Dreadnought Cottage (Stacey’s Cottage)
Dreadnought Cottage (Stacey’s Cottage) Dreadnought Cottage, (Stacey’s Cottage)Baston RoadEarly 19th centuryLocally listed Stacey’sDreadnought Cottage was originally part of Winch’s Cottage which in the mid 19th century became known as Stacey’s after George and Ann Stacey and their eight children, aged from 5 months to 13 years in the 1841 Census, moved into the southern end of the property to look after Anne’s mother, Elizabeth Winch. A lightweight partition was fixed between the two halves of the cottage. When Elizabeth died in 1850 she left George and Anne all the property in her will. Anne’s brother James disagreed, claimed he had a right to it and he occupied part of the cottage. The matter went to court and eventually through the arbitration of the rector, Revd Thomas Hussey, the boundaries were fixed between the two cottages in 1853. George, a vermin destroyer, and his wife Anne were allowed to remain in that part of the property in which they had lived with their family. James was allowed the part that had been occupied by his mother. When Elizabeth died Sir Charles Farnaby agreed that George and Anne Stacey could purchase their cottage for £11. Two of their sons, Richard & William, also became rat catchers.In 1867, after their mother Anne’s death, the other siblings who had an interest in the property agreed to convey the premises to the eldest son Richard, providing that their father George was allowed to live in the cottage and be fully supported by Richard until his father’s death, which occurred in 1870. The property was lived in by successive generations of the Stacey family until the Second World War. Stacey’s Cottage In 1910 it was described as a very old timber and tile bungalow, containing two bedrooms, kitchen, washroom and WC. Outside was a range of very old brick and tile buildings, sheds and WC washroom. On the opposite side of the road was a cowshed and two dilapidated sheds. Its value was put at £200. A Smuggler’s Hiding PlaceGeorge Smith, a builder, remembered Richard Stacey junior, with his ferret bags and pack of terriers at his heel – a fine specimen of a Kentish-man. He also recalled in 1924 that some years ago when they were making additions to the cottage they came upon a smuggler’s hiding place under the floor with iron hooks upon which to hang the booty of spirit or silk. Richard Stacey said that it was in the neighbouring cottage.Tea GardenAt the end of the First World War Richard Stacey decided to run a tea garden known as the Dreadnought Tea Gardens. It was very popular with local cycling and hiking groups. He continued to run this until his death in 1938. His widow Mercy died in 1942. Dreadnought Tea Gardens Second World WarWorld War II saw considerable activity over the Common and frequent incendiaries and bombs which left their mark on nearby areas. In a heavy bombardment on 16 April 1941 a number of high explosive bombs fell near Dreadnought Cottage. Eric Strouts, a stretcher bearer and fire watcher, who lived in Redgate Drive, was killed fighting the fires. After the WarAfter the war the family decided to rent out the cottage as a furnished property and they secured planning agreement for a garage, providing a large shed was taken down and all the ‘temporary’ buildings opposite were demolished.For many years it was rented by Leslie McCrow Redevelopment In 1985 it was bought by a builder Mr Brace and considerable ingenuity was used to make it a modern dwelling for his son, incorporating the footprint of the numerous outbuildings. Dreadnought Cottage before it was developed in the 1990s The original wooden cottage was maintained but reroofed When completed the property consisted of a lounge, dining room, kitchen/breakfast room, a conservatory, 3 bedrooms and an outside garage. The development was praised and reported fully in the magazine Finesse in 1999. There have been two more owners since that time. The redeveloped Dreadnought Cottage
Pleasant View (Winch’s Cottage)
Pleasant View (Winch’s Cottage) Pleasant View (Winch’s Cottage)Baston RoadBuilt 18th centuryLocally listed This brick built cottage is locally listed and is within the Hayes and Keston Commons Conservation Area. The original cottage was a squatters’ cottage built on Hayes Common by the middle of the 18th century. It was allowed to remain by the lords of Baston Manor, the Lennard family. By 1782 William Green, a labourer, lived there with his family and in 1800 he was joined by his daughter Elizabeth and son-in-law Richard Winch, a rat catcher. Originally the cottage was thatched and in 1802 William Green was granted 9 shillings (45p), out of the funds for the poor distributed by the rector Revd John Till, to pay for a quarter of a load of straw to help him thatch it. The help given by the Revd Till at various times may have encouraged Richard Winch to be confirmed at the age of 40, at the same time as his son William in 1806. The cottage was referred to as Winch’s Cottage. Richard died in 1827 and was survived by his widow Elizabeth who took over her husband’s rat catching activities. As she grew older her daughter Anne, who had married George Stacey, moved in to look after her and a thin partition was made separating their part of the cottage from Elizabeth’s. In 1841 there were 12 people living in the cottage including eight of George and Ann’s children aged from 5 months to 13. Elizabeth made her will in the same year and left the house and land to her daughter Anne for her life and then to Anne’s children once they had reached the age of twenty-one. She died in 1850 and her will was proved 26 September 1850. Controversy over ownership, Stacey v WinchHowever, Elizabeth’s eldest son James, an agricultural labourer, claimed that as the