Home to the Matthews family between the wars, these cottages were originally built to house nursery workers. The origin of the name ‘Newton’ has faded into obscurity, but was well known to older townsfolk at that time. This was one of the first nursery sites to be closed around the area, closely followed by Farley ...
Reference: 0050
The tree line moving away from the main-line at Dunton Green is the overgrown track-bed of the Westerham branch-line photographed in September 2017. Fifty-five years without a weed-killing train produces a lot of growth.
Reference: WH0134
‘Q’ class 0-4-4 tank-engine number 136 is about to leave Westerham pulling a ‘birdcage’ set of coaches. This peculiar term was used to describe coaches with the little top-light window that the guard would use with a periscope viewer to look at the state of signals ahead – not so easy for the engine crew ...
Reference: WH0131
In February 1882 the Darenth Valley Sewerage was finally connected to the West Kent system at the Dartford outfall… But all was not good with the new main sewer through Brasted and Sundridge… The Board minutes for 10 March 1884 record: SUNDRIDGE VENTILATION – Mr Hennell being attended at the meeting stated that as recommended by the ...
Reference: WH0969
Having taken over and closed Watkins’ Swan Brewery in Westerham, Ben Bushell had further ambitions seeing competition still present from the largest brewery based in Sevenoaks, Alfred Smith and Company. The first approach in 1898 was rejected by the then ageing Alfred Smith, but he was persuaded to sell by his son Percy, who no ...
Reference: WH0130
This steam railmotor number 3 from Kitson of Leeds was introduced to the branch in April 1906, and seen here waiting at Westerham. In conjunction with the introduction of the railmotor, an unstaffed halt was built at Chevening accessed from the roadbridge by a steep flight of steps. Chevening halt had a short platform but ...
Reference: WH0112
These mantles would have been an off-the-shelf item at Evenden’s ironmongery beside the King’s Arms in the early 1900s. Formed on a ceramic base, what became the mantle was a fine fabric bag, made from rayon or silk. The fibre was impregnated with metallic salts and when the mantle is heated in a flame, the fibre burns ...
Reference: WH0970
June Ingram reflected on her families involvement with the Gasworks “…around 1950 when I was about six, my parents moved from Granville Road into the Gasworks Cottage. Mr and Mrs Herbert had been there for some years as he was manager of the works. Westerham was by then on a piped supply of town-gas from ...
Reference: WH0972
Retained as a convenient place for the bus to stop off the road, this is the site of the station forecourt, as shown on the adjacent 1896 map. L.B. denotes a letterbox which is still there albeit of modern design.
Reference: WH0168