Description
Bullers Wood School was established in 1930 and occupies the house and grounds of a Victorian house, which was extended for John and Agnes Sanderson in the 1880s. Formal gardens were laid out around the house and the grounds contained fine woodland. The Sandersons continued to live here until 1920. A number of modern buildings have been added over the years to provide school facilities, although the landscape setting is preserved albeit somewhat altered.
Practical Information
| Previously known as | Bullers Wood |
|---|---|
| Site location | St Nicholas Lane, Logs Hill, Chislehurst |
| Postcode | BR7 5LJ |
| What3Words | ///shirt.expert.snack |
| Type of Site | Institutional Grounds |
| Borough | Bromley |
| Open to Public | Occasionally |
| Opening Times | private, although WEA courses open to the public are held at Bullers Wood. |
| Facilities | car park |
| Public Transport | Rail: Bickley, Elmstead Woods, Chislehurst. Bus:162. |
| Research Updated | 1 December 2006 |
| Last Updated | 18 October 2026 |
Full description
The first Bullers Wood House was built in the mid-C19th, a typical mid-Victorian stucco-fronted house; it was situated on a grassy hillside with extensive grounds including fields, woods, several cottages and a small farm. In 1872 it was leased by John Sanderson who had returned to this country to set up a headquarters in London for his large wool exporting company. Sanderson and his wife Agnes had a large family and he commissioned local architect Ernest Newton to extend and redecorate Bullers Wood. William Morris was commissioned to decorate and redesign the interiors. Newton extended the house to the east and west, throwing out bays with mullioned windows, the house then refaced with the present red brick. The vernacular revival style house and stables were completed in 1889 and this date is seen on the terrace gates. Newton also designed formal red brick terraced gardens to harmonise with the appearance of the house. The picturesque garden has formal terraces around the house, sloping lawns and glades between shrubs with many notable specimen trees. To the north-east, steps descend into predominantly oak woodlands, now rather overgrown and obscuring views. This woodland also contains many specimen trees including cypress, yew and Scots pine, and there are rhododendron-lined walks along the contours. The ‘superb' setting of the house is highlighted by Bridget Cherry in 'The Buildings of England'.
Several of the surviving members of the Sanderson family were scattered round the world after WWI and the family house was sold in 1920 after the death of 'Granny' Agnes Sanderson. The property became Bullers Wood School, which was established in 1930, and the house now contains the school's language college. The drive to Bullers Wood from the main entrance in St Nicholas Lane leads past a late C19th lodge house. Although much altered, the landscape has attractive woodland.
Several of the surviving members of the Sanderson family were scattered round the world after WWI and the family house was sold in 1920 after the death of 'Granny' Agnes Sanderson. The property became Bullers Wood School, which was established in 1930, and the house now contains the school's language college. The drive to Bullers Wood from the main entrance in St Nicholas Lane leads past a late C19th lodge house. Although much altered, the landscape has attractive woodland.
Further Information
| Grid Reference | TQ423698 |
|---|---|
| Site Ownership | LB Bromley |
| Site Management | Bullers Wood School |
| Dates | 1889 |
| Designers | Ernest Newton |
| Listed Structures | LBII: Bullers Wood House |
| On National Heritage List for England (NHLE), Parks & Gardens | No |
| Registered common or village green on Commons Registration Act 1965 | No |
| Protected under London Squares Preservation Act 1931 | No |
| Local Authority | Bromley |
| In Conservation Area | No |
| Tree Preservation Order | No |
| Nature Conservation Area | Yes - Borough Importance II |
| Green Belt | No |
| Metropolitan Open Land | No |
| Special Policy Area | No |
| Other LA Designation | Urban Open Space |
Please note the Inventory and its content are provided for your general information only and are subject to change. It is your responsibility to check the accuracy.
Nearby parks and gardens
St George's Church was built in 1863-5 to serve the new Bickley Park Estate being developed by George Wythes. The land was formerly part of the estate of William Dent, Chairman of the Mid-Kent Railway Company. Wythes' estate is a good example of suburban development built for the upper classes after the railway brought greater access to the capital. The churchyard is largely grass, with wooden crosses and a WWI war memorial, and contains a number of mature trees including a large Holm oak, yew and other trees. Despite adjoining a busy road to the south, the churchyard's trees and boundary hedge give a quiet shaded aspect.
Camden Park Golf Course was established for the newly formed Chislehurst Golf Club in 1894 on part of the former C18th landscape park of Camden Place. The old mansion was converted as the golf clubhouse and there are vestiges of parkland planting although it was largely altered when the golf course was laid out.
* on The National Heritage List for England, Parks & Gardens
Sundridge Park was a country estate surrounded on 3 sides by woodland. In 1793 the then owner Edward George Lind sought the advice of Humphry Repton, who recommended re-siting the house and forming the surrounding farmland into a park. His advice was followed by the subsequent owner Claude Scott, who also appointed John Nash to build his new mansion. Although little of the earlier landscaping survives, there are remains of the C18th ha-ha that separated the pleasure grounds and park. Scott's son Samuel inherited the estate in 1830; a keen horticulturalist, he instigated various changes including building an elaborate conservatory, and the creation of Pulhamite rockwork features (now gone). The estate was eventually sold in the early C20th and what remains of the former land is now in divided ownership. Part of the parkland became a private golf club in 1901, and the mansion and immediate grounds were converted as a hotel, and later as a management training centre in the 1950s. The terrace garden by the house was redesigned by Rosemary Verey in 1992.
Sundridge Park was a country estate surrounded on 3 sides by woodland. In 1793 the then owner Edward George Lind sought the advice of Humphry Repton, who recommended re-siting the house and forming the surrounding farmland into a park. His advice was followed by the subsequent owner Claude Scott, who also appointed John Nash to build his new mansion. Although little of the earlier landscaping survives, there are remains of the C18th ha-ha that separated the pleasure grounds and park. Scott's son Samuel inherited the estate in 1830; a keen horticulturalist, he instigated various changes including building an elaborate conservatory, and the creation of Pulhamite rockwork features (now gone). The estate was eventually sold in the early C20th and what remains of the former land is now in divided ownership. Part of the parkland became a private golf club in 1901, and the mansion and immediate grounds were converted as a hotel, and later as a management training centre in the 1950s. The terrace garden by the house was redesigned by Rosemary Verey in 1992.