Was a separate residence. on the Langley estate, about half a mile from the mansion, the entrance being through a tree-lined drive from Wickham Road.
Until 1775 the main road passed close to both Langley mansion and Langley Farm, but in that year Amy Burrell diverted the road to keep traffic away from the mansion, forming what is now South Eden Park Road. She built a footbridge across the diverted road to join her Langley estate with the Eden Farm Estate.
Langley Farm covered about 250 acres and in 1820 was occupied by A.W. Colville. Lancelot Holland lived there in 1830 and Henry Lancelot Holland in 1845. Mr. Holland’s eldest son Henry, a Governor of the Bank of England, married a daughter of Peter Cator, of The Hall, Bromley Road, and Mrs. Holland, the widow who died in 1876, was buried in the St. Georges Churchyard; one of her sons occupied Beckenham Place for a time. A subsequent tenant was Mrs. Gladstone whose first husband was Admiral Ralph Cator, the eldest son of Peter Cator.
The building was demolished in 1886 when Langley Court was built on the same site, the architect being James Barnett, of Beckenham. Until 1910 the house was occupied by James Loyd Bucknall and was taken over in 1920 by the Wellcome Foundation Laboratories when they moved from Brockwell Park, since when extensive premises for medical research have been added.
The site was sold in the 1990’s for development and the gated Park Langley Estate was built.
4 responses
:Jane coull. Old OS MAPS on nls Kent xv or national library of Scotland might show something circa 1860 1890. As you are in the old Langley estate there are several possibilities. Rebuilds or demolitions of various buildings gates or walls. A more precise location could help
I hope someone can help,we have just bought a house in Hayes Way and in tidying the garden we have come across a large amount of old style/handmade looking bricks.Does anyone know if ,once upon a time there was farm buildings here?
THE CHINESE GARAGE. I remember the Chinese garage back in the late 60s and 1970s when it was the garden was beautifully kept and there were fish in the pond. Local history websites say it was actually built as a garage but I thought I read somewhere that it was a sort of folly in the grounds of Langley court /house owned by the Bucknall family? Does anyone know please. I want to write an article for the Bromley District Talking News. Thanks.
As the Langley Estate, whether referred to as Langley Park or Langley Place is not under a separate heading on this site perhaps it can be expanded on here?
Hasted records this:
LANGLEY-PARK is a seat of eminent account in this parish, which was formerly accounted a manor, and in the reign of the Conqueror was part of the vast estate of Odo, bishop of Baieux, and earl of Kent; and is thus, if I mistake not, described in the general survey of Domesday, taken in that reign:
Goisfridus de Ros holds of the bishop (of Baieux) Lasela. It was taxed at 7 shillings. The arable land is . . . . . . . In demesne there are 3 carucates, and 31 villeins, with 14 borderers having 16 carucates. There are 10 servants, and one fishery producing fourscore and 10 eels; wood for the pannage of 55 hogs. The whole manor was worth, in the time of king Edward the Confessor, 30 pounds, when he received it 16 pounds, and now 24 pounds, what Goisfridus held; what Richard of Tonbridge held in his lowy was rated at 6 pounds; what the king held of this manor, 22 shillings. Brixi Cilt held it of king Edward.
This place afterwards came into the possession of the family of Malmaines, who were settled at Waldershare in this county, in the time of the Conqueror. John de Malmaines obtained a charter of free warren for his lands in Begenham, in the 12th year of king Edward II. which was renewed to Henry Malmaines, of Cliffe, in the 3d year of king Edward III. (fn. 22)
It appears by the Book of Aid, in the 20th year of king Edward III. that Nicholas Malmains held half a knight’s fee of the king in Begenham. He died, in the 23d year of that reign, possessed of much land in this county; (fn. 23) before the end of which, the property of this manor was transferred by sale to Langley, a name most probably taken from this place, though the family itself has been long since extinct. These Langleys of Beckingham were, most probably, adistinct family from those of Knowlton in this county, who were originally descended from a family of that name in the county of Warwick.
The last of this name here was Ralph Langley, who died in the 30th year of king Henry VI. and by his will directed Langley, with the rest of his demesnes in Beckenham, to be sold for discharging his debts; in pursuance of which it was passed away by sale to John Violett, who bore for his arms, Gules, three coronets, or, whose descendants enjoyed it until the beginning of the reign of king Henry VIII. when it was conveyed to John Stile, alderman of London. (fn. 24)
He was the son of William Style of Ipswich, was afterwards knighted, and of the Drapers company, and dying in 1500, was buried in Allhallows Barking church, London. He married Elizabeth, daughter and coheir of Sir Guy Wolston of London, by whom he had Sir Hum- phrey Style, of Langley, who was one of the esquires of the body to king Henry VIII. and sheriff of this county in the 35th year of the same reign. He died in 1557, and was buried in Beckenham church. He procured a grant from Sir Thomas Wriothesley, garter principal king at arms, reciting, that not being willing to bear arms in prejudice to the other branches of his family, he had petitioned for a coat, with a proper difference, which the said king at arms, in 1529, granted, under his hand and seal, viz. Sable, a fess engrailed between three fleurs de lis, within a bordure or, the fess fretted of the field.
