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Shoreham
Shoreham maps
Historic maps of Shoreham and the local area, hand-drawn by Ordnance Survey and Samuel Lewis. View all Shoreham maps
Shoreham area books
Displaying 1 of 23 books about Shoreham and the local area. View all books for this area
You can read extracts and browse photos from these books.
Memories of Shoreham
Displaying a selection of personal
memories of Shoreham.
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Memories of Shoreham And Otford
My fathers parents, Edward and Winifred Simmons, ran the general stores in the Parade at Otford in the 1950s and early 1960s. My mother, her sister and parents, Grace and Alfred Maddock, lived in Bubblestone Road. My parents started courting after going to a dance at Otford Village Hall and were married at St Bartholomews Church, Otford in 1953. Their early married life was spent in Bromley. As a child, I recall visits to my grandparents - my father driving the Anglia down the enchanting lane of Old Polhill that lead to the beautiful "golden valley" that still looked much as it would have done to Samuel Palmer when he was painting in the early 19th century. It always felt to me as if I was coming home. When I was about nine we visited Ye Olde George Inn at Shoreham on a warm, late summer... Read more
Kent memories
Eagleton Family Living in Otford
My Grandparents, Thomas & Marie Eagleton lived at The Charne in Otford. As a child I would always play amongst the weeping willows that grew by their house. My grandad would take me for long walks across the fields where we would occasionally pick corn on the cob and even some hops. We would search for owl pellets to retrieve the tiny skeletons of small vermin and birds. We never did make it up to the chalk cross on the hill. My Nan worked in Mrs Mac's Tea room on the round-a-bout by the pond. My father, David Eagleton attended Otford Primary school. I'm told that an Eagleton also lived in the bungalow next to the ruin. My grandad and his daughter Janet are buried at Otford cemetery. My heart will always be in Otford, I have good memories there and I try to visit at least 7 times a year.
My Childhood in Knatts Valley
I was born in Knatts Valley, in a bungalow belonging to George and Elsie Lines of Lynwood, friends of my mother and father. George became my Godfather, and one of my names is also George. I was supposed to have been born at Lavendale but it was not yet fully built. My Grandparents, Tom and Kate Griffiths lived next door at The Camp. I was Christened at the little parish church at Woodlands, and after the war went to West Kingsdown village school. I walked each day across the hill and farmland to get there. Later I went to the local school at Farningham when a school bus was laid on.
When I was eight years old and father had returned from the war (he was in the fart east) we moved to London, however I spent every school holiday in knatts valley with my Grandparents.
I used to go swimming in the pool at East Hill (The water always seemed... Read more
Romney Street
This photo shows in the foreground the rather substantial house lived in during the 1950s by the Barkus family, who owned the adjoining caravan site (to the right of the photo) and who served teas and refreshments for the benefit of the regular rambling and cycling passers-by; for my brothers and me it was the nearest place to buy sweets, lemonade and ice cream. The Fox and Hounds pub (just beyond the further cottage and set back from the road) also benefited from the passing trade as well as the local trade and (allegedly!) late-night customers from near-by Eynsford. The Barkuses' house was later demolished after they sold it and it made way for the two rather disappointing self-built bungalows that now occupy the site.
In the right-hand foreground of the picture the figure of my younger brother can just be made out. He was born in 1949 and I believe he must have been around three or four when this picture was taken. He was a close... Read more
My Subsequent Visit 29.10.2008
My wife and I had pre-arranged to meet my sister and her entourage in the Fox and Hounds at midday yesterday. The long and winding lane from Eynsford became muddier and narrower with each passing mile and we were suddenly confronted with a large lorry coming in the opposite direction. The driver couldn't back up because he was being closely followed by a white-van-man so we had to reverse for about 50 yards into what passed as a layby which tested my wife's driving skill to the utmost. However that little episode quickly passed and we continued uphill until we saw the sign for the Fox and Hounds, I swear that particular sign was the one that I first saw in 1955. On entering the pub I noticed that it was much larger than before and according to Jeff the publican it had been merged with a former cottage that once stood there. There were some of the features from my first visit, for example the pews and the fireplace.... Read more
The Fox And Hounds
I remember when my first racing bike was bought for me. I bought a survey map of north west Kent and decided that I would go to Eynsford as I had been there many times by bus and now I had independant means and no limit as to where I could travel. After arriving at Eynsford I looked at my map and decided to go to Cotmans Ash and on the way passed Romney Street with its pub and collection of houses and caravans. I liked the area because it was a backwater with little or no traffic and I could cycle without the fear of heavy lorries and other large vehicles. I logged Romney Street in my mind and a few years later on New Year's Eve with a few friends we decided to call in at the Fox and Hounds. I could not believe that in the early sixties such a place could exist, there was no electricity, there were oil lamps on the bar, candles on the... Read more
Re Meddicks in Knatts Valley
My parents bought land and built a house in Knatts Valley named Holmwood in 1926. My mother was the first postmistress in the valley. My brother and I both attended Kingsdown Primary School from 1932-42. We grew up knowing the valley like the back of our hand. We left the valley in 1942 and have lived in Australia for the last 58 yrs My grandparents are buried in Woodlands Cemetery. My grandfather Meddick was the chief air raid warden in the first part of the war and died in 1942.