copyholder he had the right to the cottage and in the subsequent legal dispute he was awarded the part of the cottage in which his mother had lived. It was the rector, Revd Thomas John Hussey, who fixed the agreement about the division of the house which had been extended with numerous out buildings. Agreed division of the property in 1853 (Bromley Historic Collections P180/28/8) James Winch lived to the age of 75 but died in 1880 owing money to Sir John Farnaby Lennard who had helped him in his last few years. His daughter Emma said that she and her son would settle the debts and it was agreed that his niece Wilhelmina Langridge, a needlewoman, who had been living there as his housekeeper could remain. By 1891 she was joined by her older sister Elizabeth Ellis. After Wilhelmina’s death her sister Elizabeth remained, relying on charity until she died at the age of 86 in 1904. Ownership by the Knights family to 1989C. Puckey bought the cottage and in 1907 Charlotte Knights, whose husband had recently died, moved from Charlton into the property with her son and two daughters. At the time the cottage consisted of a bedroom, living room and a scullery and was described in 1910 as a very old bungalow built of brick and slate. Charlotte later bought the property. Harold,Ella and Grace Knights with their mother Charlotte and their father in 1901 (Photo W. Weaver) Pleasant View Tea GardensWith the help of her daughters she started to run a Tea Garden to cater for the increasing number of visitors to the Common. It was in competition with the one managed by Richard Stacey from the adjoining property. In 1935 her daughter Ella married Alfred Arnold, a school caretaker and moved to George Lane. Charlotte died two years later and her daughter Grace inherited the cottage and lived there until shortly before her death in 1988. Alfred Arnold at entrance to the Tea Garden Charlotte Knights with her daughters Grace & Ella. Tea Garden tables in the background (W Weaver) Sale of PropertyGrace’s niece inherited the cottage which was bought by a builder Kenneth Brace. He was granted planning permission in June 1988 for single storey extensions with accommodation in the roof. The property was therefore much enlarged and he lived there with his wife Peggy for over 30 years.
Ash Lodge
Ash Lodge (Bath House)54 Baston RoadGeorgian, locally listed Today Ash Lodge is within the Hayes and Keston Commons Conservation area and is locally listed. OwnersA property stood on this site on the northern edge of Hayes Common from at least the middle of the 17th century, but it later burnt down. It was rebuilt in brick and by 1731 the land was owned by William and John Oliver, members of a wealthy family. Later owners have suggested that this Georgian building may contain some timbers from a much earlier date.The Olivers sold the house and land in 1773 to Andrew Bath who had lived and farmed in the Pickhurst area since the 1750s. He was one of the largest ratepayers in Hayes and a Churchwarden from 1756 -1774, a role he gave up when he was 70. However, he could not yet move into the property as it was being leased by Edward Hall. Therefore, with the help of his son he continued to farm his Pickhurst lands until 1785 when, at the age of 81, he finally moved into the house which now became known as Bath’s House. His land included the area on which 87 to 133 Baston Road were later built. Land owned by the Bath family from 1841 Hayes Tithe Map (T Woodman) His daughter Mary lived with him and they had one resident servant. On her father’s death in 1794 Mary inherited the property. She continued to live in Hayes, did not marry and on her death in 1813 the property passed to her cousin James – the last of the Bath family to live in the house. His son John inherited in 1828 and the house continued to be owned by the Bath family until 1948. Its name had changed to Ash Lodge by 1901. Its rateable value in 1910 was assessed at £1387 and it was described as ‘a very old brick built and slate house detached. In very fair structural and decorative repair considering its age. First floor 5 bedrooms, bath, WC.’The ground floor plans shows two drawing rooms, a dining room, kitchen and scullery The Overseers Map 1898 shows the Victorian additions to the property (Bromley Historic Collection) Post Second World War ownershipWilliam St John Leonard bought the house and the land opposite in 1948. The following year the house, coach house and surrounding garden were bought by Hamilton Speller, the land on the east side of the road was sold separately. He lived there with his wife Eileen and daughter for 37 years. The exterior of the house was rendered and painted white as the brickwork, through age and war damage, was in need of considerable repair. In 1985 it was sold to Brian and Penny Walker and has since changed hands twice. OccupiersEdward & Esther Hall 1741-1775The first definite occupant was Edward Hall. He leased the house and paid the rates from 1741 until his death in 1774. His initials EH and the year 1754 are carved in the brick garden wall. He left instructions that after his wife Easter’s death the lease of his house was to be sold for at least £300 and their goods and furnishings shared between his cousins and their children. Apart from the linen, glass, china, books, pictures and carpets there were many silver items that bore her Seymour family crest, such as a large silver salver, pair of silver snuffers and tea canister. Easter died in 1778, two years after she had moved to the parish of St Dunstan in East London. Bath family owner/occupiers 1785 – 1828 Young family 1828 – 1848Samuel Young and his wife Mary took over the lease in 1828, He was at one time landlord of ‘The Mark’ at Keston and was previously a leather merchant