| Hayes | |
|---|---|
 | |
  Hayes Location withinGreater London | |
| Population | 15,906 (2011 Census. Hayes and Coney Hall Ward)[1] |
| OS grid reference | TQ405665 |
| London borough | |
| Ceremonial county | Greater London |
| Region | |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | BROMLEY |
| Postcode district | BR2 |
| Dialling code | 020 |
| Police | Metropolitan |
| Fire | London |
| Ambulance | London |
| UK Parliament | |
| London Assembly | |
| 51°22′41″N0°01′09″E / 51.378°N 0.0192°E /51.378; 0.0192 | |
Hayes is a suburban area of southeastLondon, England and part of theLondon Borough of Bromley. It is located 11 miles (18 km) south-east ofCharing Cross, to the north ofKeston andConey Hall, west ofBromley Common, south ofBromley town centre, and east ofWest Wickham. Anancient parish in the county ofKent, Hayes was within theOrpington Urban District that became part ofGreater London in 1965.
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The nameHayes is recorded from 1177 ashoese from the Anglo-Saxon meaning "a settlement in open land overgrown with shrubs and rough bushes".[2][3][4] It formed an ancient, and later civil, parish ofKent of around 1,282 acres (5.19 km2).[5] The village stood at the junction of Hayes Lane, leading north toBromley (one mile distant), and what is now known as Pickhurst Lane, leading west toWest Wickham; the centre of the old village is now calledHayes Street. The village school was here, as is the parish church ofSt Mary the Virgin. Parts of the church date back to the thirteenth century, however it was subject toheavy restorations byGeorge Gilbert Scott andJohn Oldrid Scott in the 19th century.[6] The village's public house, also on Hayes Street, is called "The George" (first recorded 1759).[7]) Hayes Street Farm, still shown on modern maps, is to the north of the village centre.
BothWilliam Pitt the Elder, 1st Earl of Chatham (1708–1778), andWilliam Pitt the Younger (1759–1806) lived at Hayes Place.[8] The house, which dated back to the 15th century, was demolished in 1933 by the developerHenry Boot and the site redeveloped, but its occupants are remembered in such road names as Chatham and Pittsmead Avenues.[4] Prior to being demolished, Hayes Place was owned by the Hambro family (ofHambros Bank fame) and a couple of roads bear the family names.[citation needed]
Although the parish church of Hayes can trace its history back over 800 years, and locals joinedJack Cade in his rebellion of 1450,[citation needed] the story of modern Hayes begins a little over a century ago, when Hayes became a popular place in which to live with bankers, stockbrokers and other City financiers buying property in the area.[9] Development was aided when the branchrailway fromElmers End, originally known as theWest Wickham and Hayes Railway, was opened on 29 May 1882.[10][11] Between 1801, when the population was just 382, and 1921, it had almost tripled to 1,010.[12]
Throughout the 20th century, the Hayes village area continued to grow and thrive. Further commercial development occurred on Station Approach because the increased traffic through the railway terminus created an incentive for growth.[4] In the old village area ('Old Hayes'), the former village school was converted to a church hall when the local primary school opened in 1937;[13] it lies along George Lane, which was further expanded at around the same time to facilitate further suburban housing developments.
To cope with the increase in commuter traffic, the station was rebuilt in 1935, andStation Approach became the main shopping area,[14] including aPost Office,petrol station, two mini-supermarkets and numerous small shops. It also contains apublic house called The New Inn.
During theSecond World War an anti-aircraft gun battery was locally based on Hayes Common, and the soldiers of the1st Canadian Division[15] who manned it were barracked in local homes.[16] Grandfields Nursery on West Common Road was hit by aV-2 rocket in the late afternoon of 9 February 1945, killing four people, including three members of the Grandfield family. Our Lady of the Rosary Catholic Church was later built on the site.[17]
Much of the area to the west and north-west of the original village has been taken over bysuburbia.West Wickham and Bromley are completely joined with Hayes; andConey Hall estate, beyond theOrpington -Croydon road is also part of the pattern. To the east and south, however, the open space ofHayes Common precludes building of any kind.
The old village area along Hayes Street, also known as 'Old Hayes', today contains some small shops, though the local post office closed in 2004 (the nearest is now in the main shopping area near the station).[citation needed] The timbered cottage on the eastern side of Hayes Street was originally the village bakery, then it became anewsagents called "The Walnut Tree", until 2006, when it changed to residential use. The former village school remains a second village hall; the local primary school in George Lane has expanded in size in recent years, and now has three class groups in each year. It is extremely popular, and many of its pupils go on toHayes School in West Common Road.
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The shopping area inOld Hayes functions as a second hub for commercial businesses, running along Hayes street opposite the church building. It consists of the public house, "The George", a mini-market, several hairdressers, a cycle shop, two coffee shops and a fish and chip shop. Next to the church is the villagepublic library, part of theBromley Borough Libraries Service, occupying the oldrectory building (since replaced by the new rectory). The library is surrounded by the library gardens, a small area of parkland containing tennis courts. On the north side of the church is Hayes Village Hall, built in 1927 by Hayes Community Council. This was led by Canon Thompson. It remains a hub of Village life.[citation needed]
Hayes Street Farm continues to play an important role in the village setting. Several public pathways and popular walking routes run through the farmland, and regularcar boot sales are hosted on the farm fields.[citation needed]
There is a group called Hayes Village Association (HVA) which meet regularly to inform people about local issues. They regularly liaise with Bromley Council on planning matters and they give a voice to residents and businesses on a variety of issues. HVA produce a quarterly magazine with local interest articles and events, as well as details of businesses in the locality.[citation needed]
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There are numerous playing fields and sports grounds around the periphery of Hayes: such as the Metropolitan Police Sports Ground at the Warren. Was also home, since 1926, to the world-famous Blackheath Harriers Athletics Club (nowBlackheath and Bromley Harriers Athletic Club) at their clubhouseTheSydney Wooderson Centre in 2023 moved now to (and run) the nearby Athletics track in Norman Park.[18]
Sports bodies based in the area include:
Cultural bodies in the area include:
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Hayes railway station is the terminus forHayes line services operated bySoutheastern to and fromLondon Charing Cross andLondon Cannon Street stations. In 2022 the direct line from Hayes to Cannon Street was withdrawn.
Hayes is served byTransport for London bus routes119 (24 hour service),138,146,246,314,353 and 638.
These connect Hayes with areas includingBromley,Croydon (for trains toGatwick Airport and Brighton),Eltham,New Addington,Orpington,West Wickham &Westerham.
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The area sits near the edge of the London conurbation and contains several parks, notably:
![St Mary the Virgin church, listed at grade II[45]](/mt/?noimg=&dark=on&url=https%3a%2f%2fen.wikipedia.org%2fwiki%2fFile%3aSt_Mary_the_Virgin%2c_Hayes.jpg)
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{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)Authority control databases: Geographic |
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