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Chislehurst Tourist Guide
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Christ Church

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St Nicholas

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Chislehurst caves

Area Guides: Chislehurst


Details: Chislehurst is an Anglo Saxon place name. The first part, chisel or chesil, indicates a stony place; the second part, hurst, suggests woodland. So Chislehurst literally means a stony wood, and this can still be confirmed by taking a walk across the common and amongst the trees. The original parish was very large, and included in its north-east quarter a considerable fraction of what is now Sidcup, and to the south a correspondingly large part of the area now known as Petts Wood.

Chislehurst and Scadbury might have been no more than what their descriptions suggested; useful areas of woodland as part of Dartford Royal Manorial property. At that time there may have been little more than farmsteads on the more fertile lands within the area, including perhaps the Kyd valley, leaving the dry and unproductive Commons for rough pasture and wasteland. Not until 1089 is the Church of St Nicholas first mentioned, by which time there was presumably, enough settlement in the area to merit the creation of a church and a parish.

There were three manors within the ancient parish: Chislehurst, Kemnal and Scadbury. Chislehurst Manor is first mentioned in a Latin Charter of AD 973 as being on the King's boundary. Apart from Chislehurst, other places mentioned around the boundary are Crofton, [West] Wickham, Beckenham, Bellingham and Mottingham. In 1611, Thomas Walsingham IV, Lord of the Manor of Scadbury, purchased Dartford Manor and promptly sold most of it, but retained Chislehurst, and thus became Lord of both Scadbury and Chislehurst Manors.

'The Manor House' in Chislehurst is an example of Victorian prestige naming of a genuinely old timber framed house, and although there was a bailiff's house at Kemnal, it was also not a true manor house; a late Victorian house built there was named 'Kemnal Manor' by its owner. This has gone, but Foxbury, built nearby for Henry Tiarks in 1875, remains as one of many splendid Victorian houses to be seen in Chislehurst.

From medieval times Chislehurst was a royal manor, which was held for many years by the Walsingham family. The village soon became a popular location with Londoners looking for property in the country, it being high and well drained but little in demand for agriculture. The arrival of the railway in 1865 had little immediate impact, as the station was remote from the traditional centres of population at Prickend (now the High Street) and around the church, but the arrival of the exiled Emperor Napoleon at Camden Place in 1870 added to Chislehurst's standing and the area around the common soon became fashionable with city workers and businessmen. Larger properties were also developed in the more remote parts of the parish.

This growth lasted well into the twentieth century, with substantial housing estates being constructed on farmland to the north of the High Street before and after the Second World War. In 1886 and 1888, thanks to more vigorous local action, Acts of Parliament were passed to secure the Commons against encroachment and damage. Later, in the 1920s, again thanks to spirited public support, the first steps were taken to secure from development the ancient woodland known as Petts Wood. Later still, in the 1950s, the neighbouring Hawkwood estate was also secured and both properties are now managed by the National Trust. Together with the Commons and Scadbury Park, they form a wide green wedge between Chislehurst, of which they are a part, and the urban area of Orpington to the south.

Camden Place (now Chislehurst Golf Club) is where the French Emperor Napoleon III died in exile in 1873. His body, and that of the Prince Imperial, were buried originally in St Mary's Church, before they were removed to Farnborough Abbey. There is a memorial to Napoléon Eugène in the woods, and the area's connections with the imperial family are found in many road names and the local telephone code, 467 in its earlier format, corresponded to the letters IMP (for imperial). Camden Place is open for guided tours only: Saturday 10.00am and 11.00am. Sunday 10.00am and 11.00am. Please note dress code: No trainers or jeans or T-shirts please.

A local attraction is Chislehurst Caves. The caves are thought to be of very ancient origin. They were formerly used to mine flint and chalk. During World War II, thousands of people used them each night as an air raid shelter. There is even a chapel. One child was born in the caves during World War II, and her name was 'Cavina'. The caves have also been used as a venue for live music; Jimi Hendrix, The Who and The Rolling Stones have all played there. The caves are allegedly haunted, and Druids are said to have made grisly human sacrifices in their depths. A number of television programmes and films, including episodes of Doctor Who, have been filmed there. Tours are available most days, and on Sundays there is an especially extended tour, lasting around one and a half hours.

