Inventory Site Record

Although laid out relatively recently, College Green was originally part of the lands of Bromley College almshouses and was long used for a nursery. In 1985 Bromley Council demolished the greenhouses here and created this new public open space. The landscape was improved in collaboration with the Friends of Bromley Town Parks & Gardens, including tree clearing and planting using plants recorded in the C17th, recalling the connections of this area with the Bishops of Rochester. Improvements were made to enhance the space in 2015, creating College Green and Slip Pocket Park, which provides a pleasant space close to the busy town centre for commuters and shoppers.

Previous / Other name:

College Green and Slip Pocket Park

Site location:

North Street/College Road, Bromley

Postcode:

BR1 1PA

What 3 Words:

them.drops.focal

Type of site:

Public Open Land, Pocket Park

Borough:

Bromley

Open to public?

Yes

Opening times:

unrestricted

Special conditions:

Facilities:

Events:

Public transport:

Rail: Bromley North

Citymapper    
Google Map    
streetmap.co.uk

Research updated:

01/09/2015

Last minor changes:

19/07/2023

Please check with the site owner or manager for latest news. www.bromley.gov.uk

Bromley College (q.v.) was owned by the Lord of the Manor, the Bishop of Rochester, the C17th almshouses founded under the will of Dr John Warner, Bishop of Rochester. The land where College Green is now was used as a nursery, which in the mid C18th was reputedly the second oldest nursery in Greater London with 250 years of unbroken use; the seedsman's cottage on College Slip was built around mid C18th. The site has been variously named over the years, reflecting the different nurserymen using it over the years, who included Pococks and Stiddolphs, and more recently Stephens and Cramphorns. It has also been known as Mulberry Field after the old black mulberry that is still here, one of three planted on Bromley College lands, although the date is given variously as late C17th, c.1720 and later.

The land was used as a nursery up until 1985 when Bromley Council demolished the greenhouses and created a new public space, College Green. The landscape has been improved in collaboration with the Friends of Bromley Town Parks & Gardens, including tree clearance to improve views of Bromley College, creation of a wildflower meadow, circular planting bed around the mulberry using plants recorded in the C17th, including 'Bishops Hat', which recalls the connections of this area with the Bishops of Rochester.

Improvements were made to create College Green and Slip Pocket Park in 2015, the work undertaken with Green Gym. This was funded through GLA’s Pocket Parks scheme, an initiative of the Mayor of London’s drive to create 100 Pocket Parks across London launched in 2013, with community grants of up to £20,000 available. The community fund was part of a £2m investment to bring 100 underused urban spaces back into use by March 2015. The scheme was delivered by Groundwork and enabled the creation of more than 100 pocket parks across 26 London boroughs, and ranged from community orchards to edible bus stops, the first to open being in Stockwell. A Pocket Park, defined as ‘a piece of land of up to 0.4 hectares, which may already be underdeveloped or derelict’, is considered to provide a small area of inviting public green space where people can relax, exercise, socialise and play, and can be natural and/or formal in character.

In 2016 the Pocket Parks initiative went England-wide with a £1.5m fund launched by the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG). Community groups were invited to apply for grants up to £15,000, but applicants were also required to raise match funding from other sources. This led to 87 funded projects across the country, although no projects were in London. In 2018 the Pocket Parks Plus Scheme was launched by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG), eventually making £3.75m available when it was widened to include not only new pocket parks but also projects to refurbish existing parks or parts of parks. This led to funding 198 projects, which included 32 projects in London. The third funding round was launched by MHCLG in 2019 and on 3 March 2020, World Wildlife Day, the recipients of the £1.35m fund were announced. Of the 68 winners, 10 are in London. The government has now provided 352 grants to support community groups to create 146 new parks and give a vital boost to 206 derelict urban spaces in towns and cities in every region of the country.

The site is now managed by idverde UK, which in June 2015 was contracted by Bromley Council for the management of the borough's parks, green spaces and countryside service, a relationship that was extended in April 2019 for a further 16 years. 

Sources consulted:

Friends of Bromley Town Parks & Gardens information sheet 2007. Information on GLA's Pocket Park initiative.

Grid ref:

TQ401695 (540130,169610)

Size in hectares:

1.5

Site ownership:

LB Bromley

Site management:

idverde; Friends of Bromley Town Parks & Gardens

Date(s):

17th; 1985

Designer(s):

Listed structures:

None

On National Heritage List for England (NHLE), Parks & Gardens:

No

Registered common or village green on Commons Registration Act 1965:

No

Protected under London Squares Preservation Act 1931:

No

Local Authority Data

The information below is taken from the relevant Local Authority's planning legislation, which was correct at the time of research but may have been amended in the interim. Please check with the Local Authority for latest planning information.

On Local List:

No

In Conservation Area:

Yes

Conservation Area name:

Bromley Town Centre

Tree Preservation Order:

Not known

Nature Conservation Area:

No

Green Belt:

No

Metropolitan Open Land:

No

Special Policy Area:

Yes - Area of Archaeological Significance

Other LA designation:

Local Open Space, Natural Park