| Swanley | |
|---|---|
 Swanley Library and Information Centre | |
  Swanley Location withinKent | |
 Interactive map of Swanley | |
| Area | 7.15 km2 (2.76 sq mi) |
| Population | 17,825 (2021) |
| • Density | 2,493/km2 (6,460/sq mi) |
| OS grid reference | TQ515685 |
| • London | 16 mi (26 km) NW |
| Civil parish |
|
| District | |
| Shire county | |
| Region | |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | SWANLEY |
| Postcode district | BR8 |
| Dialling code | 01322 |
| Police | Kent |
| Fire | Kent |
| Ambulance | South East Coast |
| UK Parliament | |
| Website | Swanley Town Council |
| 51°23′42″N0°10′30″E / 51.395°N 0.175°E /51.395; 0.175 | |
Swanley is a town andcivil parish in theSevenoaks District ofKent, England, 16 miles (26 km) southeast ofcentral London, adjacent to theGreater London boundary and within theM25 motorway periphery. The population at the 2021 census was 17,826.[1]
In 1066, Swanley only consisted of a few cattle farms, surrounded inoak,sycamore andash (Fraxinus) woodland.Because Swanley only consisted of a few homesteads, it was not mentioned in theDomesday Book.[2]
There is a theory that the placename Swanley developed from theSaxon term 'Swine-ley', "Ley" meaning a clearing in the woods and "swine" meaning pigs. So it has been suggested that it was originally aSaxon pig farm or a stopping place for pigs on the way to the markets in Kent . This later developed into what we now know as Swanley.[citation needed]
In the sixth and seventh centuries, there were probably two homesteads. After theNorman Conquest, these portions of land were turned intomanors, which were then often divided among themonks atGhentAbbey andBermondsey.[3] The original settlement of the town of Swanley (as opposed to modern-day Swanley Village) was based around Birchwood which does get mention in later medieval and early modern documents.
The modern-day town developed from a crossroads with only three houses before the advent of the railway in 1861 to a town with a population of 16,588 (in 2001) in one and a half centuries.[4] The newer settlement grew up around the railway junction and was originally named Swanley Junction, before becoming known as Swanley, and the original Swanley became Swanley Village, in the 1920s.
The arrival of the railway changed life in Swanley. The town became the location ofSwanley Horticultural College which opened in 1887 and led to horticulture becoming the predominant industry. The college originally only catered for male students. Then in the early 1890s the first female students were admitted. Local Nurseries and florists' outlets blossomed, while casual farm labouring job opportunities on farms became in short supply.[2] Some properties in Swanley still have apple and pear trees in their gardens from the original orchards. The college amalgamated withWye College near Canterbury in 1945 under the governorship ofLord Northbourne.[5]
Swanley's location became attractive for London doctors seeking a cure for sick Londoners, escaping the smog of London. Three hospitals were established, the Kettlewell (or Alexandra) Hospital in 1885, Parkwood Hospital in 1893 and White Oak Hospital in 1897.[4]The Kettlewell stood on the site ofAsda's car park and was for poor patients from London who needed to recuperate after major surgery. The Parkwood hospital was similarly used and White Oak was originally for children with eye diseases.During bothWorld war I and II, Kettlewell and Parkwood were used as military hospitals, Parkwood become part of theSidcup Hospital for facial injuries.After 1948, and the creations of theNational Health Service, meant these old London Hospitals became redundant – Kettlewell and White Oakclosed in 1959 and Parkwood ceased being a hospital in the early 1960s.Currently, the gates of White Oak can still be seen opposite Swanley Police Station in London Road, theRoman Catholic Church in Bartholomew Wayis on the site of Kettlewell's chapel and Parkwood still exists in its entirety in Beechenlea Lane as Parkwood Hall School (a residential and day school).[4]
Thecivil parish of Swanley was created in 1955 from neighbouring parishes ofFarningham andSutton at Hone reflecting the developments of the town and increase in population. In 1974 the parish council became aTown Council and included the settlements of Hextable, Swanley Village and the main town of Swanley. In 1988, Hextable was formed into a separate parish council.
Up until 1974 it was a part of theDartford Rural District.
Within Kent, Swanley is adjacent to the parishes ofWilmington andHextable to the north,Sutton-at-Hone and Hawley andFarningham to the east, andEynsford andCrockenhill to the south. To the west there is a boundary withSt Mary Cray in theLondon Borough of Bromley andRuxley in theLondon Borough of Bexley.
The closest large towns areBexleyheath,Dartford,Orpington andSidcup.
The villages of HextableHockenden and Crockenhill use a Swanley address and are part of the Swanley urban area which has a total population of 23,489[1] with Hextable being earmarked for regeneration in the districts Swanley vision plan.[6]
Being on the outskirts of south east London it is a convenient commuter town for people who work in the city. It keeps administrative and some traditional links withSevenoaks andKent but it is heavily associated with south east London due to the expansion of that area close to Swanley's borders. The majority of housing development took place from the post-war period to late 1980s. A new fire station was opened in 1962, and new post office two years later.Victorian houses and shops were demolished to create a new town centre.[2] Its 1970s shopping centre was then re-modelled in the 1990s when theAsda supermarket was extended and is one of the largerAsda stores.
