Introduction
| An introduction to this Brief study of Biggin Hill Past and how it evolved to its Present Form – (2014) – by David R Haslam |
| My Wife Bobby and I moved to Biggin Hill during the Winter of 1970/71 we had been married in the September of 1968 and had spent the first two years living in a Flat at the top of Beulah Hill in Norwood. Our first house in Biggin Hill was 46 St. Mary’s Green, just off Swieveland Road. In May 1978 I was elected to serve as one of the two Councillors who represented the Biggin Hill Ward on the London Borough of Bromley, a post that I was to hold for the next sixteen years. |
| Over the Ensuing period I was to undergo a fascinating journey as I sought to learn as much as I could about the fascinating place that I was representing. I knew that RAF Biggin Hill was a famous Fighter Station from World War II, having once as a teenager traveled out from Balham on a Green Rover Bus ticket. However, I knew little of the remarkable story of how the Village of Biggin Hill had evolved from a small Hamlet with Farms and Farm land and the Manorial Estate of Aperfield Court. |
| From these early origins was to grow the Biggin Hill that we are all familiar with today. The story of Biggin Hill’s evolution is all but unique, I have only heard of one other place in the UK that has a similar start, however when overlaid with the story of RAF Biggin Hill’s role, in first the Great War and then during World War II, it makes our Village/Town truly unique. |
| As a local Councillor, I found that many doors were open to me that would not have been to the ordinary resident. During those 16 years, I was fortunate to meet many fascinating people who were happy to pass on to me stories of Old Biggin Hill, these included Wing Commander Ivor (Ian) Cosby who had been a Spitfire Pilot during the Battle of Britain, latter on in his RAF Career he was to be the Station Commander at RAF Biggin Hill. John Nelson was another Biggin Hill resident who was to produce a fascinating book called Grand Fathers Biggin Hill, a compilation of early photographs taken by his Grand Father W.H. Nelson. This book also provided a written history of the area which was to further add to my interest in Biggin Hill’s past. |
| Then again I was privileged to be invited to meet many of the old families who can trace their family names back to the early days of Biggin Hill, amongst these were the Blundells whose family moved to Grub Ground Farm in 1846. Another whose family can trace their move to Biggin Hill back to the early days is the family of Alan Baker whose Great Grand father, George Longhurst purchased land from The Aperfield Court Estate and built ‘Winguy’ situated in Highfield Road. All described a time that to all intents and purposes must have been reminiscent of a Wild West frontier town. To all these friends and acquaintances, sadly, some no longer with us, to them I owe a huge debt of gratitude for sharing their stories with me over the years. |