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Hayes Common is a 79-
/ref> Hayes Common is one of the largest areas of common land in Greater London, with of protected commons.
Archaeological excavations have revealed pieces from the late-
*
Hectare
The hectare (; SI symbol: ha) is a non-SI metric unit of area equal to a square with 100-metre sides (1 hm2), or 10,000 m2, and is primarily used in the measurement of land. There are 100 hectares in one square kilometre. An acre is a ...
(195 acre) area of public open land in Hayes in 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 332,336 ...
. It is owned and managed by Bromley Council
Bromley London Borough Council is the local authority for the London Borough of Bromley in Greater London, England. It is one of 32 London borough councils.
History
There have previously been a number of local authorities responsible for the Bro ...
. It is Site of Metropolitan Importance for Nature Conservation
Site of Nature Conservation Interest (SNCI), Site of Importance for Nature Conservation (SINC) and regionally important geological site (RIGS) are designations used by local authorities in the United Kingdom for sites of substantive local nature ...
, and a small area is part of the Keston and Hayes Commons Site of Special Scientific Interest
A Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) in Great Britain or an Area of Special Scientific Interest (ASSI) in the Isle of Man and Northern Ireland is a conservation designation denoting a protected area in the United Kingdom and Isle of ...
. The common is an area of woodland and heath, crossed by bridleway
A bridle path, also bridleway, equestrian trail, horse riding path, ride, bridle road, or horse trail, is a trail or a thoroughfare that is used by people riding horses, riding on horses. Trails originally created for use by horses often now s ...
s and footpaths.Hayes Common, London Gardens Online/ref> Hayes Common is one of the largest areas of common land in Greater London, with of protected commons.
History
Archaeological excavations have revealed pieces from the late-Neolithic
The Neolithic period, or New Stone Age, is an Old World archaeological period and the final division of the Stone Age. It saw the Neolithic Revolution, a wide-ranging set of developments that appear to have arisen independently in several parts ...
period and ditches, pits and post holes dating back to the Bronze Age
The Bronze Age is a historic period, lasting approximately from 3300 BC to 1200 BC, characterized by the use of bronze, the presence of writing in some areas, and other early features of urban civilization. The Bronze Age is the second pri ...
. 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". The common was used for centuries as a place where local people could collect firewood and graze cattle, and by the early nineteenth century it was the site of the Hays Fair, a popular day out for Londoners.The common has also been the venue for the crowning of the London May Queen for 105 years as of 2017.
In the 1860s the owner of the land, Sir John Lennard, began to sell off plots in the neighbouring West Wickham Common for housing, and the Hayes commoners feared that their common would suffer the same fate. They organised opposition, and in 1869 Hayes Common was the first common to be protected against enclosure under the Metropolitan Commons Act 1866
The Metropolitan Commons Act 1866 (29 & 30 Vict c 122) is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom that allowed local authorities within the area of the Metropolitan Police District around London, England to use income from rates to protect ...
. In 1937 the Municipal Borough of Bromley
Bromley was a local government district in northwest Kent from 1867 to 1965 around the town of Bromley. The area was suburban to London, and formed part of the Metropolitan Police District and from 1933 was included in the area of the London Pas ...
became the freeholder of the common, and when the Municipal Borough was abolished in 1965 the London Borough of Bromley inherited ownership. In 2000, the Friends of Hayes Common was formed to help maintain the common.
During the Second World War there were eight anti-aircraft guns fitted there, four 4.5 guns on permanent bases and four mobile 3.7 guns
Site of Special Scientific Interest
A area of shrub heath south east of the junction of Croydon Road and Baston Road forms part of the ''Keston and Hayes Commons Site of Special Scientific Interest''. In 2008 its condition was assessed as "unfavourable recovering".Access
There is access to the common from Baston Road, Baston Manor Road, Five Elms Road, Croydon Road, Prestons Road, Warren Road, West Common Road and Commonside.Hayes railway station
Hayes railway station is a railway station located in Hayes in the London Borough of Bromley, south east London, England. It is from .
The main entrance is in the centre of a shopping arcade on Station Approach, with a secondary entrance fro ...
and buses are nearby.
See also
* List of Sites of Special Scientific Interest in Greater London
In England, Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs) are designated by Natural England, which is responsible for protecting England's natural environment. Designation as an SSSI gives legal protection to the most important wildlife and geolo ...
* Parks and open spaces in the London Borough of Bromley The London Borough of Bromley in Greater London, England has over one hundred parks and open spaces within its boundaries: some large, like Crystal Palace Park, and some small, such as recreation grounds. Some of the open spaces form part of the Sou ...
References
{{Parks and open spaces in London Common land in London Parks and open spaces in the London Borough of Bromley Sites of Special Scientific Interest in London