Market Square No. 20 – Town Pump & Darwin Mural

Posted on 13 January 2019 by campaignr

The town pump is in the corner of Market Square, with the Darwin mural  behind it.

It stands 25 yards from its original site beside the old Town Hall Chambers. The Mural is by artist Bruce Williams and replaced one celebrating the life of HG Wells in 2008.

Above: current mural celebrating Charles Darwin.  It also features famous local men, the author HG Wells (please see our posts about his childhood life in Bromley), and John Lubbock.  The rocky outcrop that John Lubbock stands next to, bears similarities to the one created at Crystal Palace in Sydenham, to illustrate the new Victorian concept of ‘Deep Time’ (which we would call layers of geological time) and also recalls the Icthyosaurs from the cliffs at Lyme Regis, a recent discovery at the time Charles Darwin was writing.  The reconstructed rock outcrops (as well as the Dinosaurs) were for the fashionable educational Victorian family outings.

Darwin lived at Downe House, just outside the village of Downe, five miles south-south-east of the town centre.  It was here that he wrote his famous Origin of Species. It is said that he used to shop in Bromley, going to Mr Baxter’s Chemist shop, for supplies for his experiments on plants.

John Lubbock lived at High Elms, five miles south-east of the town centre (half a mile from Downe House; he was a friend and correspondent of Charles Darwin).  He brought in bank holidays when he was governor of the Bank of England.

mural of tripod machines towering over brick market hall
Mural in Market Square celebrating HG Wells and his literature.

The town pump was originally more central in Market Square, but Market Square has been re-laid out twice in it’s history.

Market Square in early Victorian times before the New Cut and Island Shops. The pump can be seen slightly left of centre partly obscured by the tree. Illustration from the Edward Strong book.
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Archive: BCS Newletter and February talk

Posted on 6 January 2019 by Tim Hayward

The latest BCS newsletter was published before Christmas containing all the latest information about town centre planning and other important issues.

One important story concerns the approval given for the revised planning application for the Royal Bell hotel on 13 December. Benedict O’Looney, one of the architects, will be giving an update on progress with the Royal Bell at a talk  in February (see below).

Benedict O’Looney
Talk on 28th February 2019, 7:30pm, in the Parish Rooms, Church Road, Bromley BR2 0EG:
‘Conserving and celebrating the historic architecture of South London’
Benedict will be able to give us an update on progress with the Royal Bell – also his experience in restoring and building new work around Peckham’s historic townscape and what was involved with the initiation of central Peckham’s conservation area
(£3 voluntary donation).

 

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173-177 High Street, The Royal Bell – Heritage Building Profile

Posted on 4 January 2019 by campaignr
Royal Bell
The Royal Bell frontage at the millennium, with arches in the shopfronts

The Royal Bell is a beautiful Queen Anne style Arts and Crafts style building just north of market square. The architect was the renowned Ernest Newton and it is Grade II listed. The Royal Bell was so named after the Royal coach service that passed through Bromley. The Inn was more upmarket than the nearby Swan & Mitre, providing rooms, stabling, a tap room and more refined dining areas.

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High Street No. 95-109: (Clarke’s) Aberdeen Buildings– Heritage building profile

Posted on 4 January 2019 by campaignr

Aberdeen Buildings – this distinctive high profile parade was built in 1887 by a local butcher, Amos Borer (presumably named after the top quality breed of Beef Cattle!).  His premises was the end shop (which was “No 1 Aberdeen Buildings” but is now 107-109 High Street, occupied by Clarke’s Shoes).

parade of shops in yellow stone in french classic architecture

The Aberdeen Buildings

In Heritage England’s words (April 2020): “The terrace at numbers 95 to 109…were built in 1887 by a local butcher, Amos Borer, and were inspired by French architecture. They are symmetrically arranged over three storeys with attic accommodation above and are executed in high quality brick and terracotta with original pilasters forming the shopfront openings at ground floor level. The symmetry of the buildings is further enhanced by a central hanging clock at first floor level and a decorative stone feature at roof level indicating the date when the buildings were built. “

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Bromley & Sheppard Colleges – Heritage Building Profile

Posted on 4 January 2019 by campaignr

Grade I Listed  –  Founded 1666 by John Warner, Bishop of Rochester, as almshouses for 20 widows of clergy. The intention was for it to be in Rochester but there was no available land.  John Warner was one of only eight Bishops to survive until the restoration of the Stuart Monarchy in 1660. His legacy was to provide £8,500 for the foundation of a College or almshouse for ‘twenty poore widowes of Orthodoxe and Loyalle clergymen’. The College was built between 1670 and 1672.

 to house the widows of clergymen, the original building consisted of 20 houses built around a classically-styled quadrangle. Captain Richard Ryder – one of Sir Christopher Wren’s Master Surveyors – was in charge of design and construction. The original building consisted of twenty houses built around a quadrangle with residences for a Chaplain and a Treasurer. This quadrangle, built in classical style, is often called the ‘Wren Quadrangle’ as at one time it was thought that Sir Christopher Wren was the architect. It is now acknowledged that Captain Richard Ryder, one of Wren’s Surveyors, was responsible for the design and construction.

