Keston

Keston is a pleasant village situated in the London Borough of Bromley. To the south of Central London, nearby towns include Bromley, Croydon and Beckenham. It lies within the M25 and has access to the M23, M26 and also the M20 which runs down to Folkestone providing a convenient gateway to mainland Europe. The motorway network makes it convenient to travel to both Gatwick and Heathrow airport and local bus routes are well serviced. The closest railway station can be found in Hayes and slightly further away is one at West Wickham. The village has retained its quaintness unlike other places within the vicinity and boasts plenty of natural open space. It has a common and with the one at Hayes easily accessible is a very green area and popular with residents and visitors. Centred around an 800 year old church, the locality has traditionally attracted wealthy families and landowners seduced by its old charms. The church itself is unusual as unlike many other churches, it is simply known as Keston Parish Church and does not affiliate itself with a saint. Keston Park is an exclusive gated community and houses approximately 200 high specification properties. The residents often host exclusive events and organise day trips. Famous inhabitants over the years have included the former Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher and Bill Wyman of the Rolling Stones. In the neighbouring village of Farnborough, there is also another gated community and residents of both come together and participate in activities such as golf challenges. As with many small places, the amenities are limited to just a few exclusive shops, bars, cafes and gastronomically tantalising restaurants. The town of Bromley is not far away and is where the larger shopping complexes and out of town retail parks can be found. There is also plenty here in the way of entertainment such as leisure centres, cinemas, bowling and nightclubs. It is very easy to forget though that London is deceptively close by as is the large Bluewater shopping centre. Outdoor entertainment is plentiful. With the River Ravensbourne beginning in Keston Ponds, wildlife and nature are both important aspects of the area. Indeed, Charles Darwin is known to have frequented the common at Keston to specifically study the local flora and fauna of the area with a particular focus on the habitat of earthworms. Scientifically, it was and still remains a rich location for a variety of species of fish, insects and small mammals. Historically, Keston was famous for its windmills and there have been three notable ones over the ages. Of the three, only one remains standing today on Keston Common and was built in 1716. There is also a link in the area to the Second World War. Biggin Hill Airport was previously an RAF base housing Spitfires and Hurricane aircraft with it also being the hub of operations to protect London during the Battle of Britain. Today the airport is still operational and serves many types of aeroplanes from amateur pilots to exclusive business jets.

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