Bromley
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Coordinates: 51°24′25″N 0°01′16″E / 51.4070°N 0.0210°E
| Bromley | |
  Bromley shown within Greater London |
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| Population | 14,499 (Bromley Town ward, 2001 census)[1] |
|---|---|
| OS grid reference | |
| London borough | Bromley |
| Ceremonial county | Greater London |
| Region | London |
| Constituent country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | BROMLEY |
| Postcode district | BR1 |
| Dialling code | 020 |
| Police | Metropolitan |
| Fire | London |
| Ambulance | London |
| European Parliament | London |
| UK Parliament | Bromley & Chislehurst |
| London Assembly | Bexley and Bromley |
| List of places: UK • England • London | |
Bromley is the administrative centre of the London Borough of Bromley. It is 9.3 miles (15.0 km) south east of Charing Cross. The origin of the town's name is from Old English brōme-hlǣwe, or "broom hill", as supported by records of the name as Bramelewe in 1272. Other places with this name are from Old English brōme-leah meaning 'broom clearing' or wood clearing. Bromley was historically in the county of Kent before the creation of Greater London in 1965.
The Prime Meridian crosses Bromley.
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[edit] About the town
The history of Bromley is closely connected with the See of Rochester. In AD 862 Ethelbert, the King of Kent, granted land to form the Manor of Bromley. It was held by the Bishops of Rochester until 1845, where Coles Child, a wealthy local merchant and Philanthropist, purchased Bromley Palace (now the hub of the Bromley Civic Centre) and himself became Lord of the Manor.
The Town was an important Coaching stop on the way to Hastings from London, and the now defunct Royal Bell Hotel (just off Market Square) is referred to in Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice. It was a quiet rural village until the arrival of the railway in 1858 in Shortlands, which led to rapid growth and construction of outlying suburban districts such as Bickley, (which later overflowed into Bromley Common) were developed to accommodate those wishing to live so conveniently close to London. [2]
The historic heart of the town is Market Square which sits at the junction of the High Street and Church Road. The Parish Church of St Peter and St Paul stands on Church Road. It was largely destroyed by enemy action and rebuilt in the 1950s encorporating the medieval tower and reusing much of the flint and fragments of the original stone building.
The most noteworthy historic building is Bromley College, London Road. The mature and very well maintained central public open spaces are noteworthy - Queen's Gardens, Martin's Hill, Church House Gardens, Library Gardens and College Green.
The town has a large shopping and retail area including a pedestrianised High Street and The Glades shopping centre. Bromley is one of the major metropolitan centres identified in the London Plan. Bromley's main retail rival is Croydon, to the west. Bromley is represented by Conservative MP Bob Neill
There are two railway stations providing connections to the Central London. Bromley South is on the Chatham main line and is served by fast and local services to Victoria,Blackfriars and limited services to St Pancras. Bromley North is at the southern end of a short branch line from Grove Park which has connections to London Bridge, Cannon Street and London Charing Cross stations.
The town's football club Bromley F.C. is in the Conference South, which is the highest level of regionalised football in England, two divisions below the Football League.
Empire Cinemas own a 4-screen site in Bromley, with screen 1 being its biggest with a capacity of 392. Screens 2 and 3 have disabled access. Bromley has a number of theatres; the most notable being the Churchill Theatre in the town centre and the Bromley Little Theatre close to Bromley North railway station. Recently, on November 19 the Bromley Empire Cinema and Churchill Theatre worked in conjunction to celebrate Steve Guttenberg being in the 2008 Pantomime of Cinderella. There was a special digital screening of Police Academy (film) which was introduced by Steve Guttenberg himself with a Question and Answer session just before the film.[3]
Bromley has numerous schools, and is home to Bromley College of Further & Higher Education.
[edit] Notable Residents
H. G. Wells, most famous for his novel, The War of the Worlds, was born in Bromley in 1866.[4] In August 2005, the wall honouring H.G. Wells in Market Square was repainted. The current wall painting features a rich green background with the same H.G. Wells reference and the evolution sequence of homosapiens featured on Origin of Species by Charles Darwin, a former resident of nearby Downe Village.[5]
Other famous people who lived in Bromley include David Bowie, Peter Frampton, Aleister Crowley, cricketer Jill Cruwys[6], the Anarchist Peter Kropotkin[7], the former Clash drummer Topper Headon, actor Michael York who attended Bromley Grammar School for Boys[8], clarinetist Chris Craker , and Sir Thomas James Harper, an officer decorated in the Crimean war. In the 20th century, the Parish Church of St Peter and St Paul produced, in quick succession, three Church Of England Bishops: Henry David Halsey - Bishop of Carlisle, Philip Goodrich - Bishop of Worcester, and David Bartleet - Bishop of Tonbridge.
[edit] Nearest places
[edit] References
- ^ 2001 Census information for the Bromley Town ward "Bromley Town ward population - 15078"
- ^ "Bromley" (in English) (html). Mick Scott, Nonsuch Publishing. 2005. http://www.britishlocalhistory.co.uk/Default.aspx?tabid=8770&ProductID=6225.
- ^ http://www.thisislocallondon.co.uk/search/3840521.Steve_Guttenberg_back_on_the_big_screen_in_Bromley/
- ^ HG Wells. www.online-literature.com. http://www.online-literature.com/wellshg/.
- ^ Darwin. www.bromley.gov.uk. http://www.bromley.gov.uk/news/newsarchive2005/oct2005/Darwin+comes+to+Market+Square.htm.
- ^ "Jill Cruwys" (in English) (html). Cricinfo. http://content.cricinfo.com/ci/content/player/53754.html.
- ^ "Peter Kropotkin" (in English) (html). Bromley Council. http://www.bromley.gov.uk/environment/conservation_urban_design/blueplaques/prince_pyotr_(1842-1921).htm.
- ^ "Micahel York" (in English) (html). When We Were Kids. http://www.wwwk.co.uk/people/actors/profiles/xyz/york-michael.htm.
[edit] External links
- London Borough of Bromley Homepage
- Bromley FC Official Website
- Bromley Neighbourhood Watch Association website (BromleyNWA.org.uk)
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