Bromley is a borough of London, situated in the south east of Greater London. Much of the borough was historically in the county of Kent, as is reflected by the presence of Kent County Cricket Club's second XI in Beckenham, and the fact that the postal county of Kent is sometimes still used for traditional reasons for much of the borough (though postal counties are no longer required in UK postal addresses). The London Borough of Bromley was created in 1965 by the London Government Act 1963.
The borough is the largest in London by area and occupies 59 square miles (153 km2), of which the majority is green belt land. Most of the settlement is in the north and west of the borough, with an outlier at Biggin Hill in the far south. The borough shares borders with Lewisham, Greenwich and Bexley to the north, Southwark and Lambeth to the north west, Croydon to the west; and the counties of Surrey to the south and Kent to the south and east. Westerham Heights, the highest point in London is located on the southern boundary.
Get In
By car
The M25 sits on the southern edge of the borough. Junction 4 (Bromley/Orpington) quickly connects with the A21, though for Chislehurst and areas it may be quicker to use Junction 3. The A21 is the main London to Hastings and it runs through the borough before heading south to Sevenoaks and Tonbridge.
By train
The borough has 27 railway stations which cover much of the area and are served by three Central London stations; London Victoria, London Blackfriars and London Bridge (and, by extension, Cannon Street, Waterloo East and Charing Cross). The main transport hub in the borough is Bromley South, with regular fast trains to London Victoria and a network of buses that stop outside the station and go to all parts of the borough. Orpington is the major station for the east of the borough.
By air
Biggin Hill Airport is a former RAF airfield from which the Battle of Britain was coordinated and serves private jets. While the runway is usable by aircraft up to Boeing 737/Airbus A320 size, it is prohibited for airline operators to sell tickets for flights in and out of the airport, thus there are no scheduled or holiday charter flights from the airport. However, there is still a surprisingly large number of business flights.
Get around
By bus
Transport for London (TFL) manages bus services in Bromley and these are operated by Selkent and Metrobus.
See
Chislehurst Caves. ld Hill, Chislehurst, BR7 5NL. 44 (0)20 8467 3264. ttp://www.chislehurstcaves.co.uk/. 0am - 4pm, Wed-Sun. Open 7 days during school holidays. _5 adults, __3 concessions, under 5's free. nquiries@chislehurstcaves.co.uk. The caves are not in fact caves but a twenty-mile long network of passageways, carved from the chalk deep under Chislehurst over a period of 8,000 years. Used as a massive air-raid shelter during World War II, the Caves are now a local tourist attraction.
Crofton Roman Villa. rofton Roman Villa, Crofton Road, Orpington, BR6 8AF. 44 (0)20 8460 1442. ttp://www.bromley.gov.uk/leisure/museums/croftonvilla/. pr to Oct, Bank Holidays, Wed & Fri 10am-1pm & 2pm-5pm, Sun 2pm-5pm. _1 adults, 70p children. roftonromanvilla@btinternet.com. Crofton Roman Villa is the only villa open to the public in Greater London. It was inhabited from about AD 140 to 400 and was the centre of a large farming estate. Today you can see the remains of 10 rooms protected inside a public viewing building. Remains include tiled (tessellated) floors and the under-floor heating system (hypocaust).
Down House. uxted Road, Downe, BR6 7JT. 44 (0)1689 859119. ttp://www.english-heritage.org.uk/server/show/nav.14922. eb to mid-Dec, 11am-4pm, Wed-Sun. Additional hours in spring and summer.. _8.80 adults, __4.40 children, free to English Heritage members. It was at Down House that Charles Darwin worked on his scientific theories, and wrote _eOn the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection_f - the book which both scandalised and revolutionised the Victorian world when it was published in 1859. Built in the early 18th century, the house remains much as it was when Darwin lived here. The rooms on the ground floor have been furnished to reflect the domestic life of the family and the first floor offers an interactive exhibition on his life, his research and his discoveries. English Heritage has restored the gardens to their appearance in Darwin's time.
Do
The Churchill Theatre offers a range of theatrical performances, including touring productions, performances by (very good) local amateur groups, and pantomime during the Christmas and New Year period (usually starring somebody who used to be in Neighbours).
Buy
Each of the towns and villages in the borough has its own distinct high street but Bromley High Street remains the main shopping centre and runs the length of the town. The northern section is mainly comprised of a cinema, specialist shops and restaurants. As the high street gets to the Market Square, there are a number of pubs. The central section of the High Street, between Market Square and Elmfield Road, is pedestrianised. The Glades shopping mall runs parallel to the east side of the High Street and, as a result, the bulk of the better-known stores are in this area. There is also a farmer's market at weekends. The Southern section, which runs down to Bromley South Station, also has its own shopping mall, The Mall. However, due to the lack of pedestrianisation, it does not get as many shoppers.
Bromley Charter Market runs on a Thursday in a car park behind Bromley North Station.
Eat
The Crown. 6 Plaistow Lane Sundridge Park Bromley BR1 3PA. 20 8466 1313. ttp://www.thecrownbromley.co.uk. Recently opened, this is a stylish yet affordable gastropub minutes from Bromley High Street.
Drink
Borough-wide, Bromley's town centre drinking establishments are generally the sort of generic chain fayre you'd find anywhere. However, away from the centres, there are good pubs, many in the traditional vein.
'''Sundridge Park''', a small neighbourhood just the the north of Bromley, has retained some well-liked, traditional pubs.
The Anglesey Arms. 0 Palace Rd, Sundridge Park, Bromley, BR1 3JX. Traditional feel, friendly staff and good ale, albeit a bit on the pricey side. Shepherd Naeme pub.
The Prince Frederick. 1 Nichol Lane, Sundridge Park, Bromley, BR1 4DE. "The Fred" is allegedly the only pub named after George II's son, "Poor Fred", Prince of Wales. It has managed to retain its traditional feel by maintaining seperate saloon and lounge bars. A good choice of ales and lagers but no food. Greene King pub.
The Red Lion. 0 North Road, Sundridge Park, Bromley, BR1 3LG. Some christen this "the best pub in Bromley". A friendly atmosphere, good quality ales and decent, affordable pub food make this an excllent choice. Greene King pub.
Sleep
Contact
Get Out