M25 Beggars Lane

Post to the north Brasted
Post to the south Valence House
Post to the east Brasted
Post to the west Westerham London Road

Beggars Lane
There appear to be two Beggar’s Lanes, one either side of the M25. The northern one is a farm track which runs the London Road at Force Green eastwards, turns south and runs under the motorway to end at Charman’s Farm and a junction with its namesake.

Beggars Lane
This is an A road which runs south of the motorway from London Road, running eastwards, turning at Charman’s Farm, to the south and the Brasted Road. It acts as a bypass to eastern Westerham an alternative route to the difficult entrance in the town to London Road. It appears to date from the same time as the motorway was built.
Charmans Farm. The farm is noted in 1540 as having been in the possession of Sir John Gresham. The Farmhouse appears as an 18th building which masks a 16th or earlier timber framed structure. There are two round kiln oast house. One brick built and one ragstone built kiln. Converted to offices.
Westerham Brewery. This is set up in a former sawmill on the farm site. It produces sparkling wine and craft beer. A barn on the site is a craft shop managed by the Squerryes Estate to sell wine, beer and farm products. Brewers spent grant feed the fairy herd at Squerries and Squerries grows grapes for the winery on their estate land.
Pond – there is a pond to the south of the motorway at the point at which the lane turns south, and this is understood to be a balancing pond for the motorway. Another pond to the east and north of the farm is marked as ‘weir’ and ‘sluice’ on maps and as ‘spring’ on older maps.


Force Green Lane
Force Green Farm Cottages

Holywell Shaw. Woodland from which a track leads to the Pilgrims Way

M25
The motorway finally deviates from the line of the railway west of Charman’s farm.

Railway
The railway continued westwards to access Westerham Station.  The motorway covers its route until at a spot part way along what is now Beggars Lane, the railway line deviated south westwards on its way to access Westerham Station

Sources
British Listed Buildings. Web site
Disused Stations. Web site
SABRE. Web site
Westerham Brewery, Web site

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