West Wickham
Encyclopedia
West Wickham is a place in the London Borough of Bromley
, England
. It is 10.3 miles (16.6 km) south east of Charing Cross
. West Wickham history dates back to early settlements existing since 1068, although the name `Wickham` is an indication of an earlier Anglo-Saxon
settlement. The town also lies on the line of a Roman road
, the London to Lewes Way
.
The Prime Meridian
passes through West Wickham.
with the following entry "In lordship 2 ploughs. 24 villagers have 4 ploughs. 13 salves; a church; a mill at 20d.; a wood at 10 pigs. Value before 1066 8; later 6: now 13. Godric son of Karl held it from King Edward".
In Tudor times, the Manor House Wickham Court was expanded by the Anne Boleyn
family and the area was popular for deer hunting. The Grade II [Listed]] building , was built by Sir Henry Heydon in 1469.
His wife was Anne, a daughter of Sir Geoffrey Sullen, who was mayor of London in 1469. She was the great-aunt of the famous Anne Bullen or Boleyn.
The house was later sold to the Lennard family in 1580. In 1935, it was sold and adapted for use as an hotel. After World War II, it was sold to the Daughters of Mary and Joseph. An American order of Nuns.
Currently, it is known as Coloma College (a teacher training college) run by the Daughters of Mary and Joseph, a community of religious sisters.
Until the 1900s West Wickham remained a small village. The inter-war period saw rapid development and transformation into a suburb, facilitated by the arrival of the railway (which had opened in 1882).
Modern day West Wickham is a suburb of Greater London
, after the London Government Act 1963
, which came into effect in 1965, with West Wickham absorbed into the London Borough of Bromley. Like many suburb
s of Greater London the area consists of local retail outlets, pubs, restaurants and primarily 1930's housing.
It also hosted a plaque containing the original bark of Stock Tree (a tree so called as it was behind the village stocks
) that once stood opposite 'The Swan' which was cut down owing to the requirement to build a new road. The plaque and bark now reside at West Wickham Library, on the High Street.
West Wickham is also home to Beccehamians RFC
a Rugby Union
Club founded in 1933 which plays competitive rugby in London South East 4 at Sparrows Den at the bottom of Corkscrew Hill. Other clubs nearby include Croydon RFC
(formerly Shirley Wanderers), a club that currently competes in Surrey 1, that has a rugby pitch used often for county matches.
There are several parks, West Wickham playing fields (McAndrews), Wickham Park and Blakes Recreation ground.
All Saints Catholic School was a Catholic
secondary school
located on Layhams Road, West Wickham, London Borough of Bromley
which closed in 2007. Formerly known as 'St. John Rigby Catholic College', its name was changed in 2004 as a rebranding because of falling pupil numbers and substantial debts following the conviction of former headmistress Colleen McCabe
in 2003.
McCabe was convicted of stealing around £500,000 from her school over a period from 1994 to 1999, which she spent lavishly both on herself and on gifts for her friends. The story was the subject of the 2006 BBC
docudrama
, The Thieving Headmistress Money was diverted away from the school's budget resulting in the children being without books in a dirty unheated school.
is a private school on the Beckenham Road, founded in 1926. It educates boys and girls between 4 – 11 years old.
119, 194
, and 352.
and A214
pass through the area.
, with 17 Braemar Gardens taking the starring role as a family lived a World War II
experience in a typical London
suburb. It was also mentioned in an episode of New Tricks when the team have arranged to meet a pathologist and DAC Strickland tells them 'his lab is in West Wickham'.
London Borough of Bromley
The London Borough of Bromley is a London borough of south east London, England and forms part of Outer London. The principal town in the borough is Bromley.-Geography:...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. It is 10.3 miles (16.6 km) south east of Charing Cross
Charing Cross
Charing Cross denotes the junction of Strand, Whitehall and Cockspur Street, just south of Trafalgar Square in central London, England. It is named after the now demolished Eleanor cross that stood there, in what was once the hamlet of Charing. The site of the cross is now occupied by an equestrian...
