Bromley
Bromley | |
---|---|
High Street, Bromley in 2008 | |
Location within Greater London | |
Population | 87,889 [1] |
OS grid reference | TQ405695 |
• Charing Cross | 9.3 mi (15.0 km) NW |
London borough | |
Ceremonial county | Greater London |
Region | |
Country | England |
Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
Post town | BROMLEY |
Postcode district | BR1, BR2 |
Dialling code | 020 |
Police | Metropolitan |
Fire | London |
Ambulance | London |
UK Parliament | |
London Assembly | |
Bromley is a large town in Greater London, England, within the London Borough of Bromley. It is 9+1⁄2 miles (15 kilometres) southeast of Charing Cross, and had an estimated population of 88,000 as of 2023.[2]
Originally part of Kent, Bromley became a market town, chartered in 1158.[3] Its location on a coaching route and the opening of a railway station in 1858 were key to its development and the shift from an agrarian village to an urban town. As part of the growth of London's conurbation in the 20th century, Bromley Town significantly increased in population and was incorporated as a municipal borough in 1903 and became part of the London Borough of Bromley in 1965.[4] Bromley today forms a major retail and commercial centre.[5] It is identified in the London Plan as one of the 13 metropolitan centres of Greater London.[4]
History
Bromley is first recorded in an
The history of Bromley is closely connected with the
Bromley, also known as Bromley St Peter and St Paul, formed an ancient parish in the
Governance
Bromley forms part of the Bromley and Chislehurst Parliament constituency. The current MP is Bob Neill. Peter Fortune is the London Assembly member for the Bexley and Bromley constituency, in which the town is located.
Bromley's most prominent MP was the former Conservative prime minister, Harold Macmillan.
Climate
Climate in this area has mild differences between highs and lows. The
Economy
Bromley is one of the major metropolitan centres identified in the London Plan.[13] Bromley had one of the highest gross disposable household incomes (GDHI) in the UK, at £27,169 in 2018.[14]
Bromley was ranked fourth in Greater London by Retail Footprint in 2005, behind the
Bromley High Street
The town has a large retail area, including a
Bromley High Street is also the location for the Bromley Charter Market, which runs on a Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. King John granted a charter for the Market to be held every Tuesday in 1205, with Henry VI revising this charter to every Thursday in 1447.[17][18] The Market sells food and confectionery items, clothing and other goods like jewellery.
Transport
Rail
Bromley is served by two main rail stations.
Buses
Bromley is served by
Culture
Festivals
Since May 1929, Bromley has had an annual festival of "dance, drama and comedy" in and around the town's venues.[19] The South London Film Festival has been hosted annually in Bromley since 2022.
The large open spaces have lent themselves to outdoor concerts, festivals and outdoor screenings, as well in the venues such as Norman Park,[20] Hayes Farm, Beckenham Place Park[21] and Croydon Road recreation ground.[22]
Theatres
Bromley has a number of theatres in the borough, in the town centre there are three, a professional, the Churchill Theatre, an amateur, the Bromley Little Theatre (close to Bromley North railway station) and an outdoor amphitheatre located in "Church House Gardens" behind the Churchill theatre.
The Churchill Theatre was opened on 19 July 1977 by the Prince of Wales, and seats 781.[23] It is run on a contract currently held by HQ Theatres Ltd acting as both a receiving and producing house, with productions transferring to the West End or touring nationally. An example being recent tours of Club Tropicana The Musical.
Library
Bromley also has a central library in the same building as the Churchill Theatre with a large book stock, Internet and wifi access, reference library and local studies department. It functions as the central library of the broader Bromley Borough Libraries Service.
Cinema
Bromley Picturehouse was opened in June 2019 in the previous Empire theatre.[citation needed]
Dance
Bromley has its own team of Morris dancers, The Ravensbourne Morris Men, founded in 1947 as a post-war revival team following an inaugural meeting at the then Jean's Café, which was located opposite Bromley South Station.[25]
Civic Society
Bromley Civic Society is a civic society for the historic centre of Bromley.[26] It is a founder member of Civic Voice. It seeks to educate the public about the community's history and to preserve historical sites.