in Leadenhall Street, London. When his beautiful daughter Mary died in 1831 at the age of 18 he arranged for her to be interred in the parish church because of great anxiety about ‘ ‘the resurrectionists’ of the time and the fear that should she be buried in the graveyard she might be dug up. Samuel died a year later but his widow continued to live there. Back family – 1867John Back, a merchant in cotton goods, Manchester had moved into Bath House by 1851 with his wife Anne, two young daughters and two servants. By 1861 his wife had died leaving him with 6 daughters and a son who were taught by a governess. He had one resident servant. Short tenanciesCharles Heginbotham, a wine merchant, took over the lease of Bath House and his son Charles was born in January 1869. He was delighted as he already had four daughters, aged from seven to two. After five years the next tenancy was that of Henry Wadham Dalwood and his wife Lucy Anne, whose son Stanley was baptized in August 1875.Captain Arthur Hill took the lease in 1879, the year he married Katherine, daughter of Dr Thomas Morris, who lived across the road at Baston Farm. Her brother Huson lived in the neighbouring house They had three sons before they moved in 1887.Harold Paine was briefly there to 1889 before wine merchant John Selby who left in 1898. It is probably at this time that the building was extended. The house was extended in Victorian times Hilton Skinner 1898 – 1924Hilton Skinner, his wife Emily and son Douglas moved to Ash Lodge in 1898 where their son Charles was born. Hilton, at the age of 39, was described as a ‘retired’ civil engineer in the 1901 Census and employed a nurse, cook and parlourmaid. He was very involved with the local Parish Church, became a churchwarden and compiled the Hayes Roll of Honour after the ending of the First World War in which his eldest son, Douglas Hilton, was killed. The family left Ash Lodge in 1924 but remained in Hayes and moved to Fernlea in Baston Road. Cyril Penman 1925- 1940Cyril Penman, a bank manager and his family lived in Ash Lodge
The White House
The White House (Simpson’s House, Hayes Cottage)Five Elms RoadLocally ListedAbout 1830 The White House is situated within the Hayes and Keston Commons Conservation Area. It was built on land given to the Parish of Hayes by Vicary Gibbs of Hayes Court in 1797 in exchange for enclosing two acres of common near his house. The rent was used to help poor parishioners. About 1810 there was a building which became known as Simpson’s House in 1821 when it was leased by Adam Simpson. Alexander Findlay & family 1830 – 1897In 1830 Alexander Findlay, a geographer and engraver, took over the lease and built a red brick house in which he lived until his death in 1870. It was the typical Georgian style with two rooms at the front and two at the back on both floors, on either side of a central doorway, and with a central staircase, downstairs corridor and landing. Various small extensions were added to the rear during his life time. It was known as Hayes Cottage. His daughter, Sarah Kettle, was widowed in 1862 and returned to her family home in Hayes. After her parents’ deaths the lease was taken over by her elder brother Alexander George. She continued to live there and agreed a new 21 years lease after her brother’s death in 1875. The rent was £40 a year providing not less than £300 was spent in enlarging, repairing and improving the house. Sarah Kettle with her daughter Mary in the back garden of The White House (P.Griffiths) Sarah died in April 1881. Her son Daniel, a geographical draughtsman and a nautical publisher, became the leaseholder and lived there with his brother William, a hydrographer. On William’s marriage in December 1897 and a proposed rent increase to £60 a year Daniel decided not to renew the lease. Hayes Cottage (The White House) 1889 (G W Smith) Extension It was around this time that the house was extended although it is unclear whether this was the cause of the rent rise or occurred after the arrival of the new tenants. The extension on the north of property was built in grey London brick with a slate roof over French windows. The front and portions of the side were stucco-rendered and it was probably then that the whole house was painted white to match the front of the house which had been painted white by 1864. It became called The White House William Birbeck Harris & family 1897 – 1938. William Birbeck Harris, an insurance broker, lived at the White House after his marriage to Kathleen Carey. They had four children, Edward, Norman, Audrey and Sophia. Their eldest son Edward died of diphtheria in 1899 and Norman had just celebrated his 16th birthday when he became the youngest person from Hayes to be killed in the First World War.In 1901 the Trustees of the Poor’s Land Trust, which oversaw the provision of help to the poor from the rent of the White House, approved an extension which was paid for by William Harris. In 1910 the house was described as a detached stucco and slate house in a poor structural and decorative repair. ‘Cesspool. No gas. First floor 4 bedrooms and a maid’s room, bathroom & dressing room combined. Stall and chaise house not used. Value £825’.In 1923 agreement was given for a temporary ‘motor house’.After their father’s death in 1924 Audrey and Sophie took over the lease until 1938.They formed the well know Motley Company which had a major influence on costume and stage design. The White House Second World WarCaptain Ronald Harmer RN took the lease but shortly after the outbreak of the Second World War he returned to active service. In December 1940 he was awarded a DSO for courage and resource in successfully attacking enemy submarines.The previous month The White House was damaged during aerial