Bromley has a wealth of history and has been the home of famous people including the Bishops of Rochester, HG Wells, children’s author Enid Blyton and Charles Darwin. London’s largest borough is full of a wide range of natural as well as built heritage, historic town centres and markets, important churches and historic sites including Crofton Roman Villas and the Priory in Orpington. Bromley Museum in Orpington, the Bethlem’s Museum of the Mind in Beckenham, Crystal Palace Museum and Darwin’s Down House all house fascinating collections.
During the Second World War, Biggin Hill Aerodrome, at the south end of the borough, achieved immortality as a base for RAF Fighter Command. Bromley’s green spaces feature landscaped parks, such as Crystal Palace and Priory Park, while most of the southern half of the borough remains open countryside that continues to offer a wealth of opportunities to explore natural history including the chalky grasslands of the South Downs.
Bromley has recently been identified as a borough that has received less HLF funding than others. We are very keen to help more groups to apply for projects which investigate Bromley’s diverse heritage. HLF’s development team is working in partnership with Community Links Bromley to engage community organisations across the borough.
If you are looking for heritage advice you may like to contact:
Norma Pearson is the Heritage Lottery Fund's London Development Officer with responsibility for supporting Bromley. She works closely with community organisations and council officers to promote our work and grant programmes and attends events in Bromley to develop interest in HLF and support the development of applications from the borough.
To learn more about HLF and our work in Bromley, please contact Norma on 020 7591 6190 or at normap@hlf.org.uk.