Keston
Encyclopedia
Keston is a part suburban, part rural area of the London Borough of Bromley
, England. It lies on the edge of Hayes Common, to the northwest of Greater London's border with Kent
.
In the valley below the village are a complex of Roman
tombs, remains of mausolea dating from the 3rd century AD and forming part of a larger extensive Roman cemetery relating to the close-by Roman Villa (not accessible). The tombs were first discovered in the 19th Century but extensive excavations were carried out by the Bromley and West Kent Archaeological Group and the Kent Archaeological Rescue Unit between 1967 and 1992.
Keston's small medieval church is unusual in that does not have a dedication to a saint, but built into the altar-table is the top of the 17th century altar inlaid with a very elaborate cross and inscribed "The Keston Marke: IN HOC SIGNO VINCES", so the parish has a distinctive symbol instead.
William Wilberforce
was a frequent visitor to the area as his close friend, William Pitt the younger
, lived at Holwood Park
. It was on top of the vale of Keston near to an oak tree that he discussed the abolition of slavery with his friend, Pitt. Only the partial dead remains of the 'Wilberforce oak' are left but a new oak tree has been planted in its place. A stone bench, 'Wilberforce seat', commemorating the event, now marks the spot and bears the inscription from his diary "Just above a steep descent into the vale of Keston, I resolved to give notice ... in the House of Commons of my intention to bring forward the abolition of the Slave Trade."
Holwood was described in Pitt's time as " a small, neat, white building; it is more simple than elegant". Pitt engaged John Soane
to enlarge the house and Humphrey Repton to improve the grounds. Soane's house burnt down, and was rebuilt in in 1823-6 for John Ward in a Grecian style by Decimus Burton
. The new house was on a larger scale than Pitt's, in white brick and Portland stone
. Later owners included Lord Chancellor Cranworth
, the Earl of Derby
, and Seismograph Services Ltd.
The Keston Institute
was so named because for some years from the early 1970s it was located (as Keston College) in the former parish school on Keston Common.
covering an area of approximately 140 acre (0.5665604 km²) with approximately 200 residential properties. It is bounded by Westerham Road to the west, Croydon Road to the north and Farnborough Common to the north east. The land on which the Park stands was part of the Holwood Estate owned by the Earl of Derby
. Its most famous past resident is undoubtedly former prime minister Margaret Thatcher
who with her late husband Denis
raised their then young children, Mark
and Carol
. Others include Rolling Stone, Bill Wyman
, Arsenal and England footballer, Kenny Sansom
, and founder of Direct Line
, Peter Woods
.
The land was known as the Keston Lodge Estate. Keston Lodge was the dower house to Holwood House and was occupied by Lady Ashton. It was probably regarded at the time as a separate part of the Holwood Estate and was divided from it by the public footpath which runs from Farnborough Common, almost opposite Hilda vale Road, to Westerham Road, near to Fishponds Road.
Keston Lodge itself later became the Keston Park Hotel. It was taken down in the 1960s. The site is now developed as Keston Park Close. The stables of the old Keston Lodge remained until the late 1970s when they too were demolished to make way for three new houses in Forest Ridge. Keston Lodge was approached through the present entrance to Forest Ridge/Forest Drive on Croydon Road. The drive ran up the line of Forest Ridge, curving back around the stables to the left to come out in front of the south side of the house. An unfenced road is shown on early maps on the line of the present Forest Drive and this was probably the main link between Keston Lodge and Holwood House.
Holwood Park Avenue lies on the line of the north carriageway from Holwood House. According to some early maps the north carriageway was used as the principal entrance to Holwood House. There was a further access onto Croydon Road and another lodge house at Poynters Lodge near Gap House. Access is now gained to Holwood House along the west carriageway which comes out into Westerham Road at Bowens Lodge.
As well as Holwood House (Grade II listed and now called Holwood Mansion ) and the old lodges, there are still some physical remains of the Keston Lodge Estate. There are also three fishponds on Keston Common, adjacent to Fishponds Road. The ponds were constructed in the early nineteenth century to provide a water supply to Holwood House, and are now part of popular recreational area and part of Keston Common.