Swanley has easy access to theM25,M20 and theA20 being on the M25 Junction 3 interchange. TheA2 is also north of the town.
Swanley railway station provides the town withSoutheastern services toLondon Victoria viaBromley South,London Charing Cross (running non stop toLondon Bridge),Ashford International viaMaidstone East and toGillingham, as well asThameslink services toLondon Blackfriars via Bromley South &Catford (which is extended toWelwyn Garden City during peak hours) and toSevenoaks.[7]
Swanley has had atown council since 1974, owning some 150 acres of parks and recreation areas. The town is also administered bySevenoaks District andKent County Council.[8] It is in theSevenoaks parliamentary constituency withLaura Trott as its MP. Ryan Hayman is Swanley's CEO having been appointed in 2020[9]
Local business sponsor the floral displays, while the Town Council maintains the grass verges and open spaces.The residential is a mix of private housing with social housing on two main estates at St Mary's and White Oak largely provided by West Kent Housing Association who have an office in Swanley Centre.[citation needed]
Swanley Park (which covers 60 acres) was previously known as New Barn park. It was previously New Barn Farm until various fields and orchards were bought by the Town Council to protect thegreen belt between Hextable and Swanley.[2]There remains acknowledgement of the former use as a farm with a remaining avenue of fruit trees and new avenues of trees linking the car parks to the central play park, soft play centre, café, water park and boating lake. The town council has maintained old hedgerows and trees around the outside of the park and has created allotments and an environment area that is now managed by local volunteers. The park is home to Swanley Athletics Club and hosts a number of county cross country races and other events each year. Around one of the large fields is Swanley New Barn Model railway (running on 800 metres of track) operated by a group of volunteers throughout the summer.
A classical music and firework event – formerly called the '1812 Night' until the Russian invasion of Ukraine – is held on the Friday before the August bank holiday.[2] Awarded worldwide recognition in 2018, the park has 400,000 visitors annually and is one of the most popular parks in the region.[10]
TheVictorian St Mary the Virgin's Church is theAnglican parish church of Swanley.[11] TheRoman Catholic Church of the Holy Apostles was registered for worship in 1965, superseding a church hall used since 1931.[12] Christ Church, originallyCongregational and registered in 1904, is now part of theUnited Reformed Church.[13][14] Also in the town are the Swanley Full Gospel Church (Assemblies of God),[15] Elim Christian Centre (Elim Pentecostal),[16] aJehovah's Witnesses Kingdom Hall[17] and aBrethren meeting room.[18]
Orchards Academy is located close to the Town Centre and is the only Secondary School in the town. Other schools are located in the nearby towns ofSidcup,Dartford andOrpington within 5 miles of Swanley. There are five Primary Schools in Swanley, with others in the surrounding villages. The closest Further Education Colleges areNorth Kent College and London South East College.
Since the town is close to London, television signals are received from theCrystal Palace TV transmitter, placing Swanley in theBBC London andITV London areas.[19]
Swanley is served by bothBBC Radio Kent andBBC Radio London. Other radio stations includingHeart South,Gold andKMFM West Kent.[20]
The local newspaper isDartford & Swanley News Shopper which publishes on Wednesdays.[21]
Alma Swanley F.C. was a popular local side but went bankrupt.Swanley Furness F.C. was another team from the town, though many support nearbyCrockenhill F.C. as it is more successful. Titan Tigers is a popular local youth football club, which was formerly run from and trained in Swanley, but now are based in Hextable, training on the grounds of Hextable School. Titan Tigers has also just expanded into adult football with an Under 21s and Veterans team. Hexley Rangers F.C. is a FA Charter Standard (Hextable/Swanley) community-based junior football club that play at Downsview Primary School. Petham Park Panthers is another FA Charter club.
The Swanley and District Athletic Club, founded in 1988, meets at New Barn Park. The club organises and helps run a number of annual running and cross-country events.
Swanley Sub Aqua Club meets at the White Oak swimming pool on Monday nights. SSAC is an independent club that has been training people to dive safely since 1967. Since 2009 it has been offering free PADI training for club members. The Leisure Centre was rebuilt in 2022, costing £20 million.[22]
Sidcup and District Motor Cycle Club owns the Canada Heights international motocross circuit at Button Street, Swanley. The venue was first used in 1948 and was purchased by the club in the 1980s.A round of theACUBritish Motocross Championship is run each year as well as openMotocross,Enduro andTrials events for all types of motorcycles.
The motor racing circuitBrands Hatch is situated five miles from Swanley.
Swanley now has a rugby union club formed in 2017. At the time of writing they have achieved 3 promotions in 3 years, most recently winning Metropolitan Kent 4.
Wasps RFC have indicated plans to build a 28,000 all seater stadium in Swanley (Crockenhill)[23]
Boxing Stables amateur boxing club is based in the community hub St.Mary’s road. They were previously based in Longfield[24] The club is affiliated to England Boxing Southern Counties and is the only official boxing club in Swanley. Boxing stables had a fire at their previous club.[25]
The population of the civil parish at the 2021 census was 17,825.[1]
Swanley istwinned with:
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