Description
A farmhouse was recorded here from the early C17th. The 1841 Tithe Map shows the land in the ownership of the Lord of the Manor, the Revd Sir Charles Farnaby. In 1935 the farm was sold for development, the farmhouse acquired by the church to be used as a rectory. Coney Hall Recreation Ground is an area of grass sloping to the north-east, almost completely surrounded by housing. The park is largely given over for sports, with some flower and shrub beds. A wide tarmac path, running north-east/south-west through the centre of the park, connects Layhams Road with Church Drive. It is part of the London Loop and has a meridian marker.
Practical Information
| Site location | Layhams Road/Church Drive off Kings Way, Coney Hall |
|---|---|
| Postcode | BR4 9HB |
| What3Words | ///report.power.stole |
| Type of Site | Public Park |
| Borough | Bromley |
| Open to Public | Yes |
| Opening Times | 7.30am weekdays/9am Sat/Sun/BHs - half hour after dusk |
| Facilities | Tennis courts; skateboard ramp; football pitches; bowling green; children’s play area. |
| Public Transport | Rail: Hayes then walk. Bus: 138 |
| Research Updated | 1 December 2006 |
| Last Updated | 18 October 2026 |
Full description
The park is now managed by idverde UK, which in June 2015 was contracted by Bromley Council for the management of the borough's parks, green spaces and countryside service, a relationship that was extended in April 2019 for a further 16 years.
Further Information
| Grid Reference | TQ392649 |
|---|---|
| Size in hectares | 24 |
| Site Ownership | LB Bromley |
| Site Management | idverde |
| Dates | pre 1950s |
| 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 | No |
| Green Belt | Yes |
| Metropolitan Open Land | No |
| Special Policy Area | No |
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 John the Baptist Church, West Wickham, is a medieval church probably extended or partially rebuilt at the behest of Sir Henry Heydon (d.1504), who purchased the manor in 1469, building Wickham Court as his house. The churchyard has tombs set among grass with a number of trees, and a path leads to the church from the restored C15th lych-gate at the entrance.
Sparrows Den was managed as pasture and arable land from at least 1632, when a survey showed it as 'Bourne feilde' crossed by a stream, the Wickham Bourne. In 1934 permission was given by the Ministry of Health for 31 acres of land to be purchased for recreational purposes by Bromley Rural District Council. Since then it became known as Sparrows Den. Apart from 1940-51 when it was ploughed for wartime food, it has been used as playing fields for rugby and football, with a miniature golf course added in 1964/6.
West Wickham Common was wasteland of the Old Manor of West Wickham. What remains of the common is closely connected with Hayes Common, formerly wasteland of the Manor of Baston. In the 1860s the Lord of both manors, Sir John Lennard, began to sell off plots of West Wickham Common for villas. It was feared that Hayes Common would go the same way, but following opposition it gained legal protection against enclosure in 1869. After a major public campaign the final 26 acres of West Wickham Common were purchased in 1892 by the Corporation of London for public open space. The land forms a steep scarp face and a flat area on its crest, mainly formed in gravels of the Harwich Formation. There are conspicuous earthworks of various dates from Neolithic to 1580, and oak pollards that are at least 600 years old.