Jesmond Cottage, now renamed Bushwood at 30 Forest Drive is older than the rest of the houses on the Park. Close behind it are the walls of the old kitchen garden and greenhouses which used to serve the estate. The garden and greenhouses covered a substantial area and incorporated two ponds in the run of the stream between Forest Drive and Forest Ridge.
Further west is the old pavilion which dates from the time when the lower part of Longdon Wood was a cricket ground.
rises at Keston Ponds, near Caesar's Well. The Ravensbourne is 11 miles (17.4 km) in length and flows through the London Boroughs of Bromley
, Lewisham
and Greenwich
. Since 1991, Quaggy Waterways Action Group (QWAG) have spent millions maintaining the River Ravensbourne. The "London LOOP" walk
passes the ponds on its way from Farnborough to West Wickham.
Keston has had three windmills over the centuries: the post mill
built in 1716 that still stands on Keston Common, a smock mill
known as Olive's mill, built in 1824 and burnt down between 1878 and 1885, and a third mill, which stood at Holwood Park.
, on the site of Olive's Mill in 1889; The church and other mill premises came into the possession of the parish in 1908, and since 1925 the former Olive's Mill House has been used as the rectory. (The former rectory, next to the parish church, was sold as being too large, and was bombed in the second world war.) The mill buildings were for nearly a century used as parish rooms. The church has now been secularised.
(1.6 miles away) and West Wickham railway station
(2.7 miles away).
bus routes in and out of Keston; the 146 from Bromley North to Downe and the 246 from Bromley North to Westerham
, which stops off at Coney Hall , Biggin Hill
and Hayes railway station and also goes to Chartwell
during the summer period.
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:...
, England. It lies on the edge of Hayes Common, to the northwest of Greater London's border with Kent
Kent
Kent is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of...
.
History
Flint implements and pit dwellings on Keston and Hayes Commons show occupation of the area back to at least 3000 B.C., and there are Iron Age encampments in Holwood Park and on Keston Common.In the valley below the village are a complex of Roman
Ancient Rome
Ancient Rome was a thriving civilization that grew on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 8th century BC. Located along the Mediterranean Sea and centered on the city of Rome, it expanded to one of the largest empires in the ancient world....
tombs, remains of mausolea dating from the 3rd century AD and forming part of a larger extensive Roman cemetery relating to the close-by Roman Villa (not accessible). The tombs were first discovered in the 19th Century but extensive excavations were carried out by the Bromley and West Kent Archaeological Group and the Kent Archaeological Rescue Unit between 1967 and 1992.
Keston's small medieval church is unusual in that does not have a dedication to a saint, but built into the altar-table is the top of the 17th century altar inlaid with a very elaborate cross and inscribed "The Keston Marke: IN HOC SIGNO VINCES", so the parish has a distinctive symbol instead.
William Wilberforce
William Wilberforce
William Wilberforce was a British politician, a philanthropist and a leader of the movement to abolish the slave trade. A native of Kingston upon Hull, Yorkshire, he began his political career in 1780, eventually becoming the independent Member of Parliament for Yorkshire...
was a frequent visitor to the area as his close friend, William Pitt the younger
William Pitt the Younger
William Pitt the Younger was a British politician of the late 18th and early 19th centuries. He became the youngest Prime Minister in 1783 at the age of 24 . He left office in 1801, but was Prime Minister again from 1804 until his death in 1806...
, lived at Holwood Park
Holwood House
Holwood House is a country house in Keston, near Hayes, in the London Borough of Bromley, England. The house was designed by Decimus Burton, built between 1823 and 1826 and is in the Greek Revival style. It was built for John Ward who later employed Burton to lay out his Calverley Park Estate in...
. It was on top of the vale of Keston near to an oak tree that he discussed the abolition of slavery with his friend, Pitt. Only the partial dead remains of the 'Wilberforce oak' are left but a new oak tree has been planted in its place. A stone bench, 'Wilberforce seat', commemorating the event, now marks the spot and bears the inscription from his diary "Just above a steep descent into the vale of Keston, I resolved to give notice ... in the House of Commons of my intention to bring forward the abolition of the Slave Trade."