. West Wickham history dates back to early settlements existing since 1068, although the name `Wickham` is an indication of an earlier Anglo-Saxon
Anglo-Saxon
Anglo-Saxon may refer to:* Anglo-Saxons, a group that invaded Britain** Old English, their language** Anglo-Saxon England, their history, one of various ships* White Anglo-Saxon Protestant, an ethnicity* Anglo-Saxon economy, modern macroeconomic term...
settlement. The town also lies on the line of a Roman road
Roman roads in Britain
Roman roads, together with Roman aqueducts and the vast standing Roman army , constituted the three most impressive features of the Roman Empire. In Britain, as in other provinces, the Romans constructed a comprehensive network of paved trunk roads Roman roads, together with Roman aqueducts and the...
, the London to Lewes Way
London to Lewes Way (Roman road)
The London to Lewes Way is a long Roman road between Watling Street at Peckham and Lewes in Sussex. The road passes through Beckenham and West Wickham, then crosses the North Downs above Titsey, on the county boundary between Surrey and Kent, and is overlain by Edenbridge High Street.The road...
.
The Prime Meridian
Prime Meridian
The Prime Meridian is the meridian at which the longitude is defined to be 0°.The Prime Meridian and its opposite the 180th meridian , which the International Date Line generally follows, form a great circle that divides the Earth into the Eastern and Western Hemispheres.An international...
passes through West Wickham.
About the town
West Wickham was mentioned in the Domesday bookDomesday Book
Domesday Book , now held at The National Archives, Kew, Richmond upon Thames in South West London, is the record of the great survey of much of England and parts of Wales completed in 1086...
with the following entry "In lordship 2 ploughs. 24 villagers have 4 ploughs. 13 salves; a church; a mill at 20d.; a wood at 10 pigs. Value before 1066 8; later 6: now 13. Godric son of Karl held it from King Edward".
In Tudor times, the Manor House Wickham Court was expanded by the Anne Boleyn
Anne Boleyn
Anne Boleyn ;c.1501/1507 – 19 May 1536) was Queen of England from 1533 to 1536 as the second wife of Henry VIII of England and Marquess of Pembroke in her own right. Henry's marriage to Anne, and her subsequent execution, made her a key figure in the political and religious upheaval that was the...
family and the area was popular for deer hunting. The Grade II [Listed]] building , was built by Sir Henry Heydon in 1469.
His wife was Anne, a daughter of Sir Geoffrey Sullen, who was mayor of London in 1469. She was the great-aunt of the famous Anne Bullen or Boleyn.
The house was later sold to the Lennard family in 1580. In 1935, it was sold and adapted for use as an hotel. After World War II, it was sold to the Daughters of Mary and Joseph. An American order of Nuns.
Currently, it is known as Coloma College (a teacher training college) run by the Daughters of Mary and Joseph, a community of religious sisters.
Until the 1900s West Wickham remained a small village. The inter-war period saw rapid development and transformation into a suburb, facilitated by the arrival of the railway (which had opened in 1882).
Modern day West Wickham is a suburb of Greater London
Greater London
Greater London is the top-level administrative division of England covering London. It was created in 1965 and spans the City of London, including Middle Temple and Inner Temple, and the 32 London boroughs. This territory is coterminate with the London Government Office Region and the London...
, after the London Government Act 1963
London Government Act 1963
The London Government Act 1963 is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, which recognised officially the conurbation known as Greater London and created a new local government structure for the capital. The Act significantly reduced the number of local government districts in the area,...
, which came into effect in 1965, with West Wickham absorbed into the London Borough of Bromley. Like many suburb
Suburb
The word suburb mostly refers to a residential area, either existing as part of a city or as a separate residential community within commuting distance of a city . Some suburbs have a degree of administrative autonomy, and most have lower population density than inner city neighborhoods...
s of Greater London the area consists of local retail outlets, pubs, restaurants and primarily 1930's housing.