He procured, with others, an act of parliament in the 2d and 3d years of king Edward VI. for the disgavelling of his lands in this county. (fn. 25)
By his first wife, Bridget, daughter of Sir Thomas Baldrey, he had three sons; Edmund, born at Langley, in 1538; Oliver, who was sheriff of London, and ancestor of the Styles, of Watringbury, barts. and Nicholas, who was knighted.
From Edmund Style of Langley, esq. before-mentioned, eldest son of Sir Humphrey, descended Sir Humphry Style of Langley, eldest son of William, who was gentleman of the privy-chamber to king James, and cupbearer to king Charles I. and was created a baronet, by privy-seal, on the 20th of May, 1627. (fn. 26) But though this branch was the elder to those of Watringbury, yet these last were the senior baronets, being created April 21, 1627, anno 3 Charles I. He died in 1650, and was buried in the vault at Beckenham church, and leaving no issue, his title became extinct, and he was succeeded in this estate at Langley by his half-brother, William, the eldest son of William Style by his second wife, Mary, daughter of Sir Robert Clarke, one of the barons of the exchequer.
This William Style of Langley, esq. was bred a barrister at law, and was of the society of the Inner Temple. He married Elizabeth, sole daughter and heir of William Duleing, by whom he had two sons, and two daughters, and dying in 1679, was buried in this church.
Of the sons, the second, but only surviving son Humphry, succeeded his father at Langley, in whose time there were several coats of arms, as well of this family as of those they had intermarried with, painted in the windows of this house, but dying without issue male, his only daughter and heir, Elizabeth, carried it in marriage to Sir John Elwill, bart. (fn. 27) who died in 1727, without issue by her. This family of Elwill was of Exeter in Devonshire, who bore for their arms, Ermine on a chevron engrailed, between three eagles displayed gules, three annulets or, and were advanced to the dignity of a baronet, in the person of Sir John Elwill, in the 8th year of queen Anne’s reign. He was twice married, but left issue only, by his second wife, the daughter and heir of — Leigh of Egham, in Surry, by whom he had two sons, Sir John above-mentioned, and Edmund, who succeeded his brother in title and in this estate of Langley, and in 1732 transferred his property in it, together with the house, called Langley-house, the park, and also the north and south isles of the parish church of Beckenham, to Hugh Raymond of Great Saling, in Essex, esq. who settled them on his only son, Jones Raymond, esq. in tail general; remainder to his eldest daughter, Amy, who married Peter Burrell, esq. and her issue male. On his death his son, Jones Raymond, esq succeeded to this estate, and kept his shrievalty for this county at Langley in 1738, in which year he died, and was succeeded by his son, of the same name, who died unmarried in 1768, on which it descended, by the intail before-mentioned, to his sister, Amy, before mentioned, whose husband, Peter Burrell, esq. in her right, became possessed of it. He died in 1756, having had by her, who survived him, four sons and two daughters. Mrs. Burrell, his widow, afterwards resided here, and died in 1794, on which this seat descended, together with her other estates in this parish, to her grandson, sir Peter Burrell, bart. since created lord Gwydir, of whom a full account has already been given, and he is the present possessor of this seat, with the park and grounds belonging to it.
End of quote.
I can only add that maps in the British Library show a complex interweave of land owners in the area around 1780 which map shows the intended South Eden Park road albeit very feintly. Accepting Hasted’s reference to Hugh Raymond who acquired the estate after surviving his liabilities after the South Sea Bubble affair both Hugh and Jones Raymond have memorials in St. Georges Church. An earlier undated map showing the south of the estate belonging to Jones Raymond ie pre 1768? also shows parts of the estate leased to Thomas Hatton and Richard Cooper as farmers. This map refers to ‘Langley Place’. Jones Raymond also acquired much of the Manor of Foxgrove on a map of 1766. A paper roll map of 1809 which is after several land exchanges between the Burrells and John Cator who had held land around Kelsey, Eden Farm and Langley shows Langley Park and most of the area south of Beckenham village in good detail with other landowners indicated where necessary. Such as Francis Motley Austin, Henry Hoare, John ( Barwell) Cator, Joseph Cator etc. That map also shows footprints of buildings in good detail.
At this time under the ownership of Peter Burrell/Lord Gwydyr a book of plans of parts of the estate leased to tenants is also in the British Library. The book of plans is particularly interesting as it shows in pencil annotation which crops were planted in which fields in or around that year. It becomes difficult to refer to estates as contiguous areas as most of them were epicentres based on grand houses with some satellite sites near and far.
Some provision on this site for adding images of maps etc. would perhaps be of use.