Green Street Green

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Not to be confused with Green Street Green, Darenth
Green Street Green
Kent
Location
Grid reference: TQ456635
Location: 51°21’8"N, -0°5’23"E
Data
Post town: Orpington
Postcode: BR6
Dialling code: 01689
Local Government
Council: Bromley
Parliamentary
constituency: 		Orpington

Green Street Green is a village in Kent at the southern edge of Orpington's townscape. It is located south of Orpington, west of Chelsfield, north-west of Pratt's Bottom, north of Hazelwood, and south-east of Farnborough.

Name

The name 'Green Street Green' originates from La Grenestrete c.1290, meaning the green or grassy hamlet.[1] It is recorded as Greenstreet Green in 1819, the addition of the suffix Green, referring to a village green.[2] The village did not historically form a parish of its own, instead forming part of the parishes of Farnborough and Chelsfield.[3]

History

Green Street Green was historically a hamlet, forming part of the coaching routes from London to Sussex.[1] Development only really started with the opening of Oak Brewery by Fox & Sons in 1836, the growth of which led to a modest expansion of the area.[1] Village life centred round the brewery until 1909 when it closed down, causing much unemployment.[1] The area managed to recover, with a row of shops being built along the High Street in 1912.[1] From the 1920s till the 1960s Green Street Green was such a popular meeting point for cyclists that several tea rooms opened in the village, attracting trade from the hordes of weekend cyclists who rode into the Kent countryside from London's suburbs.[1] The former Mrs Valentine Moon's teashop is still a landmark on the east side of Sevenoaks Road, standing opposite The Green.

The first modern housing development was at Chelsfield Park in the 1920s. There were plans to extensively remodel the area as a 'model village' in the 1940s; however, due to post-war financial constraints, this never happened.[1] In 1947, the Metropolitan Green Belt boundary was set at the edge of Green Street Green by the A20 and A21 roads. Intensive building, council and private, took place in the 1950s between the village High Street and new Chelsfield.[1] It was during this period that the attractive old people's dwellings were built at Brittenden Close, around three sides of a square lawn with rose gardens and terrace.[4] The old brewery became the Telcon Plastics factory site before the Second World War, and made way for a new housing estate in 1992.[1]

About the village

The parish church is St Mary's, which falls under the Parish of Green Street Green and Pratt's Bottom. It was built in the early 20th century and in the first decade of the 21st century underwent some work on both inside and out to make it more accessible.

Green Street Green's Baptist church, know to members as "The Green" is a pivotal part of the local community. It holds youth events such as the popular worship event "Encounter" and does work within the community with the young people from St Mary's Church in an initiative called "Liberation".

Green Street Green has a number of pubs, restaurants and coffee houses.

Sport

  • Football
    • Green Street Green Football Club
    • Green Street Green Rovers F.C.

Pictures

 ("Wikimedia Commons" has material
about Green Street Green)
  • Village sign at the north end of the High Street
    Village sign at the north end of the High Street
  • St Mary's Church, Worlds End Lane, built 1937[5]
    St Mary's Church, Worlds End Lane, built 1937[5]
  • The Queen's Head pub
    The Queen's Head pub
  • Green Street Green Baptist Church, built 1907[6]
    Green Street Green Baptist Church, built 1907[6]
  • Shops along the High Street
    Shops along the High Street
  • A replica Kentish oast house, now the Royal Oak pub, The Oast House was added to the original pub.
    A replica Kentish oast house, now the Royal Oak pub, The Oast House was added to the original pub.

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 1.8 Willey, Russ (2006). The London Gazetteer. Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd. pp. 202–03. 
  2. ↑ Mills, A., Dictionary of London Place Names, (2001)
  3. ↑ Bartholomew, J., Gazetteer of the British Isles, (1887)
  4. ↑ London Borough of Bromley Official Guide. Published by authority of the Council of the London Borough of Bromley (1971/74)
  5. ↑ "St Mary's Church". https://www.smasch.org/739e6fae.htm. 
  6. ↑ "Who Are We". http://www.gsgbaptist.org.uk. 
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