How Chelsfield Park has changed, 1982 to 2023
In the 1980s I was very concerned about the number of old buildings disappearing so I photographed parts of Orpington, Kent and London to create a record. I mainly focused on listed and locally listed buildings as well as anything else that was interesting.
This video is on what we now know as Chelsfield Park Hospital but in 1984 it was an empty disused hotel that I was worried was about to be demolished as there were proposals for the Churchill memorial hospital and I did not know if the existing building would be reused or not.
Well I have come back in 2023 to see what has happened.
I will cover location, some history and context and a good look at the 1984 photos.
Please stay to the end to for all the detail.
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Thank you for watching Eclectic Experience, change seen through images.
Chelsfield is located here, in Kent, on the edge of the London Borough of Bromley. It is just off the A224, the Orpington Bypass, which is quite significant and near the M25.
It is in a conservation area with lots of listed buildings, highlighted in orange on this map from the London Borough of Bromley.
And here on Historic England’s map.
The building we are focusing on is here just outside the village , but inside the conservation area.
According to Historic England this is a grade II listed building built in the early 19th century as a rectory.
For context this is the substantial Norman church in Chelsfield, St Martin of Tours, which is a grade II* listed building and will be included in an upcoming video. When I photographed it in 1984 I managed to capture the tower roof repairs, which is something that doesn't happen that often.
Here is the church on an Ordnance Survey map from 1871 and this is Chelsfield Park which was then known as the Rectory. Also notice how the church feels closer to the building as the A224, the Orpington Bypass was not yet built
This is Chelsfield Park on a 1910 map where the name has now been changed to Chelsfield House and this is the name that remained on Ordnance Survey maps at least until 1970.
Then on the 1932 map, the house still has the same name, but look at the impact of the Orpington Bypass, it has totally cut the house and the rest of the village off from the church
A bit of history, during the Second World War Chelsfield Park was used as a hospital to treat wounded soldiers.
It then became a hotel - Chelsfield Park Hotel which we see here in the 1982 photo., We can see the outside seating with the Schweppes canopy and at this time the grounds were still maintained.
This is the building in 1984 when it was empty just before it was converted from a hotel to its current use, and here it is in 2023.
Includes
Chelsfield Park Hotel
Chelsfield Park Hospital
St Martin of Tours Church
Five Bells, Chelsfield Pub
Deserted Hotel
Orpington Phone Numbers
Churchill Memorial Hospital
Kent
Courage Pubs
Free house
Sources:
London Borough of Bromley website
Historic England website
National Libraries of Scotland maps
