Post War 1946 to Today

Post War Hayes In the immediate aftermath of the war, the main task was to remember the fallen, rebuild damaged houses and energise the community. Remembering the dead The task of organising the inscription of the names of the Hayes civilian and service casualties on the War Memorial was begun and completed in 1950. It […]

The Second World War

World War II 1939-1945 The fear was growing that Britain would again be involved in a war. As early as 1935 the Government had sent a circular to county councils setting out the need for local authorities to form a Civil Defence organisation. Bromley Borough Council began to implement plans as part of the London […]

The 1920s and 1930s

The inter-war years were a period that witnessed the increase in the population of Hayes to around 6,500 in 1939. It was the result of an almost tenfold increase in the number of houses from 222 in 1921 to approximately 2,150 in 1939. These changes were caused by the decision of many property owners to […]

1901 to 1921

Situated opposite the church Hayes Place remained at the centre of the village. Its owner Everard Hambro maintained his friendship with King Edward VII and in 1908 was made a Knight Commander of the Victorian Order. He supported the church, paying for the recasting of the three oldest bells in 1900 to complement the three […]

Victorian 1837 to 1901

The last quarter of the nineteenth century witnessed major changes in the village of Hayes but life throughout the century was affected by the developments occurring elsewhere in the country. The gap between rich and poor was marked and there were periods of unrest. There was still no mains drainage but Hayes Place was one […]

Georgian 1714 to 1837

The most significant arrival in Hayes in Georgian times was William Pitt the Elder who moved to Hayes Place after his marriage to Hester Grenville in November 1754.  Five children were born between 1755 and 1761 including his second son William, born in 1759, who like his father was to become a Prime Minister. He […]

Stuart 1603 to 1714

By the end of the Stuart period, the development of Asshleys had changed the social structure in Hayes. There were now three important houses and gradually Baston and Pickhurst Manors would become less significant. New houses like Benebroke in 1639 and Homefield were constructed although Mr Bradgate’s ‘very good house’ was demolished. The 1664 Hearth […]

Tudor 1485 to 1603

Within the village, there were few changes in the number of houses until towards the end of Queen Elizabeth I’s reign. The population may have increased slightly but price rises, poor harvests and outbreaks of plague or ‘sweating sickness’ made life hard for the villagers. The number of beggars or wanderers seeking help increased. More […]

Medieval to 1485AD

More written records are available in the medieval period and they reveal that Hayes developed as a small community. Both churches, manorial and legal records help us to find out about the early village. In 1301 a tax roll provides the names of 26 householders who had sufficient goods to be rated and it is […]

Prehistoric to Saxon

Palaeolithic (to 8,000BC) The remains of reindeer, mammoth, woolly rhinoceros, horse, hand axes and flints were discovered in the 1880s in a deep pit in Hayes. It was located close to Tiepigs Lane and was a source for extracting gravel for use on roads and during the construction of the railway to Hayes which opened […]