Widmore is an area of
Greater London
Greater London is an administrative area in England, coterminous with the London region, containing most of the continuous urban area of London. It contains 33 local government districts: the 32 London boroughs, which form a Ceremonial count ...
, within 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 ...
. It is located south-east of
Sundridge, west of
Bickley
Bickley is a district and a local government electoral ward in South East London, within the London Borough of Bromley. It is located 10.4 miles (16.7 km) south east of Charing Cross, bordering Elmstead to the north, Chislehurst to the n ...
, north of
Bromley Common
Bromley Common is an unincorporated village in Greater London, within the London Borough of Bromley. Prior to 1965 it was within the historic county of Kent. It is south of Bromley town centre and Bickley, west of Southborough and Petts Woo ...
, and east of
Bromley
Bromley is a large town in Greater London, England, within the London Borough of Bromley. It is southeast of Charing Cross, and had an estimated population of 88,000 as of 2023.
Originally part of Kent, Bromley became a market town, charte ...
.
History
Widmore derives from 'Withmere', a placename first mentioned in 1226 and thought to mean 'pool where the
withy
A withy or withe (also willow and osier) is a strong flexible willow stem, typically used in thatching, basketmaking, gardening and for constructing woven wattle hurdles. grows'.
Wythemere, Widmere and Wigmore were variant spellings.
The area remained a tiny hamlet, save for a brick-works, as late as the 19th century.
The pool that gave the area its name was still extant in 1819, however it was later built over; it was located just west of Lewes Road and to the south the Oak pub.
The local landowner John Wells sold part of the land lying north of Widmore Road to housing developers in 1845, and by the late 1850s the area contained some 40 large properties, plus a number of smaller cottages.
Further building work occurred in this area in 1888.
The lands south of Widmore Road were historically part of
Bromley Palace, but were built over with further housing in the 1920s-30s.
Widmore today has merged completely with the surrounding suburbs and is often seen as part of Bickley.
Amenities
The area contains a small row of shops at Widmore Green (a rather small triangle of grass), at the junction of Widmore Road and Plaistow Lane. There is one pub here (The Oak) and four more located very close to each other along Palace Road/North Road/Freelands Road (The Red Lion, The White Horse, The Anglesey Arms, Freelands Tavern, and the Crown and Anchor).
Gallery
File:Christian_Science_Church,_Widmore_Road.jpg, A Christian Science
Christian Science is a set of beliefs and practices which are associated with members of the Church of Christ, Scientist. Adherents are commonly known as Christian Scientists or students of Christian Science, and the church is sometimes in ...
church on Widmore Road, built by W. Braxton Sinclair in 1928 and listed at grade II
File:Widmore_Green.jpg, Widmore Green
File:Recreation Ground by Widmore Road, BR1 - geograph.org.uk - 72529.jpg, A park in Widmore
File:Widmore_Green2.jpg, Shops and The Oak pub, Widmore Green
File:URC_Church,_Widmore.jpg, United Reformed
The United Reformed Church (URC) is a Protestant Christian church in the United Kingdom. As of 2024 it had approximately 44,000 members in around 1,250 congregations with 334 stipendiary ministers.
The URC is a Trinitarian church whose theolog ...
Church on Freelands Road, built 1936 on the site of a former Presbyterian church which was struck by lightning and destroyed
References
Areas of London
Districts of the London Borough of Bromley
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