It also hosted a plaque containing the original bark of Stock Tree (a tree so called as it was behind the village stocks
Stocks
Stocks are devices used in the medieval and colonial American times as a form of physical punishment involving public humiliation. The stocks partially immobilized its victims and they were often exposed in a public place such as the site of a market to the scorn of those who passed by...
) that once stood opposite 'The Swan' which was cut down owing to the requirement to build a new road. The plaque and bark now reside at West Wickham Library, on the High Street.
West Wickham is also home to Beccehamians RFC
Beccehamians RFC
Beccehamian Rugby Football Club is a rugby club founded in 1933 based in West Wickham in the United Kingdom. The Club is a member of the Rugby Football Union, the Kent County Rugby Football Union and the Kent Society of RFU Referees and is affiliated to Middlesex County Rugby Football...
a Rugby Union
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
Club founded in 1933 which plays competitive rugby in London South East 4 at Sparrows Den at the bottom of Corkscrew Hill. Other clubs nearby include Croydon RFC
Croydon RFC
Croydon Rugby Football Club, founded in 1956 as Shirley Wanderers RFC, and are based at Addington Road, West Wickham, in the London Borough of Croydon, South London....
(formerly Shirley Wanderers), a club that currently competes in Surrey 1, that has a rugby pitch used often for county matches.
There are several parks, West Wickham playing fields (McAndrews), Wickham Park and Blakes Recreation ground.
All Saints Catholic School was a Catholic
Catholic
The word catholic comes from the Greek phrase , meaning "on the whole," "according to the whole" or "in general", and is a combination of the Greek words meaning "about" and meaning "whole"...
secondary school
Secondary school
Secondary school is a term used to describe an educational institution where the final stage of schooling, known as secondary education and usually compulsory up to a specified age, takes place...
located on Layhams Road, West Wickham, London Borough of Bromley
London Borough of Bromley
The London Borough of Bromley is a London borough of south east London, England and forms part of Outer London. The principal town in the borough is Bromley.-Geography:...
which closed in 2007. Formerly known as 'St. John Rigby Catholic College', its name was changed in 2004 as a rebranding because of falling pupil numbers and substantial debts following the conviction of former headmistress Colleen McCabe
Colleen McCabe
Colleen McCabe is a British fraudster who spent £500,000 on herself from the budget of the school where she was the headteacher.- Early years :...
in 2003.
McCabe was convicted of stealing around £500,000 from her school over a period from 1994 to 1999, which she spent lavishly both on herself and on gifts for her friends. The story was the subject of the 2006 BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
docudrama
Docudrama
In film, television programming and staged theatre, docudrama is a documentary-style genre that features dramatized re-enactments of actual historical events. As a neologism, the term is often confused with docufiction....
, The Thieving Headmistress Money was diverted away from the school's budget resulting in the children being without books in a dirty unheated school.
Education
St David's CollegeSt David's College, West Wickham
St David's College is an independent school in West Wickham, southeast London. It was founded in 1926. Today its principal is Mrs A Wagstaff, the daughter of a previous headmaster, Dr Schove. The school is located at Justin Hall, Beckenham Road, West Wickham, BR4 0QS...
is a private school on the Beckenham Road, founded in 1926. It educates boys and girls between 4 – 11 years old.
Buses
The town is served by the London bus routesLondon Buses
London Buses is the subsidiary of Transport for London that manages bus services within Greater London, UK. Buses are required to carry similar red colour schemes and conform to the same fare scheme...
119, 194
London Buses route 194
London Buses route 194 is a Transport for London contracted bus route in London, United Kingdom. The service is currently contracted to Arriva London.-History:...
, and 352.
Road
Two A roads, the A232A232 road
The A232 is a road running east-west across South London, which connects the A24 in Ewell with the A224 Orpington bypass.Between Croydon and Ewell the road runs close to the Sutton & Mole Valley Line...
and A214
A214 road
The A214 is a part primary, part non-primary A road in London, England. It runs from Wandsworth to West Wickham. The section at Wandsworth, which is part of Trinity Road, was to be part of the London Ringways and is built as a three lane dual carriageway. The route runs through the London...
pass through the area.
