Priory Gardens *

Site on The National Heritage List for England, Parks & Gardens, for Register Entry see https://www.historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list

Public park on a much older site, The Priory, which dates from pre-1270 and was improved in 1471. The public park and garden was largely developed to the present (2002) layout from the late C19th in 1865 by the then owner, Dr Herbert Broom, who was very enthusiastic about the history of the mansion, by this time known as the Priory. It is thought that he was responsible for laying out the garden in the antique style. (Walford 1883). In 1919 The Priory became the home of Cecil Hughes, a successful landscape painter and member of the Landscape Institute where he met and became friendly with Geoffrey Jellicoe and Jock Shepherd. Gertrude Jekyll was a personal friend of Mrs Hughes who was a keen horticulturist. After Cecil Hughes died his family left The Priory in 1941.

An extract from the LB Bromley website gives the following details: 'In 1946 the Orpington Urban District Council, the British Legion, the local Churches and other notables set up a working party to ascertain the views of the community as how to commemorate the fallen of the Second World War. The Working Party suggested a number of alternatives but the ones finding popular support were: a) Purchase of the Priory Gardens and turn them into a Garden of Remembrance where people could reflect upon lost ones. There was to be a bandstand, rose gardens, etc. b) Build the Petts Wood War Memorial Hall; c) Build the Cudham Village War Memorial Hall. The Orpington Urban Council did all three. While the Petts Wood and Cudham War Memorial halls all indicated their purpose there was no indication as to why the Priory Gardens had been purchased in 1947. The Mayor, Councillor Sue Polydorou, unveiled a Blue Plaque on 11th November 1999, in the presence of a large number of guests from the Royal British Legion, Councillors and members of the public. As the Mayor unveiled the Blue Plaque she said, "this last Armistice Day of this century was a fitting time to remember those who paid the ultimate sacrifice for the freedoms enjoyed by the current generations and those to follow in the 21st century. We shall be eternally grateful to those who took up arms to defend this country and this should never be forgotten". The mayor dedicated the Blue Plaque to the many citizens from the Orpington area who died or who were wounded together with their families whose pains of loss still lasts to this day.'

Orpington District Council bought the building in 1947 and the grounds in 1959. The building was used as offices and currently houses a museum (opened 1965) and attached public library built 1957-58 (opened c.1961). The grounds were opened as a public park in 1962. The gardens near to the mansion continue to reflect the influence of the Arts and Crafts Movement and the last private owners' interest in Italian Gardens. Sir Geoffrey Jellico designed the Theatre Garden. There are three lakes, two largest connected by cascade and crossed by bridge and this forms the main feature of the park. Situated to the north of the park it is screened in places by ornamental trees and decorated by two islands. The lake is divided into two unequal parts by an ornamental cascade. Much of planting is C19th: fine beech at the north end, large sycamores around the play area in the north-west; the north / south tree-lined walk has a mix of lime, oak, beech, horse chestnut etc. Formal Arts and Crafts gardens north of Priory, designed by Mr and Mrs Hughes during their ownership including sunken garden, pergola garden, yew enclosures, box-edged beds. Public park planting includes lawns dotted with cypresses, willows, and a modest rockery. There are notable post-war wrought iron gates at the north end; north lake open through modern railings to High Street. The main gates near Court Road came from High Elms Country Park (q.v.) in 1960.

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. 

The Historic Buildings and Monuments Commission for England was established in 1984 and was commonly called English Heritage. In April 2015 it split into 2 separate entities, Historic England (HE), which continues to champion and protect the historic environment, and the English Heritage Trust, whose role is to look after the 400+ historic sites and monuments owned by the state. HE manages the National Heritage List for England (NHLE) that includes over 400,000 items ranging from prehistoric monuments to office blocks, battlefields and parks, which benefit from legal protection.