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
As the economy began to grow after WWII it was common for larger businesses to treat their workers to a day at the seaside and this would, for many, be the only holiday they got! Whole families would be invited to join the occasion, Hastings, Margate and Southend being popular destinations at the time.
Reference: WH0470
J. S. Charlton of Sevenoaks opened a branch in Westerham in what is currently (2019) Nisa convenience store. Commonly referred to as ‘Corn Stores’, they would sell anything to do with gardening, smallholdings and allotments – from seed sold in ounce and half-pint measures, to bean canes, spades, forks, dibbers, string and twine – anything ...
Reference: 0052
An earlier business than ‘Charltons’, E. J. Hollingworth had taken over a fruiterer, florist and seedmen’s business started by E. F. Crabb in the 1890s in what is today (2019) the Post Office. Hollingworth grew fruit, flowers and vegetables on his own nursery beside the market field (now Quebec Avenue) and is immortalised in the ...
Reference: WH0465
This building today (2019) is the home of Castle Antiques, opposite the Library, so-called in memory of Vic Castle, who ran his dairy there in the 1950s. The building has an interesting history, having started out as the ‘Swan Beerhouse’ owned by William Finnis Watkins’ Swan Brewery at the bottom of Hosey Hill. Beerhouses had ...
Reference: WH0077
The address of the Kings Arms in the 1900s was ‘High Street’ as that was the title given to what is now called Market Square. At that time, the Green was known as ‘Market Place’.
Reference: WH0107
Geoff Hoath “…We ran one posh dance at the Grasshopper at Moorhouse, I remember Vic Castle came and gave me ...
Rowley Streatfeild Atterbury was born in Eastbourne in 1920. He left school at seventeen and volunteered to join the Royal ...
David McMullan “…We came down with just four of us – Jeff Smith, myself and two full-time members of staff, ...
The first big employer in Westerham was the Black Eagle Brewery with, at its peak, over 200 employees. The larger ...
Several of the local farms survived into the 1950s and beyond, with the exception of Covers Farm on the Squerryes ...
The advert for Wireless concerts comes from the 1923 edition of the Westerham Herald
Reference: WH0061
The above illustration, from excellent photographs supplied by Mr F. G. Benson, Keswick studio, Westerham, gives an adequate idea of the havoc wrought. In the foreground is the malthouse and it will be observed that the corner of the rear kiln was caught by the flames. From The Herald Saturday July 9 1910 DISASTROUS FIRE AT WESTERHAMEAST ...
Reference: WH0060
The lads are standing in what had originally been ‘Newton’s Nursery’ which was on the north side of London Road stretching down to South Bank. This was the first of the towns’ nurseries to be closed around the time of the first World War.
Reference: 0044
This little shop specialised in ladies and children’s clothing. Edith Pywell and Elizabeth Austin ran this business on the Green ...
For many local families between the wars the Co-op was where the weekly shop took place. The Co-operative stores were ...
There has been a baker recorded on Westerham Green since at least the first official census of 1841 when forty ...
Around 1910 there were at least five forges in the town. Verrall and Son were the largest, at today’s Verralls ...
Arthur French started his drapery business around 1919 in the shop in Market Square that is today (2018) Nisa convenience ...
In the early 1900s, Westerham boasted no fewer than eight independent butchers happily trading alongside each other around the town. ...
This photograph taken around 1900, shows George Sydney Herbert Bird, Ironmonger & Implement Agent standing proudly outside his shop next ...