Popular culture
In the famous
The Bromley Contingent was the name given to the entourage that followed the Sex Pistols and helped popularise the punk movement. It was so called because many of its members were from Bromley, some of whom later became famous as musicians in their own right, like Siouxsie Sioux and Billy Idol.[6]
The 2018 humorous film, The Bromley Boys is set in Bromley and surroundings in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Based on a real-life memoir by Dave Roberts about following Bromley F.C., it includes many scenes filmed locally, although Crockenhill F.C. was used as a substitute for the Hayes Lane stadium.[27]
Guitarist Billy Jenkins, born in Bromley, released an album titled "Sounds like Bromley" in 1982 and another in 1997 titled "Still Sounds Like Bromley". In a BBC Radio 3 interview he said that "if Kent is the Garden of England then Bromley is one of the compost heaps". He then moved to Lewisham.
Media
Local news is provided by the Bromley Times.
Sport and leisure
Football
The town has four
Rugby
Five rugby clubs in Bromley are, Old Elthamians RFC (a National League 2 side),[30] Park House FC (established in 1883),[31] Bromley RFC (founded in 1886),[32] Beckenham RFC (established in 1894),[33] and Beccehamians RFC (founded in 1933) which plays competitive rugby at Sparrows Den at the bottom of Corkscrew Hill in nearby West Wickham.[34]
Cricket
Education
Bromley has numerous schools, and is home to
Demography
Bromley town as a whole, including its neighbourhoods and villages, is formed of six wards: Bickley; Bromley Common and Keston; Bromley Town; Hayes and Coney Hall; Plaistow and Sundridge; and Shortlands. Together they had a population of 87,889 in the 2011 UK census, whereas the borough overall had a population 331,096.[2]
The life expectancy in Bromley Town ward (which covers the town centre) was 79.3 years for males and 83.7 years for females, during 2009–2013. The highest in the town were in Shortlands: 86.1 years for males and 88.1 years for females. The lowest for both genders was in Plaistow and Sundridge: 77.5 and 82.1 years respectively.[40]
In Bromley Town, 18.5% of the population was of minority ethnicity. The highest in the town was 19.3% in Plaistow and Sundridge, and the lowest was 8.3% in Hayes and Coney Hall.[40]
The median house price in Bromley Town ward was £327,000 in 2014, compared to £295,444 in Plaistow and Sundridge, and £480,000 in Bickley. 37% of houses in Bickley were detached, more than other wards. In all wards, over 60% of houses were owned by households, peaking at 88.2% in Hayes and Coney Hall.[40] In 2020, the average cost of a house was £519,619 [41]
Landmarks
The parish church of
Another parish church in Bromley is St Mark's, which stands on Westmoreland Road. The present church is the third. The first was built as a temporary iron church in 1884 to cope with Bromley's growing population, on land slightly to the east of the present church, donated by a local man called Eley Soames. The road name St Mark's Road preserves the rough location of the former site.[43]
The second church was built in brick and stone on the present site, and designed by
On 3 June 1952, the Duchess of Kent laid the foundation stone of the present church, which was designed by T W G Grant and built by David Nye. Besides the tower, other parts of the fabric of the original church were used in the rebuilding. Inside there are some interesting monuments: to Samuel Ajayi Crowther, John Cole Patteson and Vedanayagam Samuel Azariah, who were all bishops in the Commonwealth.[43]
The East Street drill hall was completed in 1872.[44]
Notable residents
This article's list of residents may not follow Wikipedia's verifiability policy. (April 2011) |
H. G. Wells
Noted author
Wells wrote about Bromley in an early unsigned article in the
However, H. G. Wells refused the offered freedom of the town, stating:
"Bromley has not been particularly gracious to me nor I to Bromley and I don't think I want to add the freedom of Bromley to the freedom of the City of London and the freedom of the City of Brussels – both of which I have."
