Hayes is a suburban area of South East

London London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...

Greater London Greater may refer to: *Greatness Greatness is a concept of a state of superiority affecting a person or object in a particular place or area. Greatness can also be attributed to individuals who possess a natural ability to be better than al ...

, England. Prior to 1965 it was within the

London Borough of Bromley The London Borough of Bromley () is the southeasternmost of the London boroughs that make up Greater London, bordering the ceremonial county of Kent, which most of Bromley was part of before 1965. The borough's population is an estimated 332, ...

and the historic county of

Kent Kent is a county in South East England and one of the home counties. It borders Greater London to the north-west, Surrey to the west and East Sussex to the south-west, and Essex to the north across the estuary of the River Thames; it faces ...

. It is located south-east of

Charing Cross Charing Cross ( ) is a junction in Westminster, London, England, where six routes meet. Clockwise from north these are: the east side of Trafalgar Square leading to St Martin's Place and then Charing Cross Road; the Strand leading to the City ...

, to the north of Keston and

Coney Hall Coney Hall is an area of Greater London, within the London Borough of Bromley, Greater London and formerly in the historic county of Kent. It is located south of Hayes, west of Keston, north of Nash, and east of West Wickham. The Prime Meridian ...

, west of

Bromley Common Bromley Common is the area of south-east London, within the London Borough of Bromley, Greater London. Prior to 1965 it was within the historic county of Kent. It lies south of Bromley town centre and Bickley, west of Southborough and Petts W ...

, south of

Bromley Bromley is a large town in Greater London, England, within the London Borough of Bromley. It is south-east of Charing Cross, and had an estimated population of 87,889 as of 2011. Originally part of Kent, Bromley became a market town, c ...

town centre, and east of West Wickham.

History

The ancient village

The name ''Hayes'' is recorded from 1177 as ''hoese'' from the Anglo-Saxon meaning "a settlement in open land overgrown with shrubs and rough bushes". It formed an ancient, and later civil, parish of

of around . The village stood at the junction of Hayes Lane, leading north to

(one mile distant), and what is now known as Pickhurst Lane, leading west to West Wickham; the centre of the old village is now called ''Hayes Street''. The village school was here, as is the parish church of St Mary the Virgin. Parts of the church date back to the thirteenth century, however it was subject to heavy restorations by

George Gilbert Scott Sir George Gilbert Scott (13 July 1811 – 27 March 1878), known as Sir Gilbert Scott, was a prolific English Gothic Revival architect, chiefly associated with the design, building and renovation of churches and cathedrals, although he started ...

and

John Oldrid Scott John Oldrid Scott (17 July 1841 – 30 May 1913) was a British architect. Biography He was the son of Sir Gilbert Scott (George Gilbert Scott) and his wife Caroline (née Oldrid). His brother George Gilbert Scott Junior and nephew Sir Giles G ...

in the 19th century. The village's public house, also on Hayes Street, is called "The George" (first recorded 1759).) Hayes Street Farm, still shown on modern maps, is to the north of the village centre. Both

William Pitt the Elder William Pitt, 1st Earl of Chatham, (15 November 170811 May 1778) was a British statesman of the Whig group who served as Prime Minister of Great Britain from 1766 to 1768. Historians call him Chatham or William Pitt the Elder to distinguish ...

, 1st Earl of Chatham (1708–1778), and

William Pitt the Younger William Pitt the Younger (28 May 175923 January 1806) was a British statesman, the youngest and last prime minister of Great Britain (before the Acts of Union 1800) and then first prime minister of the United Kingdom (of Great Britain and Ir ...

