Chislehurst
A Picnickers Paradise
Even today it doesn’t take too much imagination to see why Victorian Londoners enjoyed days out in Chislehurst. Some things have changed but most Victorians would recognise quite a few landmarks. Chislehurst still has lovely open countryside, historic buildings and duck ponds but has managed to accommodate its new residents with careful use of conservation and limited space. You would never believe you are so close to London; huge swathes of common land, National Trust property and Nature Reserves surround the town and yet you are less than half an hour away by train. There is a wide choice of homes, from cottages to multimillion-pound houses tucked away in private roads, near the common and golf course.
Some things may well be different, the roads that coped with horse drawn carriages are now frequently congested with 20th century traffic but a short walk across the common, a protected wilderness and you are literally back in another age.
The name Chislehurst is a derivation from the Saxon word ‘cisel’ which means gravel and “hurst” wooded hill. Chislehurst literally means gravely wood. All that you need do to confirm this yourself is walk across the common which has changed little over the centuries apart from a few more trees and a little less heather.
Although the land was not really suitable for agriculture and as such restricted early settlements the land was able to support other industries. There is a vast cave system that was hewn from the chalk by hand. This ancient mine system predates the Saxon era by hundreds of years. Mining chalk provided lime which is the basis for plaster and whitewash, and flint which provided tools for early man and a building material for latter day men. The ancient mines cover an area of over 20 miles dug over a period of 8000 years. The labyrinth of dark mysterious passageways are dived in three main areas; Druid, Roman and Saxon. There is speculation about sacrificial rites taking place but some of the more unusual happenings are modern and include filming Dr Who and concerts performed by Jimi Hendrix, the Rolling Stones and the Who.
The earliest record of a settlement was in a charter made by King Edgar in AD 973, where he granted land to St Andrews Priory in Rochester. Little remains from the Saxon period but recently it was discovered that the west end of the nave in the parish church was Saxon rather than Norman. During the Medieval period it became a royal manor, owned by the Walsingham family for many years.
Much of the growth around Chislehurst took place in the Victorian era. Although the arrival of the railway station in 1865 meant that the village became more accessible, it had little impact. The station itself was quite remote from the village centre. Most of the inhabitants lived in an area of Chislehurst unfortunately known as Prickend, it has since had a name change and you will now recognise it as the High Street. The original parish was much larger than it is today, containing a large chunk of Sidcup and Petts Wood
It was the arrival of Emperor Napoleon that established Chislehurst on the map for up and coming London business men and city workers as the place to live. Napoleon and his family were more successful escaping France than the previous royals who were guillotined. The family was not the usual type of refugee and managed to rent Camden Place which is perhaps now better known as the club house for Chislehurst Golf Club. Surprisingly this stately building wasn’t large enough for the emperor and his entourage of thirty nine staff but he still managed to entertain in style other royalty and nobility alike.
Chislehurst was by now attracting large numbers of wealthy Londoners who wanted to live in this exclusive social hub, large houses started to spring up and as a result the majority of Chislehurst’s development occurred during the Victorian period.
The last period of change in the area was small scale in comparison and occurred during the first half of the twentieth century, mainly before and just after the Second World War. Housing estates were erected on farmland to the north of the High Street, but there still remains plenty of green space.
During all this development the commons that were a favourite picnicking area for nineteenth century Londoners remained untouched apart from the development of a cricket ground on which WG Grace played eight acres of common land. which is now one of the oldest grounds in southern England. The rest of the commons suffered from occasional fires one of which lasted two weeks and naturally changed the outlook becoming more wooded rather than heather covered.
Chislehurst is at heart a village within the London Borough of Bromley this is due in part to strict conservation measures but also the community that lives within its boundaries. Even today with London pressing hard against its northern border it has still managed to retain much of its former character. The common has seen little development which has helped retain the village atmosphere. New developments are restricted to the replacement of Victorian properties with flats and houses. Newcomers to the area are very aware that Chislehurst is different to its neighbours and as such requires help to conserve what most of us look for in a place to live a tightly knit community with a friendly village atmosphere.
continued...
A village with attractions as varied as they are numerous!
Chislehurst might no longer be considered home to foreign royalty but these days it is definitely regarded as home for a large number of London’s elite. The attractions of Chislehurst just as they were during previous centuries are as varied as they are many in number.