He described Bromley in one of his novels as a "morbid sprawl of population".[51]
Other residents
This section needs additional citations for verification. (December 2023) |
Owen Chadwick was born in Bromley in 1916. He was awarded the Order of Merit, was Vice Chancellor of University of Cambridge, Master of Selwyn Cambridge, Regius Professor of Modern History, Dixie Professor of Ecclesiastical History, Chancellor of University of Anglia, President of the British Academy, and was a Rugby Union International.
Other writers from Bromley include Captain
Other notable people who lived in Bromley include
In the 20th century, the Parish Church of
Comedian Frankie Boyle claims to be a former resident and has described Bromley as a 'lobotomy made out of bricks'.[56] The comedian Chris Addison[57] currently lives in Bromley, as does tennis player Emma Raducanu.
Scottish education secretary
See also
- Bromley Civic Society
References
- ^ Bromley is made up of 3 wards in the London Borough of Bromley: Bickley, Bromley Common and Keston, Bromley Town, Hayes and Coney Hall, Plaistow and Sundridge, and Shortlands. "2011 Census Ward Population Estimates | London DataStore". Archived from the original on 22 February 2014. Retrieved 9 June 2014.
- ^ a b "2011 Census Ward Population Estimates". Archived from the original on 22 February 2014. Retrieved 9 June 2014.
- ^ "Bromley CP/AP through time | Census tables with data for the Parish-level Unit". Visionofbritain.org.uk. Retrieved 19 May 2014.
- ^ a b Mayor of London (February 2008). "London Plan (Consolidated with Alterations since 2004)" (PDF). Greater London Authority. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2 June 2010. Retrieved 29 September 2009.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i Willey, Russ (2006). The London Gazzetteer. Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd. p. 62.
- ^ "Bromley | Hidden London". Retrieved 8 October 2020.
- ISBN 0-19-280106-6
- ^ "Bromley". Mick Scott, Non such Publishing. 2005. Archived from the original on 9 April 2009.
- ^ Great Britain Historical GIS / University of Portsmouth, Bromley parish. Retrieved {{{accessdate}}}.
- ^ Robson, William (1939). The Government and Mis-government of London. London: Allen & Unwin.
- ^ "Travel Weather Averages (Weatherbase)". Weatherbase.
- ^ Mayor of London (February 2008). "London Plan (Consolidated with Alterations since 2004)" (PDF). Greater London Authority. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2 June 2010.
- ^ "Regional gross disposable household income, UK – Office for National Statistics". www.ons.gov.uk. Retrieved 19 March 2019.
- ^ "Retail ranking by comparison expenditure". CACI. 20 October 2007. Archived from the original on 20 October 2007.
- ^ "The Glades, Bromley". Lunson Mitchenall. Retrieved 19 March 2019.
- ^ "Bromley | borough, London, United Kingdom". Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved 19 March 2019.
- ^ Admin, Bromley. "Bromley Charter Market". www.bromley.gov.uk. Archived from the original on 30 June 2018. Retrieved 19 March 2019.
- ^ "Festival History". www.bromleyfestival.org. Retrieved 4 March 2022.
- ^ "NOSTALGIA FEST". 10 August 2018. Archived from the original on 10 August 2018. Retrieved 4 March 2022.
- ^ "Naked City Festival - Beckenham Place Park - Saturday 11th September 2021". Naked City Festival - Beckenham Place Park - Saturday 11th September 2021. Retrieved 4 March 2022.
- ^ "Soultown Festival 2022". Soultown Festival 2022. Retrieved 4 March 2022.
- ^ "Churchill Theatre". Theatres Trust. Retrieved 4 April 2016.
- ^ Ballinger, Chris (3 December 2018). "First looks pictures inside new Vue cinema in Bromley". croydonadvertiser. Retrieved 21 June 2020.