Holwood was described in Pitt's time as " a small, neat, white building; it is more simple than elegant". Pitt engaged John Soane
John Soane
Sir John Soane, RA was an English architect who specialised in the Neo-Classical style. His architectural works are distinguished by their clean lines, massing of simple form, decisive detailing, careful proportions and skilful use of light sources...
to enlarge the house and Humphrey Repton to improve the grounds. Soane's house burnt down, and was rebuilt in in 1823-6 for John Ward in a Grecian style by Decimus Burton
Decimus Burton
Decimus Burton was a prolific English architect and garden designer, He is particularly associated with projects in the classical style in London parks, including buildings at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew and London Zoo, and with the layout and architecture of the seaside towns of Fleetwood and...
. The new house was on a larger scale than Pitt's, in white brick and Portland stone
Portland stone
Portland stone is a limestone from the Tithonian stage of the Jurassic period quarried on the Isle of Portland, Dorset. The quarries consist of beds of white-grey limestone separated by chert beds. It has been used extensively as a building stone throughout the British Isles, notably in major...
. Later owners included Lord Chancellor Cranworth
Robert Rolfe, 1st Baron Cranworth
Robert Monsey Rolfe, 1st Baron Cranworth PC was a British lawyer and Liberal politician. He twice served as Lord High Chancellor of Great Britain.-Background and education:...
, the Earl of Derby
Earl of Derby
Earl of Derby is a title in the Peerage of England. The title was first adopted by Robert de Ferrers, 1st Earl of Derby under a creation of 1139. It continued with the Ferrers family until the 6th Earl forfeited his property toward the end of the reign of Henry III and died in 1279...
, and Seismograph Services Ltd.
The Keston Institute
Keston Institute
The Keston Institute is an organization dedicated to the study of religion and communist countries, at Oxford, United Kingdom. It was founded in 1969 by Rev Canon Dr...
was so named because for some years from the early 1970s it was located (as Keston College) in the former parish school on Keston Common.
Keston Park
Keston Park is a gated communityGated community
In its modern form, a gated community is a form of residential community or housing estate containing strictly-controlled entrances for pedestrians, bicycles, and automobiles, and often characterized by a closed perimeter of walls and fences. Gated communities usually consist of small residential...
covering an area of approximately 140 acre (0.5665604 km²) with approximately 200 residential properties. It is bounded by Westerham Road to the west, Croydon Road to the north and Farnborough Common to the north east. The land on which the Park stands was part of the Holwood Estate owned by the Earl of Derby
Earl of Derby
Earl of Derby is a title in the Peerage of England. The title was first adopted by Robert de Ferrers, 1st Earl of Derby under a creation of 1139. It continued with the Ferrers family until the 6th Earl forfeited his property toward the end of the reign of Henry III and died in 1279...
. Its most famous past resident is undoubtedly former prime minister Margaret Thatcher
Margaret Thatcher
Margaret Hilda Thatcher, Baroness Thatcher, was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1979 to 1990...
who with her late husband Denis
Denis Thatcher
Major Sir Denis Thatcher, 1st Baronet, MBE, TD was a British businessman, and the husband of the former British Prime Minister, Margaret Thatcher. He was born in Lewisham, London, the elder child of a New Zealand-born British businessman, Thomas Herbert Thatcher, and his wife Kathleen, née Bird...
raised their then young children, Mark
Mark Thatcher
Sir Mark Thatcher, 2nd Baronet is the son of Sir Denis Thatcher and Baroness Thatcher, the former British Prime Minister, and twin brother of Carol Thatcher...
and Carol
Carol Thatcher
Carol Thatcher is a British journalist, author and media personality. She is the daughter of Margaret Thatcher, Baroness Thatcher, a former British Prime Minister, and Sir Denis Thatcher, Bt....
. Others include Rolling Stone, Bill Wyman
Bill Wyman
Bill Wyman is an English musician best known as the bass guitarist for the English rock and roll band the Rolling Stones from 1962 until 1992. Since 1997, he has recorded and toured with his own band, Bill Wyman's Rhythm Kings...
