the south of the church we see Keston or North Court farm around 1890. On the left is the vicar’s tithe barn. It acted as an

• ccasional local judicial court for minor offences.

(The South Court was Blackness Farm). Courtesy of Google Street View again, we can see the farm today, with the house very recognisable although the barn has been replaced.

Keston Court farm again, with the tithe barn on the right. This is included to again show what can be done with digital processing. I am not sure what had happened to the

• riginal picture, above, but it is a

simple process to remove the colour cast which I don’t believe was intended.

An attractive view of elm trees edging a lane beyond which lies Keston Court

• farm. This is now

Rectory Road and would have been the main route before the Westerham Road was built. GW may have been experimenting with filters given the strange colour of the

• trees. Since they are

in leaf it is unlikely to be frost.

Holwood House at the time it was owned by William Pitt the Younger which he enlarged and also levelled half the surrounding iron age fort. The 1795 picture probably shows the old main road passing the house. Pitt had this moved, creating the present route of the Westerham road. Damaged by fire it was replaced by Mr Ward who created a number of lakes, seven in all on the east side of the property. These were in addition to Keston Ponds to provide a water supply to the property.

The present Holwood, owned for many years by the Stanley family, the Earl of Derby. In more recent years it was occupied by Seismographic Services. This was an oddly coloured slide and I have removed the greenish cast it had acquired. The House and surrounding area has now been heavily developed but the old house retains its charm as can be seen the next slide. This is a side view (the left side below). It was taken late on a January afternoon in 2006, hence the very low sunlight.

The Wilberforce Oak, taken in 1873, during a visit by African clergy including Bishop Crowther who it is thought to be the gentleman at the back left. This is of course the site where William Pitt and Samuel Wilberforce met in 1787 to discuss how to end slavery. A Wilberforce diary entry in 1788 reads: “At length, I well remember after a conversation with Mr. Pitt in the open air at the root of an old tree at Holwood, just above the steep descent into the vale of Keston, I resolved to give notice on a fit

• ccasion in the House of Commons of my intention to bring forward the abolition of the slave-trade". In the background can be

seen the commemorative seat, erected many years later to mark that occasion and on which his diary entry is inscribed. The tree itself, as can be seen by this picture, must have been past its best when Pitt and Wilberforce sat beneath it.

The tree’s decay is also apparent in this later shot of a gentleman probably called George Shorter, and his dog.

A view from “just above the steep descent” mentioned by Wilberforce. It became very overgrown and only the 1987 “hurricane” restored the vista as seen by Pitt and his guest.

This picture brings the story forward to 1982. It was taken on a family excursion and various relative were draped all over the tree. when I took it. I don’t think we caused more damage, but I have removed them to hide the evidence! The new central tree planted from acorns from the old one unfortunately blew down in the 1987 gale, narrowly missing the commemorative seat, and the original tree finally collapsed in 1991.

Another view of the commemorative seat in January 2006 which had been moved from its position in the earlier pictures to a few yards away to bring it within the protection of the Holwood

• fence. Originally erected in 1862 by the then owner, Earl Stanley.

This picture shows some of the seven lakes created by Pitt with the help of Repton among

• thers.

Fed by a spring with small water- falls between each

• ne.

It is thought they are still there but difficult to see amid the trees. Next we move back in time…

This and the previous picture show the iron age fortifications surrounding

• Holwood. Dating from around 300BC,

those on the right or east side have been levelled. It also shows the former road via Holwood House and the new road passing round the estate. This second drawing takes a wider view

• f the area and the Iron Age workings.

A ground level view of the ramparts and trench system seen in the previous slides with two large ridges, now much reduced and in-filled. A gateway into this camp, from opposite Caesar’s Well became an entrance route into Holwood. The area was excavated by the Keston Field Club in the 1950s and a number of photos from that time are in the GWS collection.

This picture is thought to be of Mrs Nancy Piercy-Fox who led the work, standing on part of the ramparts.

And this is the entrance to Holwood at Beckford Lodge. Taken in January 2006, it was at the time hidden behind high fences whilst the house building work was going on the estate and was difficult to access. It was very neglected but has since been refurbished and re-occupied.

A short distance south along the Westerham Road was the Archdeacons Well and Keston village pump. On the right was a small spring and pond which still causes problems in wet

• weather. Christopher

Clark, the rector of Keston and Hayes had the facility installed to serve both Keston and Downe in 1725. Quite a long walk for both communities. The pump was struck by an army vehicle in World War II and lost. It is seen here in a view looking west to the corner near Warbank.

Just below the Westerham Road and above Warbank is Knightons once owned by the Boosey family (of Boosey and Hawkes musical fame). This is the garden front just before WW1 when it was extended in 1912 by William Smith and Son…

To include a billiards room and other facilities. It looks pretty much the same today but is not easy to see from the road.

This is Warbank roman villa below the Westerham Road, as it first looked after excavations in the

• 1820s. In the background was a building then called a Roman Temple, actually a burial area, and now

in somebody's back garden. Excavations were again carried out in the 1950s.

A Roman coin found at Warbank by Gee Smith in 1950 showing the Emperor Constantine.

An old sketch, dated 30th August 1828, showing the well and the three ponds at Keston. The middle pond was originally a gravel pit with a stream flowing from the spring into it. It was then damned to produce three

• ponds. The lower one has only been accessible to the public in the last 25 years or so. Note the small

building near the centre which was the pump house for Holwood. That may be Shooters Hill in the distance.

A similar but rather more bucolic view with a chestnut tree in the foreground and the pump house in the background. This used to be called Cold Bath Hill and there was a changing room for people to bathe in the therapeutic water! As you probably know, the story is that early Romans were in the area but very short of fresh water. Noticing ravens digging their beaks in the ground here the soldiers found a well, hence the name, Ravensbourne.