(1759–1806) lived at Hayes Place. The house dated back to the 15th century, was rebuilt in 1972, but then demolished in 1933 by the developer Henry Boot and the site redeveloped, but its occupants are remembered in such road names as Chatham and Pittsmead Avenues. Prior to being demolished, Hayes Place was owned by the Hambro family (of Hambros Bank fame) and a couple of roads bear the family names. Although the parish church of Hayes can trace its history back over 800 years, and locals joined Jack Cade in his rebellion of 1450, the story of modern Hayes begins a little over a century ago, when Hayes became a popular place in which to live with bankers, stockbrokers and other City financiers buying property in the area. Development was aided when the branch

railway Rail transport (also known as train transport) is a means of transport that transfers passengers and goods on wheeled vehicles running on rails, which are incorporated in tracks. In contrast to road transport, where the vehicles run on a p ...

from

Elmers End Elmers End is an area of south-east London, England, within the London Borough of Bromley, Greater London and formerly part of the historic county of Kent. It is located south of Beckenham, west of Eden Park, north of Monks Orchard and east of A ...

, originally known as the

West Wickham and Hayes Railway The Mid-Kent line (also referred to as the Hayes line by train operators, official bodies and the general public) is a British railway line running from Courthill Loop North junction (just south of Lewisham station) to Hayes railway station in t ...

, was opened on 29 May 1882. Between 1801, when the population was just 382, and 1921, it had almost tripled to 1,010.

Modern suburban Hayes

Throughout the 20th century, the Hayes village area continued to grow and thrive. Further commercial development occurred on Station Approach because the increased traffic through the railway terminus created an incentive for growth. In the old village area ('Old Hayes'), the former village school was converted to a church hall when the local primary school opened in 1937; it lies along George Lane, which was further expanded at around the same time to facilitate further suburban housing developments. To cope with the increase in commuter traffic, the station was rebuilt in 1935, and ''Station Approach'' became the main shopping area, including a

Post Office A post office is a public facility and a retailer that provides mail services, such as accepting letters and parcels, providing post office boxes, and selling postage stamps, packaging, and stationery. Post offices may offer additional se ...

, petrol station, two mini-supermarkets and numerous small shops. It also contains a

public house A pub (short for public house) is a kind of drinking establishment which is licensed to serve alcoholic drinks for consumption on the premises. The term ''public house'' first appeared in the United Kingdom in late 17th century, and wa ...

called The New Inn. During the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposi ...

an anti-aircraft gun battery was locally based on Hayes Common, and the soldiers of the

1st Canadian Division The 1st Canadian Division (French: ''1re Division du Canada'' ) is a joint operational command and control formation based at CFB Kingston, and falls under Canadian Joint Operations Command. It is a high-readiness unit, able to move on very short ...

who manned it were barracked in local homes. Grandfields Nursery on West Common Road was hit by a

V-2 rocket The V-2 (german: Vergeltungswaffe 2, lit=Retaliation Weapon 2), with the technical name ''Aggregat 4'' (A-4), was the world’s first long-range guided ballistic missile. The missile, powered by a liquid-propellant rocket engine, was develop ...

in the late afternoon of 9 February 1945, killing four people, including three members of the Grandfield family. Our Lady of the Rosary Catholic Church was later built on the site. Much of the area to the west and north-west of the original village has been taken over by suburbia. West Wickham and Bromley are completely joined with Hayes; and

estate, beyond the

Orpington Orpington is a town and area in south east 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 ...

Croydon Croydon is a large town in south London, England, south of Charing Cross. Part of the London Borough of Croydon, a local government district of Greater London. It is one of the largest commercial districts in Greater London, with an exten ...

road is also part of the pattern. To the east and south, however, the open space of

Hayes Common Hayes Common is a 79-Hectare (195 acre) area of public open land in Hayes in the London Borough of Bromley. It is owned and managed by Bromley Council. It is Site of Metropolitan Importance for Nature Conservation, and a small area is part of t ...

precludes building of any kind. The old village area along Hayes Street, also known as 'Old Hayes', today contains some small shops, though the local post office closed in 2004 (the nearest is now in the main shopping area near the station). The timbered cottage on the eastern side of Hayes Street was originally the village bakery, then it became a newsagents called "The Walnut Tree", until 2006, when it changed to residential use. The former village school remains a second village hall; the local primary school in George Lane has expanded in size in recent years, and now has three class groups in each year. It is extremely popular, and many of its pupils go on to Hayes School in West Common Road. Hayes Library, Hayes (West Face - 01)

The shopping area in ''Old Hayes'' functions as a second hub for commercial businesses, running along Hayes street opposite the church building. It consists of the public house, "The George", a mini-market, several hairdressers, a cycle shop, two coffee shops and a fish and chip shop. Next to the church is the village

public library A public library is a library that is accessible by the general public and is usually funded from public sources, such as taxes. It is operated by librarians and library paraprofessionals, who are also civil servants. There are five fundamen ...