attacks on the Common.The builders, William Smith & Sons of Gravel Road, were asked to do ‘first-aid repairs’ to the roof & windows and provide an estimate for the proper repair of all the damage to the White House. By 1943 the occupants of the White House were Mr & Mrs Harry Chandler. Further repairs were needed at the end of the war but it was not until July 1951 that a payment for War Damage of £170.10.0 (£170.50) was received. The Chandler family continued to live at The White House until 1960. Tenants after 19601960- 1968 Mr & Mrs Patrick Barry1969 – 1975 Robert & Audrey Tims1976 – 1977 Michael & Margaret Griffiths1977 – 1987 Mr & Mrs James Harris James Harris, whose greengrocer’s shop was in Hayes Street, took over the lease of the White House in 1977 for £1250 a year. By the time the lease expired in 1987 the rent had increased to £1650. Sale of the White HouseThe Trustees of the Poor’s Land Charity decided to sell the property because a large sum of money was required to upgrade the nearby Simpson’s Cottages which were rented to poorer families in the community. In 1989 the property was bought by Richard and Pamela Taylor and their family still live there. A number of changes have been made to the building with permission granted for a replacement conservatory in 2006 and more recently an addition to the back of the house which has mirrored the existing windows and patio doors. East elevation of The White House 1989 Further information:Richard H Taylor, The History of the White House 1999
Brackendene
Brackendene (earlier names Simpson’s Cottage, Goodrest)Five Elms RoadEarly 19th centuryLocally listed Situated on Hayes Common, Brackendene was known as Simpson’s Cottage in the early 19th century. It was built on land given to the Parish by Vicary Gibbs of Hayes Court in exchange for enclosing two acres of common near his house in 1797. The land was leased and when Adam Simpson took over the land this building became known as Simpson’s Cottage in contrast with the neighbouring Simpson’s House (later The White House). Poor’s Land CharityIn 1861 the Poor’s Land Charity was approved by the Charity Commission.The income from the rents from Brackendene and the White House contributed to the cost of running the Charity School and also to provide fuel, clothing, food or financial assistance to any poor resident in the parish. It was also to support the provision and maintenance of four cottages for families in need. Simpson’s Cottage is the smaller red building on the 1841 Tithe Map Jacob and Jonathan Angas 1836 – 1879Adam Simpson continued to pay the rent until 1831. The property may then have been developed but was occupied by a Quaker family by 1836. Dorothy Angas paid the rates and Jonathan Wilkinson Angas, a miller, lived with her. In 1851 his older brother Jacob, also a miller, resided there with a house servant and he employed one man. Jacob’s will was proved in 1857 and Jonathan, with his unmarried sister Alice, remained at Simpson’s Cottage until his death in 1879. at the age of 90. A year later a 21 year lease was granted to Josiah Wilkinson at a rent of £30 and he agreed to spend £400 enlarging and repairing the house. After the improvements had been made he sub let the property in 1886 to Edward Friend, whose first daughter Mercy was born in 1889 and a second baby in 1891. At the time of the census there was a resident housemaid, parlourmaid, and two nurses. The extension to Simpson’s Cottage, the property on the left, is shown in the Overseers’ Map 1898. (Bromley Historic Collections 701/8) Goodrest and the Thompson sistersIn 1898 the property was let to Miss Anne Thompson of Point House, Bromley. The house name was changed to Goodrest and she lived there with her sister Mary until 1916. In 1900 she was very upset when the Poor’s Land Trustees proposed to increase the rent to £60 a year. She wrote ‘this house though very small – having only four bedrooms and a dressing room – is very expensive to keep in order as the old part of it needs constant repairs. It also has great drawbacks of having no bathroom, no pantry, no upstairs W.C. and a very small kitchen so uncomfortable that I am obliged to give my servants one of the sitting rooms to sit in. Also the passage upstairs is so narrow that no large boxes can be carried along it and they have to be unpacked downstairs which is most inconvenient.This house though too small for a family suits us being only two ladies and I should regret to leave it but if a high rent is demanded I could not afford to stay.’ Eventually a new lease was agreed in 1901 at £50 a year. They employed a cook and a house/parlour maid. By 1910 the property was valued at £700 and described as: Goodrest – Detached old red brick and slate house, was formerly a cottage and has been added to. Part is very old. No bathroom or WC upstairs. Cesspool drainage. In want of repair generally. Very pleasing situation. No gas. First floor 5 small bedrooms, 1 box room. Side of house has a timber structure, once a chaise house now used as a store. Anne Thompson died at the age of 79 in 1916. Her sister Mary decided that she would not want to stay there, ‘the situation is too cold for me now in winter’ and she asked permission to let the last six years of the lease stating the house is lacking in modern conveniences, having no bathroom, pantry or gas laid on. Change of name to BrackendeneDavid Chattel & Son negotiated a new lessee, William Pughe, describing the property as in a beautiful situation with extensive views, 3 sitting rooms, 5 bedrooms, a large entrance hall and a garden with a large lawn and fruit and vegetable garden. Rent £50 p.a. William Pughe assigned his lease to Captain J Mcleod Burghes in 1917. The property became known as Brackendene. After