Neelgharies – George and Emily and their bequest
Welcome to the historic Library Gardens! This location is the first stop on the heritage and biodiversity trail around the parks in Bromley Town Centre.
The land that the Churchill Theatre stands on, and the level garden here, were bequeathed to the people of Bromley by Emily Dowling, the widow and second wife of George Dowling.
Fun Fact
HG Wells would never have become a famous author, and written The War of The Worlds, if he hadn’t broken his leg here while his father played cricket.
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Although the council thought about building their own offices on the land, the terms of the bequest did not make this possible – so the Carneigie Library was built, funded by the philanthropist Andrew Carneigie. Before this, libraries were not normally free for use, and often provided by bookshops. There had been a free library in the Old Town Hall – HG Well’s father borrowed books from this library for his son, who became a famous author.
The Carneigie building was demolished to provide the site for the Churchill Theatre, the Central Library, and the archives.
All the stops in the Bromley Town Centre Parks Heritage & Biodiversity trail can be found on the page about it here.
There is more information on Library Gardens at the entry on this park in the Bromley Civic Society site, here.
To continue the Heritage Trail, carry on straight on through the park to the 3rd table-style bench, and there is a path down the hill to your right. Follow this down to the Fishpond.
Browse our old photos, in 
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