, occupying the old

rectory A clergy house is the residence, or former residence, of one or more priests or ministers of religion. Residences of this type can have a variety of names, such as manse, parsonage, rectory or vicarage. Function A clergy house is typically o ...

building (since replaced by the new rectory), and is surrounded by the library gardens, a small area of parkland containing tennis courts. On the north side of the church is Hayes Village Hall, built in 1927 by Hayes Community Council. This was led by Canon Thompson. It remains a hub of Village life. Hayes Street Farm continues to play an important role in the village setting. Several public pathways and popular walking routes run through the farmland, and regular

car boot sale Car boot sales or boot fairs are a form of market in which private individuals come together to sell household and garden goods. They are popular in the United Kingdom, where they are often referred to simply as 'car boots'. Some scientifi ...

s are hosted on the farm fields. There is a group called Hayes Village Association (HVA) which meet regularly to inform people about local issues. They regularly liaise with Bromley Council on planning matters and they give a voice to residents and businesses on a variety of issues. HVA produce a quarterly magazine with local interest articles and events, as well as details of businesses in the locality.

Sports and leisure

West Face of the Church of Saint Mary the Virgin, Hayes (02)

There are numerous playing fields and sports grounds around the periphery of Hayes: such as the Metropolitan Police Sports Ground at the Warren. It is also home, since 1927, to the world-famous Blackheath Harriers Athletics Club (now

Blackheath and Bromley Harriers Athletic Club Blackheath & Bromley Harriers AC is an athletics club based in South-East London, England. It is based at the Sydney Wooderson Centre, 56 Bourne Way, Hayes, Kent. It competes in division one of the British Athletics League The British Athletics ...

) at their clubhouse ''The Sydney Wooderson Centre''. Sports bodies based in the area include: * Hayes Town FC (Formed 2016). Members of the Surrey South Eastern Combination, based at

FC's Tiepigs Lane ground. * Beccehamians RFC – a Rugby Union Club founded in 1933 plays competitive rugby at Sparrows Den at the bottom of Corkscrew Hill near West Wickham. * Hayes Cricket Club, based at the Warman Sport ground. * Bromley RFC – a Rugby union club started in 1886 and moved to Hayes Village in 1956 and are based at the Warman Sport ground. * Norman Park Athletics Track – one of the main athletics tracks in Bromley. * Bromley F.C. – A football club based at the Hayes Lane Stadium. * Hayes (Lawn) Tennis club, based at the Warman Sport ground. * Old Wilsonians Sports Club - on fields formerly known as Hayes Hill Sports Ground. * Urban

Krav Maga Krav Maga ( ; , ; ) is an Israeli martial art. Developed for the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), it is derived from a combination of techniques used in aikido, judo, karate, boxing, and wrestling. It is known for its focus on real-world situation ...

based at the Old School. * Bigfoot Cycle club. * Roebucks Cricket Club, based at Burton Pynsent House.

Arts and culture

Cultural bodies in the area include: * Hayes Philharmonic Choir - 1945 - May 2017. * Allegri Singers - A

Chamber choir A chamber choir is a small or medium-sized choir of roughly 8 to 40 singers (occasionally called 'chamber singers'), typically singing classical or religious music in a concert setting. (This is distinct from e.g. a church choir, which sings in rel ...

created in 1981. * Hayes Players - An

Amateur theatre Amateur theatre, also known as amateur dramatics, is theatre performed by amateur actors and singers. Amateur theatre groups may stage plays, revues, musicals, light opera, pantomime or variety shows, and do so for the social activity as well as f ...

club founded in 1933. *Hayes Symphony Orchestra - A community

orchestra An orchestra (; ) is a large instrumental ensemble typical of classical music, which combines instruments from different families. There are typically four main sections of instruments: * bowed string instruments, such as the violin, viola, c ...