the war Captain Burghes had difficulty in paying his rent, an eviction order was obtained against him and he absconded the following day on 16 December 1921. A complicated legal case followed in which 77 year old Mary Thompson had to settle with the Poor’s Land Trustees all the outstanding arrears and costs. She was also held liable for the breach of the covenant on repairing Brackendene. Eric and Peggy Davies 1922 – 1974Eric Davies moved to Brackendene after his marriage to Peggy Frost of Glebe House in 1922. At the time a report on its kitchen indicated there was no hot water or gas, kitchen accommodation was poor, only a small combined kitchen and scullery, no larder or cupboards, none of the rooms were large. He agreed a lease for 21 years at £75 rent less an allowance of £10 for 17 years because of the improvements he made by enlarging the kitchen, making a new pantry and larder and creating a new bathroom with hot & cold services. A request to go on mains drainage was turned down by the Trustees as it would have to wait until they had sufficient funds. Eric Davies served as a captain in the First World War and was in the RAF in the Second World War. He was mentioned in despatches. Some bomb damage to the house was caused in November 1940 when windows were blown out, ceilings fell and slates came off the roof. The Bromley Town Clerk wrote to the Trustees asking them to repair the damage caused by enemy action. At
Street House
Street HouseGeorge Lane, HayesGrade II listed building18th century Street House is a listed Georgian building that sits at the junction of George Lane and Hayes Street. Its grounds originally stretched from The Walnut Tree in the south to beyond Hayes Wood Avenue in the east. Position of Street House on Tithe Map 1841 The ownership of a house on the land can be traced back to early Tudor times when it belonged to the Aleyn family. More details are available from the 18th century when the present house was built. It was described as a ‘genteel residence’ when occupied by Mr and Mrs Margetson in the late 1770s. It was owned by the Cleaver family. National ListingThe national listing in 1955 confirms that the house is Georgian and provides the following details.Red brick. Tiled roof. The north front facing the street has 2 storeys and attic. 5 windows. 3 hipped dormers. Windows with segmental head linings and glazing bars intact. Doorway with flat hood on brackets, rectangular fanlight and door of 6 fielded panels. The east front has a stuccoed bay of 3 windows and an addition of 2 windows in painted brick behind. The west front has 3 windows, 2 dormers and a doorway with flat hood and 6 fielded panels. OccupiersIn the early 19th century it was briefly used as a ‘school for young gentlemen’ and then occupied by a number of tenants until purchased by George Warde Norman of Bromley Common in 1841. At the time John Nicholls was living there with his four children and one servant and paying a rent of £25 a year. George Warde Norman let the property in 1852 to his brother-in-law Captain Thomas Sparke Thompson who had married his sister Henrietta. She died in 1866 and Rear-Admiral Thompson, as he had become by his retirement, died in 1873. His two daughters Emma and Henrietta remained at Street House until the 1880s. By 1910, when the house was occupied by William Russell, a stockbroker, it was described as ‘a very old rambling ivy clad house’, brick built and partly slated and in need of modernising. It had a large ventilated cellar, 5 bedrooms, a bath and WC on the first floor and 4 small attic rooms. Ground floor plan of Street House 1910. (National Archives IR58) Belgian refugees were housed in Street House in the First World War. The house was still owned by the Norman family in the Second World War and was occupied by the family of Major General Charles Wake Norman. His son, Canon Bill Norman, has recalled his memories of living as a young boy at Street House during the war. His bedroom was at the top of the house and he disliked being woken up when air raids were on to make his way sleepily to the Morrison shelter on the ground floor. The gardens were used for allotments. Major General Charles Wake Norman inherited the property on the death of his father Archibald Cameron Norman in 1947 and stayed until 1950 when he moved to West Farleigh. The Rookery EstatesThe Rookery Estates was formed to manage the Norman lands and in the 1960s two houses, Nos.41-43, were built in the grounds facing Hayes Street. An earlier proposal to site a petrol station there was rejected. In 1971 a successful planning application was made to convert Street House into flats. Today, most of the gardens of Street House have been sold and developed but the house is still managed by Rookery Estates Ltd. It is divided into three flats and part of the ground floor is used as a dental surgery. Street House
St Mary Cottages
St Mary Cottages12-30 Baston Road, HayesGrade II Listed1888 A fine terrace of ten Victorian cottages in Baston Road that were designed by George Devey (1820-1886) for Everard Alexander Hambro of Hayes Place. These cottages were built on the site of the former Poplar Cottages. Originally the numbers went from 1-10 St Mary Cottages, later they were renumbered in reverse order so that No 10 became 12 Baston Road and No 1 became 30 Baston Road. The cottages were awarded a Grade II listing in 1994 because it ‘was an unusual example of the architect George Devey adhering to a formal composition’. James Williams supervised the building of the ten cottages for Everard Hambro, whose initials EAH and the stylised date 1888 can be seen on a plaque on the upper storey. Date plaque on St Mary Cottages National ListingThe end units, nos 12 and 30 project beyond the general line of