Hayes

1:48pm Wednesday 20th June 2007

Hayes is a small town within the borough of Bromley which grew rapidly during the 20th century.

The first mention of Hayes was in 1177. Its name is thought to mean the rough ground covered with brushwood and undergrowth'.

Hayes was much more of a Kentish village than an urban suburb up to about 100 years ago.

The village was centred around the church and Hayes Place, the home of Britain's only father and son prime ministers, William Pitt, Earl of Chatham and his son William.

After centuries as a quiet rural village, Hayes expanded in the 1920s as Bromley began to spread along Hayes Road.

Development speeded up after the death of Sir Everard Hambro of Hayes Place in 1925 and the electrification of the railway to London in 1926.

These factors made Hayes a very desirable building location.

Development continued throughout the 1930s and after the war.

The Hayes of today is a busy suburb with a population of around 19,000 which benefits from local amenities such as shops, churches and schools as well as its close proximity to the town of Bromley.

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