, created in 1947, that has three concerts a year.

Transport

Rail

Hayes railway station is the terminus for Hayes line services operated by

Southeastern The points of the compass are a set of horizontal, radially arrayed compass directions (or azimuths) used in navigation and cartography. A compass rose is primarily composed of four cardinal directions—north, east, south, and west—each sep ...

to and from

London Charing Cross Charing Cross railway station (also known as London Charing Cross) is a central London railway terminus between the Strand and Hungerford Bridge in the City of Westminster. It is the terminus of the South Eastern Main Line to Dover via Ashf ...

and

London Cannon Street Cannon Street station, also known as London Cannon Street, is a central London railway terminus and connected London Underground station in Travelcard zone 1 located on Cannon Street in the City of London and managed by Network Rail. It is o ...

stations.

Buses

Hayes is served by Transport for London bus routes 119 (24 hour service),

138 138 may refer to: *138 (number) *138 BC *AD 138 Year 138 ( CXXXVIII) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Niger and Camer ...

, 146, 246,

314 __NOTOC__ Year 314 ( CCCXIV) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Rufius and Annianus (or, less frequently, year 1067 ''Ab ...

353 __NOTOC__ Year 353 ( CCCLIII) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Magnentius and Decentius (or, less frequently, year 110 ...

and 638.

Education

* Hayes School - a mixed

secondary school A secondary school describes an institution that provides secondary education and also usually includes the building where this takes place. Some secondary schools provide both '' lower secondary education'' (ages 11 to 14) and ''upper seconda ...

with academy status. Awarded WCSQM "World Class" status in October 2015.

Green spaces

The area sits near the edge of the London conurbation and contains several parks, notably: *

- a 79 hectare area of public open land. * Husseywell Park * Coney Hall Recreation Ground * Pickhurst Park * The Knoll - an Ornamental Ground of four and a half hectares with lakes and specimen forest trees

Notable residents

* Vicary Gibbs (1751-1820) - judge and politician, buried at St Mary the Virgin churchyard. * Christopher Greener (1943-2015) - actor and basketball player, lived for much of his life in Hayes. *

Everard Hambro Sir Everard Alexander Hambro (11 April 1842 – 26 February 1925) was a British banker and philanthropist. Early life Everard Hambro was born 11 April 1842 in Willesden, London. Charles Mosley (ed.), ''Burke's Peerage and Baronetage'', Crans, ...

(1842-1925) - banker and philanthropist, lived at Hayes Place. * Thomas John Hussey (1792-1866) - local clergyman and astronomer, thought to be first person to suggest the existence of

Neptune Neptune is the eighth planet from the Sun and the farthest known planet in the Solar System. It is the fourth-largest planet in the Solar System by diameter, the third-most-massive planet, and the densest giant planet. It is 17 time ...

. * John Ferguson McLennan (1827-1881) - advocate, social anthropologist and ethnologist, died in Hayes. *

(1708-1778) - British Prime Minister, lived at Hayes Place. *

(1759-1806) - British Prime Minister, born and grew up at Hayes Place. *

Pete Sears Peter Roy Sears (born 27 May 1948) is an English rock musician. In a career spanning more than six decades, he has been a member of many bands and has moved through a variety of musical genres, from early R&B, psychedelic improvisational rock o ...

- musician, grew up in Hayes.

Gallery

File:Hayes shops on Station Approach.jpg, Shops on Station Approach File:The New Inn, Hayes.jpg, The New Inn pub opposite the train station File:Hayes village shops.jpg, Shops on Hayes Street File:Hayes library.jpg, Hayes Library File:St Mary the Virgin, Hayes.jpg, St Mary the Virgin church, listed at grade II File:The George pub, Hayes.jpg, The George pub