, Arsenal and England footballer, Kenny Sansom
Kenny Sansom
Kenneth Graham Sansom is an English former footballer. Until overtaken by Ashley Cole in February 2011, he held the record for the number of caps for an England national football team full back, having appeared 86 times for his country between 1979 and 1988.- Crystal Palace :Sansom started out...
, and founder of Direct Line
Direct Line
Direct Line is part of the RBS Insurance division of the Royal Bank of Scotland Group that specialises in selling insurance and other financial services over the phone and internet....
, Peter Woods
Peter Woods
Peter Holmes Woods was a British journalist, reporter and newsreader.-Early life and career:Born in Romford, Essex, Woods was educated at Hull Grammar School and Imperial Service College, Windsor...
.
History
When Frederick Rogers bought 143 acre (0.57870098 km²) of land from the Earl of Derby on 9 January 1923 it was for the purpose of developing Keston Park.The land was known as the Keston Lodge Estate. Keston Lodge was the dower house to Holwood House and was occupied by Lady Ashton. It was probably regarded at the time as a separate part of the Holwood Estate and was divided from it by the public footpath which runs from Farnborough Common, almost opposite Hilda vale Road, to Westerham Road, near to Fishponds Road.
Keston Lodge itself later became the Keston Park Hotel. It was taken down in the 1960s. The site is now developed as Keston Park Close. The stables of the old Keston Lodge remained until the late 1970s when they too were demolished to make way for three new houses in Forest Ridge. Keston Lodge was approached through the present entrance to Forest Ridge/Forest Drive on Croydon Road. The drive ran up the line of Forest Ridge, curving back around the stables to the left to come out in front of the south side of the house. An unfenced road is shown on early maps on the line of the present Forest Drive and this was probably the main link between Keston Lodge and Holwood House.
Holwood Park Avenue lies on the line of the north carriageway from Holwood House. According to some early maps the north carriageway was used as the principal entrance to Holwood House. There was a further access onto Croydon Road and another lodge house at Poynters Lodge near Gap House. Access is now gained to Holwood House along the west carriageway which comes out into Westerham Road at Bowens Lodge.
As well as Holwood House (Grade II listed and now called Holwood Mansion ) and the old lodges, there are still some physical remains of the Keston Lodge Estate. There are also three fishponds on Keston Common, adjacent to Fishponds Road. The ponds were constructed in the early nineteenth century to provide a water supply to Holwood House, and are now part of popular recreational area and part of Keston Common.
Jesmond Cottage, now renamed Bushwood at 30 Forest Drive is older than the rest of the houses on the Park. Close behind it are the walls of the old kitchen garden and greenhouses which used to serve the estate. The garden and greenhouses covered a substantial area and incorporated two ponds in the run of the stream between Forest Drive and Forest Ridge.
Further west is the old pavilion which dates from the time when the lower part of Longdon Wood was a cricket ground.
River Ravensbourne
The River RavensbourneRiver Ravensbourne
The River Ravensbourne is a tributary of the River Thames in South London, England. It flows into the River Thames on the Tideway at Deptford, where its tidal reach is known as Deptford Creek.- Geography :...
rises at Keston Ponds, near Caesar's Well. The Ravensbourne is 11 miles (17.4 km) in length and flows through the London Boroughs of Bromley
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...
, Lewisham
Lewisham
Lewisham is a district in South London, England, located in the London Borough of Lewisham. It is situated south-east of Charing Cross. The area is identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London.-History:...
and Greenwich
Greenwich
Greenwich is a district of south London, England, located in the London Borough of Greenwich.Greenwich is best known for its maritime history and for giving its name to the Greenwich Meridian and Greenwich Mean Time...
. Since 1991, Quaggy Waterways Action Group (QWAG) have spent millions maintaining the River Ravensbourne. The "London LOOP" walk
London Outer Orbital Path
The London Outer Orbital Path — more usually the "London LOOP" — is a signed walk along public footpaths, and through parks, woods and fields around the edge of Outer London, England, described as "the M25 for walkers"...
passes the ponds on its way from Farnborough to West Wickham.
