After the relocation of Bromley Council in late 2024, volunteers have worked to rejuvenate the historic site of Bromley Palace into a public park.
Steeped in local history, the park is located in the heart of Bromley town centre and previously housed the Bishop of Rochester, Stockwell College, and more recently the Bromley Civic Centre.
Due to the park’s residential surroundings, many locals are unaware of the park’s existence as one resident has lived in Bromley for 70 years before she learned of its location.
The Friends of Bromley Palace Park, the group behind the transformation of the site, were initially part of the broader ‘Friends of Bromley Town Parks & Gardens’ group, although they later launched an unofficial splinter group to focus on Bromley Palace Park specifically.
Dawn, Chair of the Friends of Bromley Palace Park, said: “I was one of those typical dog walkers thinking look at the state of this.
“Then I thought stop complaining, pull up your big girl boots, and do something about it, so that’s how we formed the friends group.”
Since undertaking the rejuvenation, the volunteers have worked to restore the wildlife, protect historic features of the site, and host community activities such as guided bat walks and literary events.
Historically Bromley Palace dates back to 730AD when the Bishop of Rochester built Bromley Manor, with a portion of the manor’s moat existing within the park.
Meanwhile, the modern structure of Bromley Palace was constructed in 1775, and has recently been used as a filming location for Raye’s “Where is my Husband” music video and Danny Boyle’s upcoming film “INK”.
The area is also host to a variety of natural springs, such as St Blaise’s Well which was believed to have healing properties due to its chalybeate water.
Dawn said: “Bromley’s chalybeate springs probably don’t have the publicity of Tonbridge Wells, although we do have a local lady that will come and drink the water.
“As a friends group we don’t quite fancy drinking the water just yet, but we did have it blessed last February.”
Education has been an important component of the group’s plans for the space, as they recently installed free library bookcases within the park to promote reading and host educational visits for local scout groups.
Whilst the group have made strides in their refurbishment so far, their work is far from over, as they plan to dredge the moat of silt to support aquatic wildlife and refurbish a now-rotten on-site classroom for education groups.
To support the Friends of Bromley Palace Park, you can contribute to their crowdfunder, or volunteer with the group by emailing: [email protected]
Featured image credit: Oliver London
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