the terrace and are subtly grander with large bay windows to the ground floor and timber pediments above. Each cottage is one bay wide and set in pairs with paired doors and rear wings. The ground floor is generally brick with rat-trap bond, a roughcast first floor and tile hangings to the side and rear. A tiled roof. Large stacks on cross walls and at ends. All the first-floor windows are timber casements with leaded panes of three lights on tiny wooden brackets, those to the end cottages with pediments. Four-light canted windows to ground floor. Panelled doors with two leaded lights, some replaced and that to No.12 moved. Rear windows also leaded casements with some under arched brick heads, some renewed. OccupiersThese cottages were home to local villagers, many employed as gardeners, carpenters or bootmakers. In 1891 forty people lived there. Twenty years later there were 33 as some of the grown up children had moved away. After the death of Sir Everard Hambro St Mary Cottages were put up for auction on 29 May 1931. Only two of the cottages were sold. The rest did not reach the reserve price and were withdrawn but were later sold privately. 12 Baston RoadThe northern end cottage (12 Baston Road) was built as a butcher’s shop with a small abattoir at the rear that survived into the 1970s. People still remember the cattle that used to be driven down Baston Road in the early hours of the morning to be slaughtered. The first butcher to live there was Frederick Walker followed by Henry Greengrass to 1898. Miss Frances Sands ran the business from 1899 until it was taken over by Mr Walter Foat, a butcher from Biggin Hill in 1919. In 1912 it was described as ‘a brick built and tile shop in good decoration and structural repair. Brick on edge. First floor 3 bedrooms. Brick built and tile stabling, 2 stalls in good order. Slaughter house in fair repair. Other galvanised with stabling and cart shed’. It remained a butcher’s shop until sold in 1979. Attempts to keep it as a butcher’s shop failed and it became private accommodation. The former abattoir was briefly used for the repair of bakery equipment but was demolished and replaced with a private dwelling by the 1990s. Ground Floor Plan of St Mary Cottage (IR58, National Archives) 14 Baston RoadThe next door property consisted of a sitting room, kitchen, scullery, larder and an outside earth closet in 1910. There were three bedrooms on the first floor in 1931. One interesting occupant was the artist Thomas Morley. He married Alice Arnold, the eldest child of Jeffrey and Sarah Arnold. Jeffrey, a policeman, moved into the cottage when it was first built and remained there until his death in 1916. He had a large family of eight children but by 1916 Thomas Morley and Alice also lived there with their family. It remained the family home for the rest of their lives. Thomas died in 1931 and Alice in 1949. A retrospective exhibition of his paintings was held in Bromley Central Library in 1979 and revealed the quality of his work. 24 Baston Road (The Tuck Shop)In the late 1930s a confectioner’s and newsagent’s opened in the ground floor of No 24 Baston Road. It became known as the Tuck Shop and for many years was run by Mrs Arthur. It was very popular, particularly with the schoolchildren whose numbers increased as the use of Gadsden as a school grew. It was later converted back to a home. W.Foat and the Tuck Shop in 1974 (Gordon Wright, Bromley Historic Collections J8-127) 26 Baston RoadSir Everard Hambro gave the ground floor of cottage No 3 (26 Baston Road) to the Church of St Mary the Virgin for use as a meeting room for all time, rent-free. The first floor rooms became part of the adjoining cottage. The house was extended between 1905 and 1912 when a report indicated that an additional £3,500 had been spent on it. The room has witnessed many activities. It was used by the Hayes Social Club from the 1900s until the 1920s and as the library from 1920 to 1946. The Society of Friends (Quakers) used it for worship on Sunday mornings in 1935. In the 1980s it was used by the Bromley Society for Mentally Handicapped Children. In 1986 it was allowed after a planning appeal to become a one bedroom flat. 30 Baston Road Over the years a number of extensions have been allowed to individual cottages. In one instance a deep underground brick structure, possibly an original well, was found in the back garden. Back of St Mary Cottages Back of St Mary Cottages
Hayes Farmhouse
HAYES FARMHOUSE239 Hayes LaneGrade II Listed Building1780s The death of the tenant farmer George Hoeltschi in December 2018 resulted in the farmhouse and its associated farmyard and buildings, commonly known as Hayes Street Farm, ceasing to exist for any agricultural purposes. However, the farmhouse, which is situated to the north of the George Inn and has been in use for over 200 years, was preserved in the development plans. The exact date of the existing farmhouse remains unknown but a building is shown in its location on the 1767 Pitt map and it is likely that it was this property that was later developed. In 1779 Gandy Cooper passed the house and lands to his son Thomas Cooper of Riverhead, a brewer, and in 1782 Edward Cooper, a senior labourer, lived there with his family. When the property was sold to James Bond of Hayes Place in 1785 it was described as, ‘an excellent Farm house, with large new erected barn, stables, cow house, sheds, etc.’ The comfortable brick dwelling house was occupied by Robert Nisbet and bought about 1800 by George Norman. It still today retains its connection with the Norman family. National ListingThe national listing made in 1973 describes the building as ‘early 19th century, 2 storeys and attic. 5 windows. 