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Showing posts from April, 2017

Greatness - Bat and Ball

Post to the north Greatness Allotment Lane Sevenoaks Allotment Holders Association . They manage a large site with 220 plots Bat and Ball Road This is a modern road built from the Bat and Ball junction to the station and continuing north in the gap which was once formed between the main line and the sidings to goods sheds. Bat and Ball Station. The station dates from 1862 and now lies between Sevenoaks and Otford on South Eastern Trains. It was built by the London Chatham and Dover Railway and opened as ‘Sevenoaks Bat & Ball’. In 1950 it was renamed ‘Bat & Ball’. There is a station building, Station Master’s House and waiting room. It was originally the terminus of the Sevenoaks branch line from Swanley to Sevenoaks. The name derives from the Bat & Ball Inn, which no longer exists but which stood some distance away at the junction of Seal and Otford roads. A turntable stood south of the station on a site west of Chatham Hill Road. Sevenoaks Junction. This stood

Baron's Court - West Kensington

Post to the west Central Hammersmith Post to the east Earls Court Addison Bridge Place This was originally called Portland Place 1 Now a shoe shop this was the Olympia Motor Mart in 1911. 3 there is a fire insurance plaque on the side of the house facing the road. It says ‘1790/1810’ 4 Blue Plaque to Harold Laski, 1893-1950 'teacher and political philosopher, lived here 1926-1950'. He was a leading light in the Labour Party becoming Chairman of the party in 1945. W S Gilbert also lived there for a while. There is also an old metal bollard on the pavement outside 6 Blue Plaque to Samuel Taylor Coleridge. This was erected in 1950 by the London County Council and says it is to the ‘poet and philosopher 1772-1834’ who stayed there with the Morgan family. 9 Cast iron bollard, with bead decoration to head. This is on the pavement outside Rowley Cottages. These are behind 6-9 and are in brick dated to about 1870. Exhibition House. This is a new office building constructed

Barnes Common

Post to the west Barnes Common Post to the north Barnes Poist to the east Putney Boathouses Barnes Common Barnes Common . This is common land - one of the largest such areas in London , It has been owned by the Dean and Chapter of St Paul’s Cathedral since 925 and today they act through the Church Commissioners, while the Common is managed by the London Borough of Richmond. There is also a local Friends of Barnes Common organisation.  Sometimes called 'The Waste' it has been common land for over than a thousand years and was traditionally used for rough grazing and providing 'furze' which Commoners could cut for firewood. The boundary was fixed in the 1590’s following disputes with Putney residents over grazing rights. There have been enclosures of common land over the centuries – that at Mill Hill, and more for the workhouse in 1778, and later for the Barnes Old Cemetery. It is now bisected by the railway, as well as by several road Nature Reserve . The Commo

Barnehurst

Barnehurst Road The Red Barn . This red brick pub of 1936 is the home of British jazz. It provided the inspiration for the British postwar revival of New Orleans jazz.  This was largely due to the enthusiasm of pianist George Webb considered by many as the father of the traditional jazz movement in Britain. Aided by Owen Bryce, George Webb's Dixielanders, played regularly here from the early 1940s. Among the musicians who played with them were Humphrey Lyttelton and Wally Fawkes the clarinettist and cartoonist. This is commemorated by a plaque unveiled in 1985 which is on an outside balcony overlooking the garden. Bexley Road 322 The Duke. This was once called the Duke of Northumberland. Colyers Lane Woodside School. This is a special needs school set up in 2012 on what had been the site of Colyers Primary School. Colyers’ Lane Clay Pit. Small pit worked by Furner. Hornbeam Lane Car Park. This is on the old station goods area. The goods yard had been extended in 1932. si

Penge - Beckenham

Post to the west Anerley Post to the south Birkbeck Post to the east Beckenham Arrol Road Allotments . These are on the site of the Crystal Palace Brickworks, extant in the 1870s Ash Grove Houses on the south east side of the road were called Boundary Terrace in the 1870s when this was the Parliamentary Boundary for the Camberwell Constituency. Avenue Road 3 Cator Masonic hall. Founded 1922 Pool River. The River crosses the road slightly to the north of the Ravenscroft Road junction. It is completely underground but one end of an old bridge exists between nose 68 and 66, 86-90 Aldous and Stamp, water treatment engineers. Plus Aldous Court, housing. In 1910 this was a Fire Station for this part of Beckenham Avenue Baptist Church. The building was extant in the 1870s shown as a mission hall. The Baptist Church is still extant here. 127-129 Dixon Glass. Dealer in laboratory glass. Avenue Road tram stop. This opened in 1998 between Beckenham Road and Birkbeck on Croydo

Ashtead

Post to the north Ashtead Post to the west Lower Ashtead Barnett Wood Lane Ashtead Recreation Ground. This is the only public recreation ground in Ashtead and is surrounded by houses. It is an area of open amenity grassland with two full size football pitches, skate park, Multi Use Games Area, tennis courts, pavilions and a play area. There is a wind-up shelter with Bluetooth that allows users to play music from their phones through speakers in the roof. Ashstead Football Club .  This dates from 1898 when they played on the cricket club ground. They now play on a variety of pitches including Ashtead Recreation Ground. Village Pond Cradddocks Avenue The parade of shops on the south corner of the road are on the site of Woodfield Farm with the farmhouse on the site of the garage.  The farmer was John Craddock.  This was the last working farm in Ashtead surviving into the 1920s. Dene Road St.Giles Church of England Infants School. This church school dates from 1852  when i