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Heritage


Keepers in the 1930sSpring Park was originally a part of the Wickham Court Estate and is shown on the 1485 map of field names as an extensive area referred to as "Newe Parke". The meadow is referred to on the 1485 map of field names as "west fielde," and this name suggests that it was unwooded even then. 

Centuries of growing and extracting timber products from the woodland at Spring Park have heavily influenced the appearance of the site and it is today a small fragment of a forest that used to extend across much of what is now the town of West Wickham.   A historical survey in 1587 suggested that woods in the area were intensively managed for coppice.

A map dated 1632 shows the present woodland area with tree symbols and refers to it as "Spring Park" in place of the name Newe Parke. This name is probably derived from the spring line that runs the length of the wood.

The southwest boundary of Spring Park coincides with the old Kent - Surrey County boundary along which a line of (originally pollarded) small-leaved lime trees occur. You can see a distinct bank and ditch along the entire length of this old boundary.  A smaller wood bank also lies along the southeastern boundary of the woodland separating it from the meadow.

There is a Portland stone drinking fountain near Woodland Way inscribed in commemoration of Margaret Anderson McAndrew who lived at Wickham House from 1881-1925. The structure is on Bromley Council’s Local List of buildings to be protected.


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