Description
Queensmead is public open space, part of the complex with Martin's Hill and Church House Gardens. Formerly a meadow and hop gardens, the area below Martin's Hill was purchased by the local Board in 1887 to celebrate Queen Victoria's Jubilee and set aside for recreational use, renamed Queen's Mead. It was a traditional gathering place for fairs and events, one such being 'Broom Day', an annual celebration when thousands of people gathered wearing sprigs of broom, in celebration of the shrub that gave Bromley its name.
Practical Information
| Previously known as | Queensmead Recreation Ground; Queen's Mead |
|---|---|
| Site location | Queensmead Road, Bromley |
| Postcode | BR2 0ER |
| What3Words | ///bring.tiles.shape |
| Type of Site | Public Park |
| Borough | Bromley |
| Open to Public | Yes |
| Opening Times | unrestricted |
| Facilities | Football pitch, bowling green |
| Public Transport | Rail: Shortlands |
| Research Updated | 1 February 2009 |
| Last Updated | 18 October 2026 |
Full description
Queensmead is public open space, part of the complex with Martin's Hill (q.v.) and Church House Gardens (q.v.). Up to 1887 the area below Martin's Hill was a meadow and hop gardens. It was purchased by the local Board for £4600 in 1887 to celebrate Queen Victoria's Jubilee and set aside for recreational use, renamed Queen's Mead. It was a traditional gathering place for fairs and events, one such being 'Broom Day', an annual celebration when thousands of people gathered wearing sprigs of broom, in celebration of the shrub that gave Bromley its name. The programme for Bromley's 'Broom'-Day Gala on 28 June 1933 contained 'the complete Guide to the Carnival, Fair and Fete, Displays and Exhibitions' as well as 'Entertaining Contributions of interest to all', with proceeds in aid of local hospitals and charities.
The park remains primarily for sports use with perimeter planting to the west and south. There is a Silver Jubilee drinking fountain; a sports pavilion and bowling green were provided between 1897 and 1909 as recreational facilities for the residents of the housing that had begun to be built in the area from 1872 onwards. At this time the River Ravensbourne was culverted and its course redirected. The Ravensbourne was the source of power for a mill in this area from at least the time of the Domesday Book in 1086; the C19th use of the mill for grinding mirrors and lenses led to the name Glassmill Lane. The Friends of Bromley Town Parks and Gardens have been seeking restoration of the culverted river, and this has resulted in a major study by Arup / the Environment Agency in 2008. The most ambitious of the options proposed is creation of a new meandering channel across the mead with a variety of water meadow features (funding not yet in place).
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 park remains primarily for sports use with perimeter planting to the west and south. There is a Silver Jubilee drinking fountain; a sports pavilion and bowling green were provided between 1897 and 1909 as recreational facilities for the residents of the housing that had begun to be built in the area from 1872 onwards. At this time the River Ravensbourne was culverted and its course redirected. The Ravensbourne was the source of power for a mill in this area from at least the time of the Domesday Book in 1086; the C19th use of the mill for grinding mirrors and lenses led to the name Glassmill Lane. The Friends of Bromley Town Parks and Gardens have been seeking restoration of the culverted river, and this has resulted in a major study by Arup / the Environment Agency in 2008. The most ambitious of the options proposed is creation of a new meandering channel across the mead with a variety of water meadow features (funding not yet in place).
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 | TQ396691 |
|---|---|
| Size in hectares | 6 |
| Site Ownership | LB Bromley |
| Site Management | idverde |
| Dates | 1887 |
| 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 | No |
| 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
Reputedly named after a baker who lived here, Martin's Hill had long been a place where the people of Bromley promenaded. It was once famous for the broom that grew here, the plant after which Bromley takes its name. Between 1868 and 1872 only part of the hill was set aside for public use, the rest being open fields, the lower slopes formerly used for growing hops. In 1878, when the area was under threat of development, the site was acquired from the Ecclesiastical Board by Bromley Council and opened as the town's first ornamental park.
Pixfield Court Grounds and Valley School Field are remnants of the grounds and meadow of Pixfield, a Georgian house built in 1774. In 1936 the house was converted to flats and renamed Pixfield Court, with a new block adjacent. Part of the meadow was retained as grounds while the remainder was made over to Valley School as a playing field. In c.1990 the school took over adjacent allotments, which were provided with a strip of land on the northern edge of Valley School Field. The setting is backed by Bromley Hill Wood, the southernmost remnant of primeval oak woodland that was acquired in 1799 by Charles Long as part of his large Bromley Hill Place estate. It was purchased by Samuel Cawston in 1881, who developed a luxurious garden suburb called Bromley Park, retaining large areas of the woodland.
Church House Gardens and Library Gardens are now one public park but were originally two sites: Library Gardens formed from the grounds of 'Neelgherries', and those of Church House. Neelgherries was bequeathed to Bromley Town Council in 1900 and the Library and Gardens were opened to the public in 1906. Church House Gardens, purchased by Bromley Town Council in 1926, were connected to the Library Gardens and opened in July 1927. The two open spaces were combined in 1930 and have dramatic topography with a lake at the foot of richly planted slopes.