3 dormers. Faced with napped flints with red brick window dressings and quoins. Slate roof. Door of 6 fielded panels. Glazing bars missing’. It is a simple design, rectangular with a side to side gable, and it has an identical structure with gable at the back, suggesting that the house was doubled in size sometime after its original construction. In the 1960s the front porch was filled in, but with its slate roof and use of flint blends in well. Hayes Street Farm (P Rose) FarmersThe house has witnessed many occupants over the centuries and changes have been made to the building. James Harrod, who owned the General Stores in the Village, took over the lease in 1878 for his third son William. In 1881 William lived there with his wife Esther, 5 children under 9, two farm labourers and a boarder. His father James died in 1894 and in 1896 William Harrod made a 21 years lease at £33 a year. Esther died in 1901 but William remained in the farmhouse assisted by his son William and two unmarried daughters. He gave up the farmhouse shortly after 1911 and the lease was taken over by James Marden and then D C Haldeman. In 1924 Sidney Rose was appointed the farm bailiff and he stayed for almost forty years, continuing under R C Fisher when Mr Haldeman left the area. The farm had about 150 pigs, 60 cows and 70 calves and was well known for the quality of its milk. During the Second World War the building survived, although incendiaries and bombs fell close by in neighbouring fields and roads. Hayes Farmhouse 1937 (P Rose) In 1962, George Hoeltschi senior moved to Hayes Street Farm from Hayesford Farm and he was followed by his son George who lived there until his death. In about 1987 the house was extended at the rear. It incorporated the use of slate and flint although few of the windows at the rear of the house match the original style of the house. Hayes Farmhouse Extension 1987 The south side of the house shows clear evidence of changes that took place over the centuries with a bricked in window and door entrance and the use of different bricks, only to be expected in a working building. The blocked up doorway was said by Mrs Hoeltschi to have been used as an entrance to the basement in the time of Mr Fisher. On the north elevation a modern French window and concrete lintel have been inserted. North Elevation 1987 South Elevation 1987 Today the farmyard development is under way but the farmhouse has been preserved.
The Old Rectory
Old Rectory/Hayes Library57 Hayes StreetGrade II Listed1757 One of the oldest and most interesting buildings in Hayes is currently used as the local library. For almost 200 years it served as the Rectory and we are fortunate that documents survive that describe both the specification and the difficulties that occurred in 1757 in building this replacement for the original Rectory. The building was nationally listed in 1973. 18th Century. Two storeys and attics. Five windows. Two gabled dormers. Red brick and grey headers. Tiled roof. Glazing bars intact. Doorway in moulded architrave surround with projecting cornices and rectangular fanlight. Addition of one 19th century window bay at each end. Rear has a mansard roof with small dormer, the rest is hidden by later additions. Building of the RectoryRevd William Farquhar became Rector in 1755. He found the existing Rectory in disrepair and received agreement for it to be rebuilt. The specification was drawn up and provides the original plan.To take down all the old Buildings quite to the ground, to lay a new foundation 36 foot long and 14 foot clear between the walls wide, the first storey 8 foot high and chamber storey 8 foot high, garrets six foot six inches high. It also included the details for the floors, staircases, door, windows, lath and plaster partitions and a new brewhouse. In April 1757 Mr Man, a carpenter from Croydon, agreed to take on the job for £105, although he originally wanted £120. As the construction proceeded there were frequent disputes about the quality of the workmanship. Revd Farquhar complained that old timbers were being used and flints were put in the foundation walls rather than the specified bricks.The builders stopped work and would only return when the Rector agreed to stay away until the task was finished. On 30 August the surveyor’s report concluded that it had all been done ‘in a workmanlike manner according to the price given’. The case received considerable coverage and a cartoon entitled the ‘Macaroni Vicar of Bray’ shows Hayes Church and the Rectory with a ‘To Let’ notice on it. Hayes Rectory with a ‘To Let’ notice (Kadwell Portfolio, Bromley Historic Collections) Francis Fawkes, an acknowledged poet and Greek scholar, was the next occupant in 1774 but he was more interested in the planting of the garden and created an orchard in the grounds. He died in 1777 and an inventory was made of the house fixtures in each of the rooms in the Rectory:Left hand Upper Chamber, Right hand upper chamber, Left hand front chamber, Left chamber on landing, Right hand chamber on landingStudy, ParlourSmall beer cellar, Pantry, Wash house, Ale cellarKitchen with range, pig iron jack and spitYard and stable The value of the fittings was assessed at £60 which Revd John Till paid to his predecessor’s widow, Mrs Ann Fawkes. He remained in the Rectory for 50 years with a man and maid servant but made no noticeable alterations to the Rectory. Building of an ObservatoryThe first major change to the building occurred in the early 1830s after Thomas John Hussey was appointed Rector in 1831. He was a keen astronomer and had an observatory with a copper dome of 13 feet diameter built in the grounds by a local craftsman, Gabriel Hutfield. Its position can be seen on the tithe map in 1841, although by this time Revd Hussey had sold his equipment to