Although Chislehurst can be found in the heart of the London Borough of Bromley it is altogether a separate entity from its neighbours; places that have succumbed to the pressures of London and its burgeoning population, becoming engulfed in an endless tide of development with few recognisable distinctions. Walk down any of the neighbouring high streets and you could be anywhere in the country with the same bland selection of chain stores and supermarkets. Chislehurst is entirely different, outwardly it is indeed a village however the diversity as well as the variety of shops found within Chislehurst are what you would expect to find in a metropolitan environment. The High Street is thriving with trendy cafes and sophisticated boutiques for those in search of something unusual, alongside shops stocking every day essentials! Royal Parade just as the name suggests is home for an exclusive group of shops catering for those in search of antiques or contemporary pieces of art.
It doesn’t take too much imagination to see why Victorian Londoners enjoyed excursions to Chislehurst. Some things may well be different, the roads that coped with horse drawn carriages are now frequently congested with 20th century traffic, but a short walk across the common, a protected wilderness and you are literally back in another age. This is in part due to strict conservation measures and the community living within its boundaries, which recognise that without their input something precious would be lost to succeeding generations. Even today with London pressing hard against its northern border it has still managed to retain much of its former character. Despite its close proximity to London Chislehurst is still blessed with a wonderful network of footpaths for long country walks and bridle paths for exhilarating gallops on horseback. All of this can be seen as a reminder of Chislehurst’s rural past when it was nothing more than a rustic village belonging to the county of Kent, a county better known as the “Garden of England”. Despite the boundary changes Chislehurst still has a picture postcard quality with a village pond and small country cottages reminiscent of an earlier era and a reflection of Kent’s market garden past!
Much of the growth around Chislehurst took place in the Victorian era when it became a popular place for Londoners wanting to escape the dirt and grime of the city. The arrival of the railway in 1865 made the whole area accessible and day trippers would spend their free time picnicking or roaming the common. Despite the increase in tourism the railway had little impact as the station itself was quite remote from the village centre.
In the not too distant past there were four separate areas of Chislehurst; Prickend, Royal Parade, a small settlement on Perry Street and Mill Place, which could be found nestled between Summer Hill and Old Hill; a completely independent community with its own church, police station and public houses. The infamous Prickend eventually became known as the High Street, it was here where most of the inhabitants resided. It is a shame that there are few reminders of the name Prickend, just a pond. Some would describe it as a bit of an unfortunate name, personally I am inclined to think of it as original and it is similar to Chislehurst as a whole. Where else would you find such varied housing from tiny timber clad country cottages to huge mansions hidden from view and tucked away along private roads.
Road names like Empress Drive, Imperial Way and Royal Parade are something of an anomaly for a place which still prides itself on its rural past but these names hark back to a group of people who found sanctuary from baying mobs. Unlike other villages up and down the country where the coming of the railway meant a mass growth in population with people fleeing from the cities in search of a better standard of living, it was immigrants of a different type who had the greatest impact upon Chislehurst! Britain had in the past offered sanctuary to many of the French aristocracy fleeing from the mutinous French hoards and Madam Guillotine. A couple of centuries later and the tables had turned, this time it was Napoleons nephew Napoleon III and his wife the Empress Eugenie who found themselves dispossessed and in need of a new home.
The arrival of the French Royal family and their habit of entertaining on a lavish scale must have created a source of amusement even for the locals not attending the parties. It was these extravaganzas that attracted large numbers of wealthy Londoners who wanted to live in this exclusive social hub as well as the necessary shops and businesses needed to cater for this expanding market. Large homes started to spring up and as a result the majority of Chislehurst’s development occurred during the Victorian period.
Chislehurst still remains a sought after place of residence not only for wealthier individuals but also young families who want the benefits of living within a rural locality; the atmosphere of village life, a thriving high street with a good choice of shops and easy access to London.
Even though royalty no longer lives here the trendy boutiques and sophisticated shops are much in demand by a new social elite; those that disdain mundane supermarkets and chain stores in favour of independent retailers where service and customer care are the norm not the exception
copyright© Wendy Stevenson 2011
Can you help? Contact us if you know the history of a town or village in Kent near you. We're also looking for Photographs of Kent, submit online
Comment about this article: editorial@wikikent.co.uk
|