The second quadrangle of twenty houses was built in the late 18th Century from bequests of a Mrs Helen Bettenson and William Pearce, brother of Zachary Pearce, Bishop of Rochester 1756-1774.

Sheppard’s College

Sheppard’s College was founded in 1840, and designed by Thomas Hardwick, following an appeal by the Chaplain, Thomas Scott, to Mrs Sophia Sheppard, the wealthy widow of Dr Sheppard, Fellow of Magdalen College, Oxford. The Chaplain saw the problem of an unmarried clergy daughter becoming homeless when her mother died and Mrs Sheppard provided the means to accommodate them by building a terrace of five houses.  It was , was added at the end of the 18th century for 20 more widows. The 2 bedroomed accommodation provided room for a live in servant and/or spinster daughter. The chapel was rebuilt in 1863 in a gothic style with patterned brickwork.

The red brick walls and iron gates in London Road are 18th century.

brick and stone terraced cottages around courtyard
brick and stone C17 terraced cottages around courtyards
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High Street No. 54-62 (Laura Ashley’s) – Heritage building profile

Posted on 31 December 2018 by campaignr

Better known as the Laura Ashley shop.  Parade of brick and stone Art Deco style with folds decoration, built for Woolfe and Hollander.  It was built in the 1930s when this side of the high street was developed.

The Woolfe & Hollander building, now Laura Ashley has an unusual claim to fame. In one of Lord Haw Haw’s propaganda broadcasts for the Nazis in one such he announced ‘We all know the clock on Wolfe & Hollander’s in Bromley High Street is five minutes slow. It will not be there tomorrow’. The bombing that night damaged much but W&H survived. The clock is still there but not going. Time we did something about that. Lord Haw was finally captured and hung as a traitor. A postscript to this story is that Hitler’s bombs were nothing compared to our Councils plans for destruction of our historic town! Tony Banfield (our chairman)

There is a classy clock on the corner:

Fine art deco clock face on the corner

Fine art deco clock face on the corner

The Site 10 masterplan entry for the building, one of only two considered to have enough merit to be  retained:

  • 54-62 High Street is comprised of two brick and stone frontages which form an architecturally cohesive character. The redevelopment of this block would need to be justified.

Flags flying on the occasion of the Jubilee of King George V and Queen Mary, in 1935.

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High Street No. 227: The Star And Garter – Heritage building profile

Posted on 31 December 2018 by campaignr

One of the best Arts and Crafts buildings around, with extravagant turret, balcony and decoration.

The Star & Garter Inn was constructed in 1898 and replaced an ancient inn of the same name.  It was designed by Berney and Sons for Nalder and Collyer, a local Croydon brewer.  It an example of ‘Old English’ style, and has been eulogised as a fantasy of the Arts and Crafts movement.  The sign hanging over the High Street has become a local landmark

The name “Star and Garter” originates from an abbreviation of the name of the insignia belonging to Order of the Garter. The Star is eight pointed and of chipped silver. The Order of the Garter is an order of chivalry founded by King Edward III in 1348.

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The Bishops Palace – Heritage building profile

Posted on 26 December 2018 by campaignr

view of neo-classical brick building with stone pointing and large chimneys

View of Bromley Bishop’s Palace from the lawns.

Bromley’s Civic Centre consists of a number of buildings grouped around the Bishop’s Palace, once one of the official residences of the Bishops of Rochester. The present building is part 18th century.

This article is only a small part of the extensive information on this lovely historic building.  It is to be hoped that the beautiful reception rooms will remain in public access given the uncertain future.

The manor of Bromley is first recorded around the year 610, as a gift to the Bishops of Rochester from King Ethelbert of Kent.  The present building dates from 1775 but there has been a manor house in Bromley, from at least the 10th century. Bishop Gilbert de Glanville rebuilt on this site in 1184, and the original structure was altered and added to at various dates. The old building was demolished by Bishop Thomas and was entirely rebuilt between 1774 and 1776.

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High Street No.70 (former Maplins) – Heritage building profile

Posted on 21 December 2018 by campaignr

70 High Street Bromley was built in the “New Georgian” style in the 1930s.  At this time, the lower high street was being redeveloped.  It was the home of the “Fifty Shilling Tailors” Bromley branch.

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Archive: London Forum update

Posted on 21 July 2018 by Tim Hayward

Photo by Heidi Sandstrom. on Unsplash

Bromley Civic Society is a member of The London Forum which works to protect and improve the quality of life in London. It is a most influential body with input into Government and London Plan policy.

Take a look at their regular NewsForum bulletins and see what is going on elsewhere and what other Societies like ours are dealing with.

We are not alone!

The 2018 summer edition is now available here for viewing and downloading. Do please pass this on to others who may find it of interest. You can find all previous editions of newsforum on the London Forum website.

Next London Forum Open Meeting 26th September; London Forum AGM on 30th October

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