Durham University and the observatory was in use as a school room for his children. Diagram from the 1841 Tithe Map showing the Observatory Extension Building of North ExtensionAs Hussey’s family grew he also maintained that the Rectory was not large enough and he arranged for a two storey extension to the north of the existing house to create a study and library for his many books and to provide a kitchen downstairs and bedrooms above. The cost was estimated at £400 and in 1835 the Rector mortgaged his living for that amount, which led to an enquiry by the Archbishop. The extension was built and can be seen in the drawing made in 1851. Hayes Rectory 1851 (Kadwell Portfolio, Bromley Historic Collections) Building of the South ExtensionRevd George Clowes became Rector in 1887 and made plans for an extension on the south side of the building with a bay window. He took out a mortgage with the Queen Anne’s Bounty for £442. The South Extension of the Rectory In 1910 the property with it stable and wood was valued at £2500 and described as ‘detached old fashioned house, red brick and part slate. Whole property of same style in good decorative order. Gas. Accommodation Ist floor 6 bedrooms, WC no bath. 2nd floor attic. Stabling 2 stalls, brick built and tiled. Coach house. 4 cowshed’. The diagram for the ground floor shows that the south extension ground floor room was used as the drawing room and the room to the north of the entrance hall was the dining room. Ground Floor Plan in 1910 (National Archives IR58) Sale of the RectoryRevd E McClintock was appointed Rector in 1933. His daughter Rhoda later recalled that the place was in a bad state with very rickety stairs, particularly the back ones, and an incredible number of black beetles in the kitchen and store rooms that were below ground level. Beetle traps had to be set every night. He eventually persuaded the church authorities that a new Rectory should be built in the grounds and that the existing building should be sold. Hayes Rectory 1936 (R.Witcombe) Conversion to a Library After considerable discussion and controversy it was finally agreed that it would become a library. Edward Louis Longfield McClintock sold the Rectory to the Mayor, Aldermen and Burgesses of the Borough of Bromley for £3000 in 1937. Various plans were drawn up for its conversion to a library. Ground floor plan of proposed library (Bromley Historic Collections) With the international system looking bleak in 1938, plans were made to use the Old Rectory in defence arrangements in the event of war. A Nissan Hut was put in the ground
The Walnut Tree
The Walnut Tree45 Hayes StreetGrade II Listed BuildingLate 18th Century For over two centuries the Walnut Tree served the village of Hayes, initially as a baker’s and then as a confectioner’s and newsagent’s until 2003 when it closed. It became residential accommodation. The National Grade II listing in 1973 refers to the building as late 18th to early 19th century. 2 storeys weatherboarded. Hipped tiled roof. 2 casements on first floor. Ground floor has 2 curved bow windows and a central doorcase with flat wooden weatherhood on brackets. 1 storey addition to rear. Early history As early as 1763 William Dalton, a baker, used this property and when it came up for sale in 1789 it was described as ‘all that messuage and bakehouse, yard, garden and stable in the tenure of William Dalton in Hayes Street’. It was bought by the Roberts family and remained in the ownership of that family until 1841 when it was sold to George Norman of Bromley Common. By this time the baker was James Whitby and the property was known as Whitby’s. James Whitby was still there in 1871 at the age of 66 but by 1879 had been replaced by Alfred Nicholls. He expanded the business and described himself as a a corn dealer and baker. He also sold coal. In 1892 he made a 21 years lease with A C Norman for the house and shop at a yearly rent of £71. 20th centuryThe total value of the property was estimated at £1150 in 1910. The house was described as a ‘very old timber brick and slated shop and premises. Small, inconvenient, containing on 1st floor 3 bedrooms no bath or WC. Ground floor small shop, kitchen, parlour, scullery and store. Buildings at rear (a) 2 stall stabling and coach house (b) timber and corrugated iron hay store (c) brick built and slated etc. with loft’. In 1912 Ernest Sidney Poynter, son of the blacksmith Frederick Poynter, returned to Hayes and opened a tobacconist’s in the centre of the village. Four years later he transferred this business to the Walnut Tree where he remained for over 14 years. He was elected to the Bromley Rural District Council in 1924. He left Hayes in 1930 and was replaced by Leslie Sturgess and Harry Smalley. Peter and Eileen Sheath ran the business from 1937 and remained until the late 1960s. Bomb damage to the roof of the property in the Second World War was repaired with a very visible V for victory sign. Sadly, later improvements have removed this iconic sign. ‘V’ for Victory on the repaired roof Post war leaflet from the Walnut Tree The Sheaths bought the freehold of the property from the Rookery Estate in 1953 for £3750. None of their family wished to take over the business and therefore Stuart Lettis who had worked with them since he was a young boy became the next shopkeeper. The final owners from 1984 – 2003 were Mr and Mrs Dunsmore. Closure of shop and conversion to a dwelling house The house and the various outbuildings were sold for residential development. The shop fittings in the Walnut Tree were removed, the rooms modernised and a conservatory added. It was bought by Simon and Sarah Butler who lived there from 2006 until 2021. The shop converted into a house (S Butler) The Conservatory (S Butler)