- ^ "Ravensbourne Morris – Home side of the World Morris Dancing Record Holder Ben Dauncey". Ravensbourne.org. Archived from the original on 22 January 2013. Retrieved 19 May 2014.
- ^ Spotlight On Bromley Civic Society, Page 10, NewsForum Issue 80 Winter 2018
- ^ Bromley Boys Press Kit Accessed 28 January 2020
- ^ "The CWFC History". cray-wanderers.com. Cray Wanderers F.C. Retrieved 10 February 2024.
- ^ "Bromley F.C. History". bromleyfc.co.uk. Bromley F.C. Retrieved 10 February 2024.
- ^ "Old Elthamians RFC". pitchero.com. Old Elthamians RFC. Retrieved 10 February 2024.
- ^ "Park House FC History". parkhouserugby.co.uk. Park House FC. Retrieved 10 February 2024.
- ^ "Bromley RFC". bromleyrfc.org. Bromley RFC. Retrieved 10 February 2024.
- ^ "Beckenham RFC". beckenhamrfc.com. Beckenham RFC. Retrieved 10 February 2024.
- ^ "Beccehamian RFC Homepage". pitchero.com. Beccehamians RFC. Retrieved 10 February 2024.
- ^ "Bromley Cricket Club - About Us". bromley.play-cricket.com. Bromley CC. Retrieved 10 February 2024.
- ^ "Bromley Cricket". bromleysportsclub.co.uk. Bromley Sports Club. Retrieved 10 February 2024.
- ^ a b "Kent Cricket League". kcl.play-cricket.com. KCL. Retrieved 10 February 2024.
- ^ "British Tamil Cricket League". btcl.play-cricket.com. BTCL. Retrieved 10 February 2024.
- ^ "North Kent Junior League". nkentjunior.play-cricket.com. NKJL. Retrieved 10 February 2024.
- ^ a b c "Ward Profiles and Atlas – London Datastore".
- ^ "House Prices in Bromley". www.rightmove.co.uk. Retrieved 10 February 2021.
- ^ "St Peter and St Paul website". Archived from the original on 5 February 2009.
- ^ a b c Robin Waldron. "St Mark's History" (PDF) (2011 ed.). St Mark's Church Bromley. Archived from the original (PDF) on 13 July 2014. Retrieved 6 April 2015.
- ^ "Bromley". The drill hall project. Retrieved 23 September 2017.
- ^ David C. Smith, H. G. Wells: Desperately Mortal: A Biography (New Haven and London: Yale University Press, 1986), p. 4.
- ^ David C. Smith, H. G. Wells: Desperately Mortal: A Biography (New Haven and London: Yale University Press, 1986), p. 6.
- ^ Darwin. www.bromley.gov.uk. Archived from the original on 8 January 2009. Retrieved 3 February 2008.
- ^ David C. Smith, H. G. Wells: Desperately Mortal: A Biography (New Haven and London: Yale University Press, 1986), p. 5.
- ^ "The Time Machine Project-Bromley, Kent". colemanzone.com.
- ^ "H G Wells - South Street, Bromley, London, UK - Blue Plaques on Waymarking.com". www.waymarking.com.
- Independent.co.uk. 29 December 2010.
- ^ "The Bromley boy starring as Peter Pan in Disney's live action remake". NewsShopper.
- ^ "Jill Cruwys". Cricinfo.
- ^ "Peter Kropotkin". Bromley Council. Archived from the original on 12 November 2011.
- ^ "Michael York". When We Were Kids. Archived from the original on 9 April 2009. Retrieved 8 April 2009.
- ^ "Frankie Boyle". The Evening Standard. London. 21 March 2012.
- ^ "Chris Addison". The Guardian. London. 26 April 2010.
Further reading
- James Thorne (1876), "Bromley", Handbook to the Environs of London, London: John Murray,
External links
Media related to Bromley (town) at Wikimedia Commons