EAW026810 ENGLAND (1949). Housing estate under construction at St Paul's Cray, Bromley, 1949. This image was marked by Aerofilms Ltd for photo editing.

Location of Thirstain we would stop there and ask for some water after a long walk, hence the name.

Broom Avenue

Robin Way prefab estate

Prefabs

Mr and Mrs Smith. 91 St Pauls Wood Hill, Mr Smith worked on the Woolwich ferry and one of the first to have a car.

Game Keepers Cottage in Petts Wood

Game Keepers Cottage in Petts Wood

Site of WWII Anti Aircraft guns, now Jubilee Park Petts wood.

Aquila built as a hospital for the casualties from the Berlin Air Lift but not required. Later the home of EID the Electrical Inspection Directorate of the Ministry of Aviation and then later EQD.

Electricity sub station.

Stream exiting Hoblingwell Wood, crossing Chorley Wood Crescent and flowing into Thorndon Road.

Site of the Hobling Well which had water springs below and just to the South. There was also a small brick wall at the north end made from london stocks to increase the depth. Water left the well under the wall creating a small stream which ran through Hoblingwell wood to a gully which ran parallel to Chorleywood Crescent, at the lowest point it went into a culvert and ran through Thorndon Road and onwards to the river cray. The stream would disappear in very dry weather but would return when the rain was heavy. The stream was buried circa 1965 when Hoblingwell well wood was cleared. However the work was incompetently done and the steam returned. Magic.

The pair of semi detached houses built on this spot suffered with subsidence circa 1958 and the families had to be rehoused. About 2 feet from ground level there was a hole just big enough to get your head through and you could look down and see a vast cavern below the house which was effectively built on stilts. Would have made a very big cellar.

Very old oak tree with a hollow middle. You could climb up the tree and enter the hollow from where a bough had broken off. Good place to hide if in danger of being caught trespassing as the entrance was not that visible from the ground.

site of a small pond in a bomb crater, good place for frogs spawn.

Site of a pile of waste bricks concrete and tarmac, a good place to catch newts.

Tree stump hill, so named as at the top of a wooded incline there was a tree stump from a felled oak tree.

Site of Roper's camp built in a bomb crater.

Bill and Ethel Smith 299 Chipperfield Road, moved in circa June 1949. Bill was a chef. Telephone number Orpington 37424.

Site of Midfield Secondary Modern school, one for boys and one for girls. The Estate was the subject of social engineering as the different types of houses were divided into income groups. Most pupils in the lower income group went to secondary modern schools, many had infact past the 11+ but were told they had failed. Whereas many of the higher income group pupils went to grammar schools without question. Some parents of those in the lower income group who "failed" the 11+ went on to the grammar schools at appeal as their parents knew the results were wrong. Nevertheless, many of the pupils who attended the secondary school went on to lead in their chosen field be it business, commerce or Government work.

Location of a lost garden and well.

Old Oak tree, died gradually once estate was built. Cut down circa 1959 by the Council and cut up and removed by children from the local houses to be burnt in the grate. (saved over half a ton of coal)

Doris and Arthur Slater 107 St Pauls Wood Hill, moved in Nov 1949. Tel Foots Cray 5633.

Flats at the junction of Rushet Rd and Cotmandene Crescent