Bromley Common
Encyclopedia
Bromley Common is the area centered around the road of the same name, stretching between Masons Hill at the south end of Bromley
and Hastings Road, Locksbottom
. Part of the A21. The area borders on other suburbs in the London Borough of Bromley
such as Petts Wood
and Orpington
.
Besides this well-used thoroughfare between Kent and central London, the area boasts Chatterton Road, which features a number of popular restaurants, a delicatessen, hair and beauty salons, the Chatterton Arms pub (the village and the pub were named after the 18th century poet, Thomas Chatterton
) and a range of hobby/craft and charity shops. The pub, which opened around 1870, was originally named the “Hit or Miss”, presumably a reference to “Shooting Common”, dating back to the 'dark' days of highwaymen.
The area has been awarded village status by the local authority and is known as Chatterton Village. Recent improvements include flower boxes, a village sign, Victorian-style lamp posts and a village notice board outside the bakery. The nearby Whitehall Recreation Ground has also been enhanced by Bromley Council's Parks Department with flower beds, seating, a picnic area, a wildlife pond and a refurbished children's play area. The network of mostly Victorian streets comprising Chatterton Village is becoming increasingly popular with younger professionals working in the centre of London.
on Bromley Common between Kent
and London Cricket Club
. Kent won by 10 wickets after scoring 97 and 9-0 in reply to London's 73 and 32.
The report of this match states that a large crowd attended and a great deal of mischief was done. It seems that horses panicked and riders were thrown while some members of the crowd were rode over. One man was carried off for dead as HRH passed by at the entrance to the Common. "HRH" was Frederick, Prince of Wales
who was a keen patron of cricket.
The Common was used for major cricket matches on at least dozen occasions between 1735 and 1752, a period which coincided with Bromley Cricket Club
having one of the strongest teams in England during the career of Robert Colchin
.
The last major match known to have been played there was Bromley v London on 30 June 1752. It was drawn.
Bromley
Bromley is a large suburban town in south east London, England and the administrative headquarters of the London Borough of Bromley. It was historically a market town, and prior to 1963 was in the county of Kent and formed the administrative centre of the Municipal Borough of Bromley...
and Hastings Road, Locksbottom
Locksbottom
Locksbottom is a place in the London Borough of Bromley in London, England.It consists of a parade of shops on Crofton Road running from the Fantail to Tugmutton Common. At one end is the Black Horse pub and the Whyte Lion pub at the other...
. Part of the A21. The area borders on other suburbs in the London Borough of Bromley
London Borough of Bromley
The London Borough of Bromley is a London borough of south east London, England and forms part of Outer London. The principal town in the borough is Bromley.-Geography:...
such as Petts Wood
Petts Wood
-History:The name appeared first in 1577 as "the wood of the Pett family", who were shipbuilders and leased the wood as a source of timbers. William Willett, a campaigner for daylight saving time, lived in nearby Chislehurst for most of his life, and is commemorated by a memorial sundial in the...
and Orpington
Orpington
Orpington is a suburban town and electoral ward in the London Borough of Bromley. It forms the southeastern edge of London's urban sprawl and is identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London.-History:...
.
Besides this well-used thoroughfare between Kent and central London, the area boasts Chatterton Road, which features a number of popular restaurants, a delicatessen, hair and beauty salons, the Chatterton Arms pub (the village and the pub were named after the 18th century poet, Thomas Chatterton
Thomas Chatterton
Thomas Chatterton was an English poet and forger of pseudo-medieval poetry. He died of arsenic poisoning, either from a suicide attempt or self-medication for a venereal disease.-Childhood:...
) and a range of hobby/craft and charity shops. The pub, which opened around 1870, was originally named the “Hit or Miss”, presumably a reference to “Shooting Common”, dating back to the 'dark' days of highwaymen.
The area has been awarded village status by the local authority and is known as Chatterton Village. Recent improvements include flower boxes, a village sign, Victorian-style lamp posts and a village notice board outside the bakery. The nearby Whitehall Recreation Ground has also been enhanced by Bromley Council's Parks Department with flower beds, seating, a picnic area, a wildlife pond and a refurbished children's play area. The network of mostly Victorian streets comprising Chatterton Village is becoming increasingly popular with younger professionals working in the centre of London.
Cricket venue
The first definite mention of the Bromley area in a cricket connection is a 1735 match1735 English cricket season
In the 1735 English cricket season, the county teams of which records exist were Kent, Surrey and Sussex while London and Croydon remained the predominant town clubs.-Matches:-Other events:...
on Bromley Common between Kent
Kent county cricket teams
Kent county cricket teams have been traced back to the 17th century but the county's involvement in cricket goes back much further than that. Kent, jointly with Sussex, is the birthplace of the sport...
and London Cricket Club
London Cricket Club
The original London Cricket Club was formed by 1722 and was one of the foremost clubs in English cricket over the next four decades. It is closely associated with the Artillery Ground, where it played most of its home matches.-Early history of London cricket:...
. Kent won by 10 wickets after scoring 97 and 9-0 in reply to London's 73 and 32.
The report of this match states that a large crowd attended and a great deal of mischief was done. It seems that horses panicked and riders were thrown while some members of the crowd were rode over. One man was carried off for dead as HRH passed by at the entrance to the Common. "HRH" was Frederick, Prince of Wales
Frederick, Prince of Wales
Frederick, Prince of Wales was a member of the House of Hanover and therefore of the Hanoverian and later British Royal Family, the eldest son of George II and father of George III, as well as the great-grandfather of Queen Victoria...
who was a keen patron of cricket.
The Common was used for major cricket matches on at least dozen occasions between 1735 and 1752, a period which coincided with Bromley Cricket Club
Bromley Cricket Club
Bromley Cricket Club was one of the strongest English cricket clubs in the mid-18th century when its team was led by Robert Colchin aka "Long Robin".-Earliest mentions:...
having one of the strongest teams in England during the career of Robert Colchin
Robert Colchin
Robert "Long Robin" Colchin was a highly influential professional English cricketer of the mid-Georgian period at a time when the single wicket version of the game was popular.-Cricket career:...
.
The last major match known to have been played there was Bromley v London on 30 June 1752. It was drawn.