The London/Kent boundary - Birchwood Road Swanley

A SQUARE BY SQUARE LOOK AT LONDON
TQ 50 70 A suburban area on the outskirts of Swanley

Boundary Kent/London/Bexley - The boundary goes eastwards along Old London Road to Birchwood, which it turns south to follow. It leaves it to the east and crosses London Road slightly to the east of it. Here it meets the Bromley border and the Sevenoaks District border.
Boundary Kent/London/Bromley - The boundary crosses London Road and goes down the eastern slip of a crossing, down a road and its continuation as a path, skirting Heathwood Gardens and going parallel to it, to the bridge over the Swanley Bypass at the junction of Trunks Alley and The Croft.

Post to the south Swanley


On the boundary
Birchwood Corner
Bull Hotel. Large roadhouse. Closed and derelict. It had become the Déjà Vu – 'for a drink, a fight and a slapper'. Amazing big sign outside with a cut-out bull on it – it had been ‘The Bull of Birchwood’

Birchwood Road
Birchwood Pub. Did this used to be called the Alma?
Coal post in the hedge at the junction with Ladenhatch Lane

Swanley By pass
Started in 1964 to Mway standards. 1926-27 Ruxley to Wrotham KCC 1926

material has been collected over many years and from many sources

Comments

Anonymous said…
Yes the Birchwood was previously The Alma. It is now shut.

The Bull is being redevoloped as of 18/8/2010
18 August 2010 at 07:17
Chrissywissy said…
I lived in the Bull at Birchwood from the age of five years. My family were the licensees and the pub was staffed by my aunts and uncles. I remember the ballroom, the flat roof at the rear, the large cellar with its 4 (?) hoists to the various bars and the massive car park. This was the sixth largest pub in Britain. Its a shame it wasn't restored back to its former glory.
11 February 2012 at 00:11
Martin said…
No the Bull was not previously the Alma. The Alma was just across the Birchwood road from the Bull. It stood behind the petrol station for many years.
Map here showing both pubs. http://i454.photobucket.com/albums/qq263/barney_uk/bull%20alma.jpg
22 March 2016 at 14:50
Anonymous said…
Chrissywissy,my dad did a lot of work in the bull,we moved in opposite in 1964,the only time i went in for a drink was the day i got married in 1988.i will never forget
20 October 2017 at 15:54
Alison Tanner said…
Chrissywissy my mother lived at the Bull with her family - Fred Waters was her father and was, I believe the publican, for a while. Like you, it was staffed by aunts and uncles. I have an amazing photo from the 1930's I believe, of the staff and my mothers family.
11 February 2018 at 09:52
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