Welcome to the historic Glassmill Pond. This location is one of the stops in our heritage and biodiversity trail around the green spaces in Bromley Town Centre.
Glassmill Pond
There were a number of mills recorded in the Doomsday Book along the River Ravensbourne in Bromley, but the only one that survived until the modern era is this one.
It is often called ‘Glass Mill Pond’ as there was a glass mill on the higher bank. In Georgian times it ground pre-made glass, some of which was shipped over from China, into the convex lenses that were fashionable in large houses. They scattered the light, and frequently had little paintings on the rear and fancy lattice frames.
The mill also ground glass for scientific instruments.
Currently, Thames 21 are carrying out restoration work on the river, which will include recreating the pond, separated from the river by a bank, over which the river can wash when the water levels are high. As this section has not been dredged for 30 years, there has been a lot of silt to remove.
There is more information on Glassmill Pond at the entry on this park in the Bromley Civic Society site, here.
To continue the Heritage Trail, you can choose a long or short route. The long route involves going straight along the pond, crossing the road and climbing the hill to the war memorial, then going out of the gates, and in the park gates diagonally opposite, where there is a carriage drive to a pergola. For the shorter route, retrace your steps to the last stop, and climb up the terraces to the balustrade.
Browse our old photos, in 
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