Scadbury Park in Scadbury Manor lies on the eastern edge of Chislehurst, at the top of a slope overlooking the valley of the River Cray. Its name is Anglo Saxon and could mean a shady hill, which is how it would have been seen from the Cray valley. The words that make up the name, Scead and burgh, can be interpreted in several ways. Archaeological investigations seem to show that Scadbury was settled sometime in the first half of the thirteenth century. The earliest records of Scadbury date from the 13th century when it was owned by the de Scathebury family. It was home to the Walsinghams from 1424 until about 1655. Sir Edmund Walsingham became Lieutenant of the Tower of London and had charge of many of the prisoners of King Henry VIII, including Sir Thomas More and Anne Boleyn. Sir Francis Walsingham, Secretary of State under Queen Elizabeth I, was born here. Thomas Walsingham IV was the patron of the poet and playwright Christopher Marlowe, who was arrested at Scadbury shortly before his unexplained death in 1593. Later owners of Scadbury included Thomas Townshend, 1st Viscount Sydney. Sydney in Australia is named after him. Scadbury was purchased by the London Borough of Bromley in 1983 and opened to the public as a Local Nature Reserve in 1985. A circular trail through the woodland and meadows is popular with walkers and joggers. Scadbury Park can be reached without difficulty using public transport and there is a car park at the Old Perry Street entrance.

Babington House School in Grange Drive is a Victorian Jacobean house dating from 1876. It is the former home of the Bilbrough family. Much recent careful restoration has been done.

St Nicholas’ Church in Manor Park Road is a medieval Parish Church, with tower and broach spire. South aisle was built in 1849. Scadbury Chapel has a finely carved screen, circa 1460. Here you will find the Walsingham Tomb and many memorial tablets.

Restaurants
Bengal Lancer, 15 Royal Parade 020 8467 7088
Denny's Lobster & Oyster Seafood Restaurant, 3 Station Approach 020 8467 5612
Due Amici, 11 Royal Parade 020 8467 4496
Foxes Brasserie, 43 High St 020 8467 2094
Frogpool Manor Tea Rooms, Within Frogpool Manor House, Perry St 020 8300 0634
Istanbul Restaurant, 14 Belmont Parade, Green Lane 020 8402 0240
Jim Thompson's, 19 High St 020 8285 0000
Royal Indian Cuisine, 3-4 Royal Parade 020 8467 5448
Shaon Restaurant, 109 High St 020 8295 2277
Tapas One, 7a High St 020 8467 9909
Tigers Head, Watts Lane 020 8467 3070
Wok Inn Chinese Takeaway, 1 Station Approach 020 8467 2676

Farmers' and Arts and Crafts Market
119/121 High Street, Beckenham. Mon-Sat 9.00am-6.00pm. Disabled access 020 8658 1563

Railway
Chislehurst Station is at South East House in Station Approach.
South Eastern Trains 14 - London Charing Cross to Sevenoaks via Orpington.
South Eastern Trains 17 - London Cannon Street to Sevenoaks via Orpington.

Taxis
Ladybird, 12 Cromlix Cl. 020 8295 0101
Access Car Hire, The Carriage House, Station Approach 020 8467 0467
Burlington Cars, Railway Station, Station Approach 020 82954411
Carriages Executive Chauffeur Drive, 81 Victoria Road 020 84671111

Banks
HSBC Bank plc, 1 High St 0845-740 4404
Abbey, 63 High St 0845-765 4321
Britannia Building Society, Hollington Court, 3 High St 020 8467 2233

Doctors
Chislehurst Surgery, Doctors Surgery/42 High St 0844-477 8989
The Woodlands Practice, 11 Red Hill 020 8468 7779

Dentists
Signature Dental, 5a Hollington Ct/High St 020 8467 1000
Oakmead Dental Care, Prince Imperial Rd 020 8467 5139
Chislehurst Dental Care, 8 Walden Pde/Walden Rd 020 8467 8666

Hospitals
Chelsfield Park Hospital, Bucks Cross Road , Orpington 01689 877855
Princess Royal University Hospital, Farnborough Hospital, Farnborough Common, Orpington 01689 863000

Click here to view accommodation in the Chislehurst area

Disclaimer: The information in this Tourist Guide has been researched from a variety of sources including books, articles and online information. While every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the information the reader should check any specific facts for themselves before making any decisions based upon the said information.



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Another Kent Tourist Guide listing created by Let's Stay Kent.
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