Rail
- West Wickham railway stationWest Wickham railway stationWest Wickham railway station serves West Wickham in the London Borough of Bromley. It is located in south east London and is in Travelcard Zone 5. The station is operated by Southeastern and is served by Southeastern Hayes line trains.- History :...
on the Hayes LineHayes LineThe Hayes Line is the railway service in south east London, United Kingdom operated by Southeastern between Charing Cross or Cannon Street and Hayes in the London Borough of Bromley...
, operating trains to Cannon Street, Charing Cross and HayesHayes railway stationHayes railway station is a railway station located in Hayes in the London Borough of Bromley, south east London, England.The station is served by Southeastern services from Charing Cross and Cannon Street. It forms the suburban terminus for trains on the Hayes line...
. West Wickham is in London Travel Zone 5.
Notable people from West Wickham
- Stephen DillaneStephen DillaneStephen J. Dillane is an English actor. He won a Tony Award for his lead performance in Tom Stoppard's play The Real Thing.-Early life:...
the actor - Enid BlytonEnid BlytonEnid Blyton was an English children's writer also known as Mary Pollock.Noted for numerous series of books based on recurring characters and designed for different age groups,her books have enjoyed huge success in many parts of the world, and have sold over 600 million copies.One of Blyton's most...
the writer - Thomas CarewThomas CarewThomas Carew was an English poet, among the 'Cavalier' group of Caroline poets.-Biography:He was the son of Sir Matthew Carew, master in chancery, and his wife, Alice daughter of Sir John Rivers, Lord Mayor of the City of London and widow of Ingpen...
seventeenth-century poet - Michael DonovanMichael DonovanMichael David Donovan is a voice actor for many TV shows and anime. He is most known for his voice on the series ReBoot for his voices of Phong, Mike the TV, Cecil, and Al. He has also provided the voice of Sabretooth for X-Men: Evolution and Carnage for Spider-Man Unlimited. He played the lead...
voice actor - Charlie Heather drummer in The Levellers
- Adrian WallerAdrian WallerAdrian Waller , was a magazine journalist and author. In his writing career he earned a living from nearly 600 articles in magazines, and from newspaper columns that appeared in the United Kingdom, Canada, and Japan...
the journalist and author - SkreamSkreamSkream is a dubstep producer based in Croydon. One of dubstep's first and most prominent producers, he has played an important role in the genre's development. His debut album Skream! was released in 2006, and was followed up by Outside the Box in 2010...
DJ & producer
In popular culture
The town appeared in the 2000 UK television series The 1940s HouseThe 1940s House
The 1940s House is a British historical reality television programme made by Wall to Wall/Channel 4 in 2001 about a modern family that tries to the live as a typical middle-class family in London during The Blitz of World War II. It was shown on Channel 4 in the UK in 2001, and in 2002 on PBS in...
, with 17 Braemar Gardens taking the starring role as a family lived a World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
experience in a typical London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
suburb. It was also mentioned in an episode of New Tricks when the team have arranged to meet a pathologist and DAC Strickland tells them 'his lab is in West Wickham'.
Nearest places
- Eden ParkEden Park, LondonEden Park is a place in the London Borough of Bromley, England. It is a suburban area between West Wickham, Elmers End and Shirley.The Bethlem Royal Hospital is found nearby.-Recent developments:...
- ShirleyShirley, LondonShirley is a place in the London Borough of Croydon, England. It is a suburban development situated 10 miles south south-east of Charing Cross.-Description:...
- HayesHayes, BromleyHayes is a place in the London Borough of Bromley, south-east London, England. It has two main areas of activity: the ancient village and suburban Hayes.-The ancient village of Nimrods :...
- Coney HallConey HallConey Hall is a suburban district, centred on the Coney Hill Estate, part of West Wickham in the London Borough of Bromley, England.The typical architecture comprises two-storey houses with polygonal bay windows and half-timbered gables....