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Westmoreland Road, BROMLEY, BR2 0QT

Just off Westmoreland Road. Lovely large house - but even here, multi-occupied.

These cast iron gates and brick piers are on South Hill Road, close to the junction with Westmoreland Road. They lead into a community garden and then around to a small woodland.

A permissive path leads from South Hill Road, into a community garden and around to a small woodland.

South Hill Wood is a remnant of the semi-natural ancient woodland Toots Wood. It was purchased by Sir Thomas Dewey in 1887 and he built a large family residence with gardens of exotic and ornamental plants, sunken gardens and specimen trees, stables, a conservatory and a music pavilion. The gardens were at their peak between 1905 and 1914. Dewey was the Chair of Prudential Assurance Company and in 1903 was made Charter Mayor of Bromley. He lived at South Hill with his wife Clara and five children. In 1926 the South Hill Wood residence was bought by Arthur Chilton King, manufacturer of Chilton Biscuits. In 1947 the Borough of Beckenham entered negotiations with Mr King to purchase the estate and create a public park. The negotiations were protracted and futile and in 1952 the Council compulsorily purchased the land and a public park was created and opened on 2nd May 1959. It included the remnants of Toots Wood, the old pond and features from Dewey's garden. Since 1959, the woodland cover has regenerated and the remains of the fountain and water feature can still be found.

This public open space is mostly fairly dense woodland, apart from this area and by the eastern entrance.

South Hill Wood is a remnant of the semi-natural ancient woodland Toots Wood. It was purchased by Sir Thomas Dewey in 1887 and he built a large family residence with gardens of exotic and ornamental plants, sunken gardens and specimen trees, stables, a conservatory and a music pavilion. The gardens were at their peak between 1905 and 1914. Dewey was the Chair of Prudential Assurance Company and in 1903 was made Charter Mayor of Bromley. He lived at South Hill with his wife Clara and five children. In 1926 the South Hill Wood residence was bought by Arthur Chilton King, manufacturer of Chilton Biscuits. In 1947 the Borough of Beckenham entered negotiations with Mr King to purchase the estate and create a public park. The negotiations were protracted and futile and in 1952 the Council compulsorily purchased the land and a public park was created and opened on 2nd May 1959. It included the remnants of Toots Wood, the old pond and features from Dewey's garden. Since 1959, the woodland cover has regenerated and the remains of the fountain and water feature can still be found. This is the rather forlorn looking fountain which dates from around 1902.

Now public, this area had two large houses built on it in the 1890s, whose grounds had merged into one by 1909, if the maps are correct. It is on the 1909 map that this fountain and pond first appear.

One of few pillar boxes to be cast during the short reign of Edward VIII - there are 80 or so still in use. This one is in Cumberland Road, by the junction with Westmoreland Road, and it seems it has been moved here from further up the road since Mike Quinn photographed it in August 2008: see Image (A Victorian postbox previously stood on this spot - see Image)

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