Hayes, Bromley

Hayes is a place in the London Borough of Bromley, south-east London, England. It has two main areas of activity: the ancient village and suburban Hayes.

The ancient village
The name Hayes is recorded from 1177 as hoese from the Anglo-Saxon meaning "a settlement in open land overgrown with shrubs and rough bushes". It formed an ancient, and later civil, parish of Kent of around 1282 acre. The village stood at the junction of Hayes Lane, leading north to Bromley (one mile distant), and what is now known as Pickhurst Lane, leading west to West Wickham. The centre of the old village is now called Hayes Street. The village school was here, as is the parish church of St Mary the Virgin. Parts of the church date back to the thirteenth century; however it was subject to heavy restorations by George Gilbert Scott and John Oldrid Scott in the nineteenth century. The public house, also on Hayes Lane, is called "The George". Hayes Street Farm, still shown on modern maps, is to the north of the village centre.

Both William Pitt the Elder, 1st Earl of Chatham (1708–1778), and William Pitt the Younger (1759–1806) lived at Hayes Place. The house was demolished in 1933 and the site redeveloped, but its occupants are remembered in such road names as Chatham and Pittsmead Avenues. Prior to being demolished, Hayes Place was owned by the Hambro family (of banking fame) and a couple of roads bear the family names.

The branch railway from Elmers End, originally known as the West Wickham and Hayes Railway, was opened on May 29, 1882. Hayes station is a terminus.

Today the area contains some small shops, though the local post office closed in 2004 (the nearest is now in the main shopping area near the station). The timbered cottage on the eastern side of Hayes Street was a newsagents called "The Walnut Tree" until 2006 when it reverted to residential use. The former village school is now a second smaller village hall; the local primary school which opened in around 1930 to replace it is in George Lane; in recent years it has expanded in size and now has three forms in each year. It is extremely popular and many of its pupils go on to Hayes School in West Common Road.

Suburban Hayes
Much of the area to the west and north-west of the original village has been taken over by suburbia. West Wickham and Bromley are completely joined with Hayes; and Coney Hall estate, beyond the Orpington - Croydon road is also part of the pattern. To the east and south, however, the open space of Hayes Common precludes building of any kind.

There are numerous playing fields around the periphery of Hayes: such clubs as Hayes Cricket Club use them. It is also home, since 1927, of the world famous Blackheath Harriers Athletics Club (now Blackheath & Bromley Harriers AC).

Station Approach is now the main shopping area in Hayes, containing a Post Office, petrol station, two mini-supermarkets and numerous small shops. It also contains a public house called The New Inn.

The other main shopping area is Hayes Street in the old village, otherwise known as 'Old Hayes'. It consists of a public house called "The George", a mini-market, several hairdressers, a cycle shop and two off-licences.

There is a group called Hayes Village Association (HVA) which meet regularly to inform people about local issues. They regularly liaise with Bromley Council on planning matters and they give a voice to residents and businesses on a variety of issues. HVA produce a quarterly magazine with local interest articles and events, as well as details of businesses in the locality.

Sports & Leisure
Beccehamians RFC a Rugby Union Club founded in 1933 plays competitive rugby at Sparrows Den at the bottom of Corkscrew Hill near West Wickham.

Transport links
Seven Transport for London buses run through Hayes: 119 (24hr bus) - Croydon (The Colonnades) to Bromley North via Hayes, Shirley, East Croydon Rail and Tramlink, Sandilands and Lebanon Road Tramlink stops; 138 - Coney Hall to Bromley North; 146 - Downe to Bromley North via Hayes Farm and Keston; 246 - Westerham to Bromley North; 314 - New Addington to Eltham via Addington Village Tramlink and Bromley Town Centre; 353 - Ramsden Estate (Orpington) to Addington Village Tramlink; 638 - A school bus running from Coney Hall to Kemnal Technology College in Sidcup via Bromley, Grove Park, Mottingham and Chislehurst.

Hayes Rail Station provides good links to the rest of South East London and The City, being the terminus of the Southeastern Hayes Line. Regular services from the station terminate at either Charing Cross or Cannon Street.