Thames Tributary Ravensbourne -Keston

Thames Tributary Ravensbourne
The Ravensbourne rises at Keston Ponds and begins to flow northwards

Post to the north Hayes Common

Commonside
Church Rooms – was site of Olive's Mill. a two-storey steam flour mill and outbuildings of the 1870s. It is on the site of old post mill. brick and flint with a, corn store, corn shed, and old millstones used as paving.. It had a short life as a windmill and was steam from 1878. Now three rooms
Keston Church. Built on the site of a Romano British Cemetery. The earlier church was found below following an excavation. Nave and chancel are early English. Has a small bell-gable. In the nave is a blocked doorway and blocked arch to a tower. Painting of Aaron From a 18th altarpiece. Stained glass window showing Love, by Morris & Co., 1909; chancel windows 1952 by James Blackford. Monument: George Kirkpatrick 1838 - A bald pilgrim kneels holding a large cross, while a young woman in classical draperies holds the Bible for him to read.
Churchyard. Grave of Mrs. Craik, who wrote John Halifax Gentleman.

Fox Hill
An old gravel pit at the foot of the hill showed that the river had once been at that level.

Lakes Road
Ravensbourne Meadows. these damp meadows slope towards the valley of the Ravensbourne. They belonged to the Tate & Lyle Ravensbourne Estate but were acquired by the Borough in the 1970s. The clay soil is very damp towards allowing lush wetland vegetation. The ponds support amphibians and snakes are also recorded.

Keston Common
One of the earliest commons to be protected by Parliament in 1865.
Ponds. Reservoirs near the edge of the common were dug for John Ward during the 19th to supply his house with fresh water. The two large ponds were created by damming a stream which once fed the river Ravensbourne. The source of the Ravensbourne in the ponds, They are called Caesar's Well but Unlikely to be anything to do with Caesar.
Common - relic heathland which includes a rare valley bog. There is some encroachment by scrub and non-native species. The heathland is dominated by heather and wavy hair grass and there is gorse and birch scrub around former conifer planting. the sphagnum bog which supports rare bog asphodel and sundew.

Keston Park
Private estate.

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