Description
High Broom Wood is a linear area of ancient woodland with the River Beck running north/south at the bottom of steep sided banks. Most of the trees are semi-mature having a scrub and bramble understorey. Paths, which in places have traces of metaling, meander through the woods. Occasional open spaces are largely overgrown. There is rich plant life here with a number of rare wetland plants growing. Trees on the higher land include sweet chestnut, oak coppice and birch with alder lower down.
Practical Information
| Site location | St David’s Close, West Wickham |
|---|---|
| Postcode | BR4 0QZ |
| What3Words | ///club.studio.intro |
| Type of Site | Public Open Land |
| Borough | Bromley |
| Open to Public | Yes |
| Opening Times | unrestricted |
| Events | Occasional nature walks organised by Park Rangers |
| Public Transport | Rail: West Wickham, Eden Park. Bus: 119, 194, 198, 356, 358, 494. |
| Research Updated | 19 July 2023 |
| Last Updated | 18 October 2026 |
Full description
High Broom Wood was originally part of the Monk’s Orchard Estate and parts may have been the garden of Oak Lodge house but the building of Bethlem Hospital in 1928, which opened in 1934, and the construction of Monks Orchard Road in 1931 divided High Broom Wood from the rest of Bethlem Hospital (q.v.). The other boundary of High Broom Wood is now formed by St. David’s Close and Chamberlain Crescent, which were built on farmland in the 1950s and 1960s.
During WWII, High Broom Wood was used as a dump for material from adjacent bomb-damaged houses; remnants of this material can still be seen on the pathways and has been uncovered during conservation work undertaken by the Friends of High Broom Wood, which was set up in 2007. The wood 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.
During WWII, High Broom Wood was used as a dump for material from adjacent bomb-damaged houses; remnants of this material can still be seen on the pathways and has been uncovered during conservation work undertaken by the Friends of High Broom Wood, which was set up in 2007. The wood 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 | TQ375667 |
|---|---|
| Size in hectares | 7.2 |
| Site Ownership | LB Bromley |
| Site Management | idverde; Friends of High Broom Wood |
| 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 |
| 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
Blake Recreation Ground opened to the public in August 1932, named after the village doctor. It was later renamed Blake Park. The site may have been part of land belonging to Oak Lodge in the C19th, and once part of the Monks Orchard estate now divided from High Broom Wood by Oak Lodge Primary School. The park is a rectangular open space of mown grass with a perimeter tarmac path and is almost completely surrounded by houses, which are largely screened from the site by shrubs and hedges. A children’s playground is situated to the south-east and a sports field to the north. There are a few semi-mature chestnuts, oaks and ornamental pines.
Bethlem Royal Hospital purchased the Monks Orchard estate in 1924 and built the hospital here, moving in 1930. The former C18th/C19th landscape park of Wickham Park, now overlaid with a comprehensive design of early-mid C20th buildings, had extensive grounds. There remain numerous specimen trees, beech-hedged garden areas to the west, notable limes in the park to the south, and horse chestnuts along Monks Orchard Road, which was once part of the estate. The site is fronted to Monks Orchard Road with railings, and to the north with extensive laurel and rhododendron. There were extensive walled gardens to the west with backsheds including a mushroom house, but this became derelict and a new secure unit was built on the site in
The site is part of the old Langley Park estate, Which was purchased in 1733 by the Burrell family who also owned Holwood House and Kelsey Park and who employed Humphry Repton, although it is not known how much of his plans were undertaken here. The 2nd edition OS Map of 1898 shows two obelisks to the east, Red Lodge and Langley Park Lodge, and the River Beck, which runs to the west. The site is now split between residential housing, schools, Research laboratories, sports field and a Golf Course.