This is an actual photograph from pretty much the same viewpoint but many years later and considerably more overgrown. We don’t have a precise date for this picture but almost certainly before 1914.

From the same period, around the turn of the C19th , two boys fishing in the upper pond.

This shows the same area, from the opposite direction and it appears the path between the upper and middle lakes has been improved so is probably a few years

• later. However, the most

noticeable feature here is Keston Windmill. It is clear from this how well sited it was to catch all available wind. Also, note how bare the area is beyond, just heather (hence Heathfield Road) and no

• trees. In the lower right

you can see a sign which warns people not to let their dogs into the water as it is used for drinking purposes by Holwood!

A close up view of the mill , in 1914. The main post is dated 1716 making it the oldest remaining mill in

• Kent. As a post

mill, the whole upper building rotates round, pulled by a horse,

• n the base to

catch the wind. It had fallen into disrepair and a local subscription had been raised for its repair before World War I. This was carried out by William Smith and Son but…

Because the war intervened the work was never fully completed.

But you can see clearly what was needed! On the right is the pole from which the horse could pull the mill round. You can also see the 60 rung ladder used to access the work. It took 4 men to move it around and to get it up. It was last used to repair Holy Trinity Church after 1945 and finally rotted away in the Smith’s yard in the 1970s.

Standing centre in front of the mill is a young Gee Smith, Len’s father, on his first job for the Company.

A picture of the mill taken one very cold January morning in 2006. So the Smith’s work was not in vain, even if the sweeps have now disappeared and it cannot no longer rotate. GW took a great many pictures of the interior mechanism for anyone who is particularly interested in old

• mills. These pictures are held

by Bromley Archives.

This picture is taken in Leafy Grove, which runs parallel to and below Heathfield Road. Little is known about the picture nor the man in it but it appears to have been taken with the junction with Fox Lane just behind the photographer. The other intriguing thing about this photo is the colouring. It seems more than mere tinting but how it was done I don’t know.

Carrying on down the road to Keston Common with the Fox inn on the right and the windmill in the background, the original sketch being dated 1837. Clearly artistic licence or artists’ impressions are nothing

• new. I can assure you that even with no trees in the way, you cannot see the mill from this position!

The building on the right is actually on the site of what is now Keston Post Office, a few yards up the road from the inn today. The post office is using the later stable buildings for the following Fox Inn….

Which we see here, but it is still not the building you see today. Note the very muddy road with Fox Lane disappearing round to the left.

A view of the same building from the front showing the name of the inn keeper, Mr. Duck. His daughter Sarah married William Smith who set up the building company. Interesting use (at this time) of “BY”.

This is Fox Lane as it looked in around 1912. It has since been surfaced!

A picture of Lord Sackville-Cecil, step- brother to Lord Stanley of Holwood (three times prime minister). The source of this photo is not known but the reason for its appearance is that although he lived in the Oast House in Hayes, the local vicar would not let his mistress play the organ in Hayes Church. So, as one would, he built her a church just

• ver the border in Keston where she could!

And here it is, built in 1889, St. Audrey’s in Commonside. Just behind the camera is a house built by William Smith and Sons called Millfield. During the excavations Neolithic tools were found there. It appeared to have been a tool making site with lots of spoiled flints left behind.

However, before the church was built it was the location of Olives Cap Mill, seen here in 1841. It was being repaired in 1878 when there was a very severe storm which resulted in serious damage. It was rebuilt using steam but was not successful. It was apparently the same tempest which sank HMS Eurydice off the Isle of Wight with the loss of all but 2 of her 319 crew. On the right is the millers house.

Here we see the mill’s replacement, St. Audrey’s again with the millers house converted for use by the church and as a men’s club. Unfortunately the house was bombed during the last War.

Moving further north and into the Croydon Road we pass over the Ravensbourne (now marked by a small wooden fence on the south side), and here was Sheepwash Cottage. This was where in the past sheep being driven to Croydon market were washed

• n the way.

Thatched and weather boarded with wattle and daub on the end wall, it was probably over 200 years old at that time. It was finally demolished after the last War.

Another view of Sheepwash Cottage but clearly at a different time

• f year.

On the opposite side of the road to Sheepwash Cottage was this building but what it was and who did the painting is unknown.

Moving on to the junction with Oakley Road (on the left) and Westerham Road (on the right), known today as Keston Mark. However, this shows the Red Cross Inn (see the inn sign on the pole) as it then was, only being renamed after WW1 when use of the name in this context became unlawful. This building pre- cedes the present structure which is now residential ac-

• commodation. The

Keston Mark, apart from being a boun- dary stone, was an early form of the cross which has been incorporated into the alter cloth at Keston church.

Looking down the lime tree lined Westerham Road towards the then Keston Mark inn. And is that Mr. Smith’s donkey cart? Apart from the missing trees and fewer chimneys, the modern Google Street View picture is easily recognisable.

Continuing up the Westerham Road we pass Towerfields; this is the back. The tower was removed after World War II and the building converted to flats. During the War, when the operations room at Biggin Hill was bombed

• ut of action in 1940,

they moved into this building and then later to the Rookery on Bromley Common (now the site of the higher education college).

The next house up the road was Ravensbourne House, artistically shown here in snowy weather. It was home to the Bonham Carter family for many years. It is still there, as flats, minus its spire and with rather less surrounding parkland!

We complete our tour round Keston with the Smiths’ photographs as we reach Fishponds Road. A few yards from the junction with Westerham Road is Lakes Cottage. If you recall from earlier photos of Keston Pond with the little house in the background, this was the final building and was inhabited by the man responsible for pumping water to Holwood. It still stands with its distinctive brickwork, but fewer chimneys.

The End