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| Mural showing scenes from Swanleys
History |
Swanley grew from a crossroads with virtually no buildings,
to a considerable town with a population of 20,986 (2001)
in one and a half centuries.
Once the railway had been established it led to Swanley
becoming a horticultural centre and it was also seen
as being the ideal place to send sick Londoners. Swanley’s
soil and climate were recognised as a healing environment
now easily accessible from London by train.
Three hospitals were established here: the Kettlewell
(or Alexandra) Hospital in 1885, Parkwood Hospital in
1893 and White Oak Hospital in 1897.
The Kettlewell stood on the site of Asda’s car
park and was for poor patients from London who needed
to recuperate after major surgery, and so rested in
Swanley. The Parkwood hospital was similarly used and
White Oak was originally for children with eye diseases.
During both world wars Kettlewell & Parkwood were
used as military hospitals, Parkwood became part of
the Sidcup hospital for facial injuries. The setting
up of the National Health Service in 1948 meant these
old London Hospitals became redundant - Kettlewell &
White Oak closed in the 1950s and Parkwood ceased being
a hospital in the early 1960s. Today reminders of these
three important places still exist e.g. the gates of
White Oak can still be seen opposite Swanley Police
Station in London Road, the Roman Catholic chapel in
Bartholomew way was Kettlewell’s chapel and Parkwood
still exists in its entirety in Beechenlea Lane –now
a special school.
Swanley Home for Little Boys was opened in 1883 for
orphans from London, a place in the country where they
learned a trade to secure a living in later life. This
fine Victorian building is now Furness School in Hextable.
Swanley was originally seen as developing into a genteel
Victorian residential area with the building of several
villas along London Road and Birchwood Park Avenue,
these included private schools for middle class Victorian
families. This vision was defeated by the needs of horticulture
and industry, which used Swanley’s good rail and
road communications with London and Kentish markets
as a place for both their businesses and workers. Railway
workers were soon joined by horticultural workers who,
in turn, were followed by industry such as Thomas Wood’s
jam factory (stood on the site of Swan Mill). Nearby
was Castle Street, known as “Do as you like Street”
because of the appalling overcrowding and the close
proximity of railway wagons at Swanley siding filled
with manure from the London horse traffic, ready for
use in Swanley’s horticultural businesses. Swanley
up to the 1930s exported flowers and vegetables to London
and imported manure! Castle Street was demolished and
replaced with Bevan Place, just off London Road.
The earliest surviving buildings in Swanley Town are
contained in the row of shops in the High Street opposite
the Lullingstone Castle public house and known as Kent
Terrace. Increasing population meant that Swanley Junction
had to have its own schools and a church because the
ones used in Swanley Village could not cope. In 1894
a small corrugated iron church was built (known as St
Philip’s & St James’) but that was replaced
in 1901 by the newly completed St Mary’s church
– a building that was designed to be larger than
it is as can be seen from its odd shape. In 1902 a congregational
church was built in London Road (still there today).
This church began life in 1878, being moved to Swanley
in 1890 and then to its present site which, until 1955
marked the boundary between Swanley (which was part
of Sutton at Hone Parish) and Farningham to which belonged
all the rest of London Road westwards. The schools at
Swanley Junction included St Mary’s National School
(Church of England) opened in 1896 in Goldsel Road,
Farningham Hill School 1902 and Birchwood Elementary
School (1908).
The recreation ground in what is now St Mary’s
Road was land given to the parishes of Sutton-at-Hone
(including Swanley), St Mary’s Cray, Eynsford
& Farningham in 1900.
The War Memorial, since 1980 outside St Mary’s
Church, was originally on the junction of Swanley Lane
and London Road and unveiled in 1922. The memorial contains
a total of 138 names for the dead of two world wars
including Staff Paymaster Joseph Gedge of Swanley –
the first British Officer killed in the First World
War.
From the 1920’s and especially since 1945, Swanley
has become a commuting community taking advantage of
the excellent road and rail communications. Swanley
Town Centre has completely altered over the past 40
years, from a bottle neck for traffic with decaying
buildings along parts of London Road, to a pedestrianised
shopping centre supported by buildings from the 1960’s
the Post Office, Telephone exchange and Fire Station
as well as modern light industry at several industrial
estates.
In 1975 the Library replaced rooms in White Oak Hospital
building which was rebuilt again in 1999 now The Library
& Information Centre, is home to the Library, Tourist
and Local Information, Volunteer Bureau, Learn Direct
and Adult Education and a Café.
The Library is the best place to start finding out
about Swanley’s history. There is a local collection
with files, maps and illustrations.
Further Reading
Balls Horace Historical notes on the Swanley District,
1974
Blaxall Geoff Swanley: the community that cares, 1985
Blaxall Geoff A peep into the past
Bull Christoph Swanley Allsorts: notes on the history
of Swanley Junction
Drury M A socio-economic study of Swanley Junction 1865-1965
Porteous Geoff Dartford Country, 1985
Historical contributions from Christoph Bull and Geoff
Blaxall.
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