Tourist Attractions and Museums
The Bethlem Royal Hospital Archives and Museum was established as the Archives Department of the Bethlem Royal Hospital and the Maudsley Hospital, a postgraduate psychiatric teaching hospital which was formed in 1948 through the union of two world-famous institutions. The Archives and Museum now houses art and historical collections of unique interest and importance in the field of mental health along with an outstanding collection of paintings and drawings by artists, past and present, with mental health problems, including works by Richard Dadd, William Kurelek, Jonathan Martin, Vaslav Nijinsky, and Louis Wain, and a growing number of contemporary artists.
Monks Orchard Road, Beckenham, BR3 3BX
Enquiries: 020 3228 4227
museum@bethlemheritage.org.uk
archives@bethlemheritage.org.uk
education@bethlemheritage.org.uk
Bromley Museum is situated in the Orpington Priory, an important historic building set in attractive gardens. Throughout the year the Museum holds a number of temporary exhibitions and events and has permanent displays about the history of the local area. The Museum is ideal for adults and children and entry is free.
The Priory, Church Hill, Orpington, BR6 0HH
Enquiries: 01689 873826
bromley.museum@bromley.gov.uk
Chislehurst Caves are a labyrinth of dark passageways that have been hewn by hand from the chalk, deep beneath Chislehurst. There are over 20 miles of caverns and passageways, dug over a period of 8000 years. The war and the constant bombings over London turned the caves into a massive air raid shelter within easy reach from London and its main suburbs and they became a major tourist attraction. The Caves are also used as a film location and have been used by the BBC and independent film companies.
Old Hill, Chislehurst, BR7 5NB
Enquiries: 020 8467 3264
enquiries@chislehurstcaves.co.uk
Christmas Tree Farm is the ideal place for everyone from children to grandparents to get up close to animals and is situated just outside the beautiful village of Downe where many visitors find themselves returning time after time.
Enquiries: 01689 861603
information@xmastreefarm.co.uk
Crofton Roman Villa is the only villa open to the public in Greater London. It was inhabited from about AD 140 to 400 and was the centre of a large farming estate. Today you can see the remains of 10 rooms protected inside a public viewing building. Remains include tiled (tessellated) floors and the under-floor heating system (hypocaust).
Crofton Road, Orpington, BR6 8AF
Enquiries: 020 8460 1442
croftonvilla@aol.com
The history of the Crystal Palace is kept alive in the Crystal Palace Museum which tells the story of the Hyde Park and Sydenham Crystal Palaces with photographs and displays of original documents and ceramics. The Museum is housed in the only surviving building constructed by the Crystal Palace Company. It was built around 1880 as a classroom for the Crystal Palace Company’s School of Practical Engineering.
Anerley Hill, Crystal Palace, SE19 2BA
Enquiries: 020 8676 0700
info@crystalpalacemuseum.org.uk
It was at Down House that Charles Darwin worked on his scientific theories, and wrote ‘On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection’ - the book which both scandalised and revolutionised the Victorian world when it was published in 1859. Built in the early 18th century, the house remains much as it was when Darwin lived here. The rooms on the ground floor have been furnished to reflect the domestic life of the family and the first floor offers an interactive exhibition on his life, his research and his discoveries. English Heritage has restored the gardens to their appearance in Darwin's time.
Luxted Road, Downe, BR6 7JT
Enquiries: 01689 859119
www.english-heritage.org.uk
High Elms
High Elms is a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) with 250 acres of countryside and a 150-acre golf course forming the High Elms Estate, originally the country home of the Lubbock family. The site includes woodlands, chalk meadows, ice well, formal gardens and wildflower meadows.
High Elms Estate, High Elms Road, Farnborough, BR6 7JH
Enquiries: 01689 862815
countrysideandparks@bromley.gov.uk