Ramsden is an area in south-east

London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...

, generally considered a suburb of

Orpington Orpington is a town in Greater London, England, within the London Borough of Bromley. It is 13.4 miles (21.6 km) south east of Charing Cross. On the south-eastern edge of the Greater London Built-up Area, it is south of St Mary Cray, sou ...

, located in the

London Borough of Bromley The London Borough of Bromley () is a London Borough, borough in London, England. It is the largest and southeasternmost borough in London, and borders the county of Kent, of which it formed part until 1965. The borough's population in the 2021 ...

and, prior to 1965, within the historic county of

Kent Kent is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South East England. It is bordered by Essex across the Thames Estuary to the north, the Strait of Dover to the south-east, East Sussex to the south-west, Surrey to the west, and Gr ...

. It is situated south of Derry Downs and

St Mary Cray St Mary Cray is an area of South London, South East London, England, within the London Borough of Bromley. Historically it was a market town in the county of Kent. It is located north of Orpington, and south-east of Charing Cross. History ...

, east of Orpington town centre and north of

Goddington Goddington is an area in south-east London, located in the London Borough of Bromley. It is situated south of Ramsden, south-east of Orpington town centre, and north of Chelsfield. It lies directly adjacent to the London Green Belt. Until 1965 ...

. It was built as a

council estate Public housing in the United Kingdom, also known as council housing or social housing, provided the majority of rented accommodation until 2011, when the number of households in private rental housing surpassed the number in social housing. D ...

in the 1950-60s and is directly adjacent to the London Green Belt.

History

The area was historically rural and agricultural, with the name possibly referring to pastureland kept for rams. The estate was built in the public-housing boom following the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

. It is made up of a large number of semi-detached houses built in the 1950s and a new central area built in the 1970s consisting of three high rise blocks and 48 maisonettes. The Estate comprises Ramsden Road, Tintagel Road, Petten Grove, Eldred Drive, Quilter Road, Westbrook Drive, Brow Crescent and Rye Crescent, with Plantation Drive and various closes around the three tower blocks being added in the 1970s. Like many post-war estates, Ramsden had entered a troubled period by the 1980s, with a rise in crime and anti-social behaviour earning it the nickname 'Little

Belfast Belfast (, , , ; from ) is the capital city and principal port of Northern Ireland, standing on the banks of the River Lagan and connected to the open sea through Belfast Lough and the North Channel (Great Britain and Ireland), North Channel ...

'. In the 2000s decade the estate was regenerated under the 'Ramsden's Revival' scheme led by Broomleigh housing association. There is a small row of shops on Eldred Drive.

References

''Ramsden Estate and Petten Grove'', John Pateman, {{Public housing in the United Kingdom Housing estates in London Buildings and structures in the London Borough of Bromley Orpington Public housing in the United Kingdom Districts of the London Borough of Bromley