With parts of Bromley dating back as far as the Anglo-Saxon period, the borough’s neighbourhood histories are often revealed in their names.
From Orpington to Beckenham, we’re looking at how five neighbourhoods earned their names and what they mean.
Beckenham
Beginning with Beckenham, known for its links with world-famous musician David Bowie, who played at the former Three Tuns pub, Beckenham’s name dates back as early as 862.
Early records name Beckenham as “Bacheham”, from Old English elements meaning Beohha’s homestead.
It’s believed that the River Beck, one of the tributaries of the River Ravensbourne, was named after Beckenham, rather than the town taking its name from the river.
Chislehurst
Chislehurst has historic caves dating back to Roman times and a 13th-century manor in Scadbury Park.
The name Chislehurst means “gravelly wooded hill” or “stony woodland”, and derives from Old English terms relating to its sandy and gravel-rich soil. The name dates back as early as the 10th century.
Hayes
Turning to Hayes, a quieter corner of the borough with a village feel and green spaces, bordering Kent, the area’s name reflects its much rougher origins.
First recorded in 1177 as “hoese”, Hayes comes from an Old English word meaning rough, overgrown land.
The name is generally understood to mean a settlement on scrubby, brushwood-covered ground, describing an area that was once uncultivated and less fertile than the surrounding farmland.
It points to Hayes’ early character as land on the edge of more intensively farmed areas, where shrubs and rough vegetation dominated.
Orpington
Looking next at Orpington, now a major suburban hub but once a small Saxon settlement, its name dates back to at least 1032.
The earliest recorded form, “Orpedingetune”, comes from Old English elements meaning Orped’s farmstead.
Orped was a Saxon landowner, and tun refers to a farm or enclosed settlement, while the “-ing-” element is thought to indicate his family or followers.
Taken together, the name describes the estate or settlement belonging to Orped and his people, a common pattern in Anglo-Saxon place names.
Shortlands
Finally, Shortlands has a name that reflects its agricultural past before the railway transformed it into what it is today.
The name only came into common use in the early 19th century, when Clay Hill House was renamed Shortlands House, but its origins go back much further.
“Shortlands” is a medieval farming term referring to short, wide strips of agricultural land, rather than the long, narrow strips typically found elsewhere.
These fields were shaped by the slopes of the Ravensbourne Valley, where the land was divided into shorter plots running up the hillside.
