How much Swanley has changed over the past century and more was demonstrated at our January meeting when Keith Whitmore took us on a photographic stroll back through time.
Slicing through the arable scene was the main London to Ashford Road (now London Road). Photographs of several hostelries which provided stabling for the horse drawn coaches were shown, including The Bull at Birchwood, The Lullingstone Castle and The Hop Pole by Beechenlea Lane (now converted into Kimber Allen). Horse races from the Hop Pole to Dartford and back were very popular and there were cells in the basement for prisoners en-route to Maidstone gaol.
The coming of the railway in 1865 and Swanley Junction station in 1871 gave this area of farmland, nurseries, orchards and heath its' identity. We could see from a map why farmers and nursery owners such as Vinson, Cannell and Ladds and The Jam Factory were the major employers in 1903. A Cannell brochure of 1910 mentioned supplying flowers to The Emperor of Russia and Queen Victoria.
Early vehicles of all types were shown, including the open topped early buses which featured Bunsen burners and carriage candles – before the bus garage they were kept at the stable buildings of the original Lullingstone Castle coaching inn.
Gone but not forgotten by many Swanley people are the rows of houses of Montague Road/ Castle Road/ Alexandra Terrace which were between the railway sidings and High Street, behind The Working Mens’ Club. Known as ‘Do as you like Street’ occupants knew how to enjoy themselves, as shown in Keith’s photographs of street parties, despite severe overcrowding and the smell from the manure delivered to the nearby sidings from London.
Keith recounted a conversation with a former resident, Mrs White, who talked about residents taking their Sunday joint (if they had one) to be cooked at the bakers and of charities providing ducks for the poorest families. The Working Mens’ Club was popular - it offered allotments and a bath as well as booze! Some photographs taken by Keith before it was recently demolished were shown. A rare aerial photograph taken before WW2 from a German aircraft of this part of Swanley showed we were being watched.
Photographs of the layout of estates in the St George’s Road and St. Mary’s Road area, Swanley Secondary School and also Crescent Gardens, where many of our members live, created much comment. Keith could even name all the teachers!
Christina Tyler, Programme Organiser
Slicing through the arable scene was the main London to Ashford Road (now London Road). Photographs of several hostelries which provided stabling for the horse drawn coaches were shown, including The Bull at Birchwood, The Lullingstone Castle and The Hop Pole by Beechenlea Lane (now converted into Kimber Allen). Horse races from the Hop Pole to Dartford and back were very popular and there were cells in the basement for prisoners en-route to Maidstone gaol.
The coming of the railway in 1865 and Swanley Junction station in 1871 gave this area of farmland, nurseries, orchards and heath its' identity. We could see from a map why farmers and nursery owners such as Vinson, Cannell and Ladds and The Jam Factory were the major employers in 1903. A Cannell brochure of 1910 mentioned supplying flowers to The Emperor of Russia and Queen Victoria.
Early vehicles of all types were shown, including the open topped early buses which featured Bunsen burners and carriage candles – before the bus garage they were kept at the stable buildings of the original Lullingstone Castle coaching inn.
Gone but not forgotten by many Swanley people are the rows of houses of Montague Road/ Castle Road/ Alexandra Terrace which were between the railway sidings and High Street, behind The Working Mens’ Club. Known as ‘Do as you like Street’ occupants knew how to enjoy themselves, as shown in Keith’s photographs of street parties, despite severe overcrowding and the smell from the manure delivered to the nearby sidings from London.
Keith recounted a conversation with a former resident, Mrs White, who talked about residents taking their Sunday joint (if they had one) to be cooked at the bakers and of charities providing ducks for the poorest families. The Working Mens’ Club was popular - it offered allotments and a bath as well as booze! Some photographs taken by Keith before it was recently demolished were shown. A rare aerial photograph taken before WW2 from a German aircraft of this part of Swanley showed we were being watched.
Photographs of the layout of estates in the St George’s Road and St. Mary’s Road area, Swanley Secondary School and also Crescent Gardens, where many of our members live, created much comment. Keith could even name all the teachers!
Christina Tyler, Programme Organiser