Bradbourne Hall
in Riverhead, Sevenoaks, Kent. UK.
Compiled by Roger Sheldon
Original photograph donated to my collection by Sylvia Crawshay of Cheltenham in 1971
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Born
in Dartford in 1944 and educated at Sevenoaks in Kent, I lived at 2 Westwood
Way on the Bradbourne estate for fifteen years from the age of six to
twenty-one (1949-1964). During this time I became aware of the local
landmarks, namely Bradbourne Lodge, Bottle Cottage, the old Ambulance
station, Clock House, and a number of granite stones around the estate, all
of which fired my interest in the history of the location. When I
discovered part of a large ornamental urn buried in my garden, my interest
was intensified and so I visited the local library to see what I could
discover about the area in which I lived.
While there were a number of references to an old house commonly known as Bradbourne Hall, and some relatively brief notes upon its history, my interest was not sated by what I found, and so I embarked upon a period of research (1956-1974) in which I collected an ever increasing amount of information about the estate and its environs. It was my intention to eventually write a book about the estate; however, I was young and had a great deal to learn about local historical research before I could embark upon such a task. Pursuing a career, family and other commitments did not allow me to complete my project. My papers were consigned to several cardboard boxes where they remained in my roof space for nearly thirty years.
With the advent of the Internet I felt inspired to add a Bradbourne homepage to my website with a view to to making what I have, available to everyone over a period of time. In little over two months of setting up my Bradbourne homepage, Edward Bell of the Clockhouse on Bradbourne estate contacted me (thanks to Google) and in a moment rekindled my enthusiasm. As a result, as I write this, I am surrounded by dusty boxes filled with notes and old photographs. I have started a programme of scanning the documents into my PC. The typing was done on an old ribbon typewriter, the characters are inconsistent and somewhat faded. The photo copies were done on a thermographic copier using heat sensitive paper, and are at the point of becoming illegible, because such copies deteriorate with age and with the heat variations that occur in a roof space over successive summers. Fortunately I am intervening just in time to save everything. However, my state of the art scanner objects to copying this material and leaves me with much editing to do to - in fact it is sometimes quicker to re-type an entire document. It is going to take a long time to transfer all the information.
I am always grateful to receive new information to put up on the site. Please don't hesitate to contact me if you have any documents or photographs that I may copy. I have a good digital camera that allows me to copy information without it having to leave your possession. By the same token, if I am able to help you in any way please contact me. If you are doing research into Bradbourne and want specific bits of information I will be happy to put up any documents I have relating to that subject or period as a priority.
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A happy coincidence
An exciting coincidence has taken place, and one that makes me very happy. Back in the last days of 1971, when the old Bradbourne coach house (ambulance station) was being demolished, I discovered a very large granite stone laying on the site - clearly one of Francis Crawshay's missing stones. I was filled with enthusiasm for having it resurrected and erected in the grounds of Bradbourne Lakes where everyone would see it, and where interest for the old history of the estate would be engendered. I approached the local authorities and eventually they agreed that this could be done. The endeavour was reported in the local paper, but alas, for whatever reason, the enterprise was never carried out. Eventually the stone was built over and forever lost, much to my frustration. To see a similar stone now erected (August 2003) thirty years after my own attempt makes me very happy indeed. The monolith can be seen in the photograph above, it is in the background, just to the left of the flagstaff, and to the right of the Corinthian pillar. When the New Ideal Homesteads estate was developed in the 1930's, the stone found itself in the garden of 22 Robyns Way where the Moss family lived for many years. Click here to see pictures of this stone as it was when it was first erected on the estate in 1868, as it appeared in the 1930's, 1960's and as it appears today.
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Today I live in London Road, in Sevenoaks town centre. I still visit Riverhead regularly (at least two or three times a week) because I teach martial arts in the Village Hall there. I am involved in much inter-personal research especially in connection with the holistic life-skill I teach at Riverhead and in connection with behaviour that challenges within the caring professions.
My primary interests are martial arts; playing baroque keyboard music, local history, conservation and ecology, animal welfare, natural therapies, astronomy, philosophy, computing/writing, walking in the country, gardening, and many other things. If I am pursuing a handful of my interests earnestly, the others get to be put on the shelf - and so the eternal juggling with a lack of at least 100 hours in a day goes forever onwards.
Contact me at:
Address: 27, Northfield, Hartley, Longfield, Kent. DA3 7EW
Phone and Fax: 01474 700390
Mobile: 07834 182899
I would love to hear from you