Windmills
Keston Windmill
Keston Windmill is a grade I listed Post mill in Keston, formerly in Kent and now in the London Borough of Bromley. The mill was built in 1716 and is conserved with its machinery intact but not in working order.-History:...
built in 1716 that still stands on Keston Common, a smock mill
Smock mill
The smock mill is a type of windmill that consists of a sloping, horizontally weatherboarded tower, usually with six or eight sides. It is topped with a roof or cap that rotates to bring the sails into the wind...
known as Olive's mill, built in 1824 and burnt down between 1878 and 1885, and a third mill, which stood at Holwood Park.
St. Audrey's
A small private church dedicated to St. Audrey was built by Lord Sackville Cecil, son of the Marquess of SalisburyJames Gascoyne-Cecil, 2nd Marquess of Salisbury
James Brownlow William Gascoyne-Cecil, 2nd Marquess of Salisbury, KG, PC , styled Viscount Cranborne until 1823, was a British Conservative politician. He held office under the Earl of Derby as Lord Privy Seal in 1852 and Lord President of the Council between 1858 and 1859...
, on the site of Olive's Mill in 1889; The church and other mill premises came into the possession of the parish in 1908, and since 1925 the former Olive's Mill House has been used as the rectory. (The former rectory, next to the parish church, was sold as being too large, and was bombed in the second world war.) The mill buildings were for nearly a century used as parish rooms. The church has now been secularised.
Rail
The nearest railway stations are Hayes railway stationHayes railway station
Hayes railway station is a railway station located in Hayes in the London Borough of Bromley, south east London, England.The station is served by Southeastern services from Charing Cross and Cannon Street. It forms the suburban terminus for trains on the Hayes line...
(1.6 miles away) and West Wickham railway station
West Wickham railway station
West Wickham railway station serves West Wickham in the London Borough of Bromley. It is located in south east London and is in Travelcard Zone 5. The station is operated by Southeastern and is served by Southeastern Hayes line trains.- History :...
(2.7 miles away).
Bus
There are two Transport for LondonTransport for London
Transport for London is the local government body responsible for most aspects of the transport system in Greater London in England. Its role is to implement the transport strategy and to manage transport services across London...
bus routes in and out of Keston; the 146 from Bromley North to Downe and the 246 from Bromley North to Westerham
Westerham
Westerham is a town and civil parish in the Sevenoaks District of Kent, in South East England with 5,000 people. The parish is south of the North Downs, ten miles west of Sevenoaks. It covers 5800 acres . It is recorded as early as the 9th century, and was mentioned in the Domesday Book in a...
, which stops off at Coney Hall , Biggin Hill
Biggin Hill
Biggin Hill is an area and electoral ward in the outskirts of the London Borough of Bromley in southeast London, United Kingdom.-History:Historically the settlement was known as Aperfield and formed part of the parish of Cudham...
and Hayes railway station and also goes to Chartwell
Chartwell
Chartwell was the principal adult home of Sir Winston Churchill. Churchill and his wife Clementine bought the property, located two miles south of Westerham, Kent, England, in 1922...
during the summer period.
Nearest places
- FarnboroughFarnborough, LondonFarnborough is a settlement in the London Borough of Bromley. It is a suburban development located 13.4 miles southeast of Charing Cross.-History:...
- DowneDowneDowne is a village in the London Borough of Bromley in London, UK.Downe is south west of Orpington and south east of Charing Cross. Downe lies in a wooded valley, and much of the centre of the village is unchanged; the former village school now acts as the village hall.-Darwin:Charles Darwin...
- OrpingtonOrpingtonOrpington 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:...
- West WickhamWest WickhamWest Wickham is a place in the London Borough of Bromley, England. It is 10.3 miles south east of Charing Cross. West Wickham history dates back to early settlements existing since 1068, although the name `Wickham` is an indication of an earlier Anglo-Saxon settlement...
- HayesHayes, BromleyHayes is a place in the London Borough of Bromley, south-east London, England. It has two main areas of activity: the ancient village and suburban Hayes.-The ancient village of Nimrods :...
- BromleyBromleyBromley 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...
- CroydonLondon Borough of CroydonThe London Borough of Croydon is a London borough in South London, England and is part of Outer London. It covers an area of and is the largest London borough by population. It is the southernmost borough of London. At its centre is the historic town of Croydon from which the borough takes its name...