Keston

Description:

Keston, though only 20 minutes away from the outskirts of London is very much a town with a country feel about it. Its extensive green and wooded areas are at odds with its Greater London location and closer to its place as a Kent village.

Keston lies on the edge of Hayes Common and is within minutes of the centre of Bromley and its main retail centre. A bus service takes locals both into Bromley and deeper into Kent, terminating in the town of Westerham after passing nearby Leaves Green and Biggin Hill. The nearest train station is based at Hayes.

Keston's most famous feature is Keston Ponds; this is a spot of outstanding natural beauty, a wooded area where the River Ravensbourne rises culminating in three large ponds, one natural, and two men made. It is a year round popular spot for young families, dog walkers and fishermen.

Near to Keston Ponds is another famous landmark of the area, Keston Windmill. The windmill was built in 1716 and was in working order until near to the end of the 19th century. The windmill is not in working order but does retain its original machinery. It is privately owned so not generally open to the public, but there are occasional publicised open days.

Keston is a prosperous area with many large, expensive, detached houses. The most obvious example of this is the private and gated Keston Park estate, where just 200 exclusive houses sit on 140 acres of land. Famous past residents are many, none more so than former Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher who raised her children here as a young family.

Keston has two significant pubs, The Fox and The Greyhound, both of which are located near the large green that is part of Hayes Common. The Fox is set back a little from the green but The Greyhound is set next to it and is an extremely popular location in the summer months. It has a comprehensive menu and admits dogs.

The most famous pub in Keston, The Keston Mark, has long been closed and redeveloped into houses and flats, the junction where the pub stood still bears the Keston Mark name and is still a landmark used by local drivers and is thought to actually mark the boundary between Keston and Bromley.

Keston has a church which is unusual in the fact that it is simply called Keston Parish Church, and has no dedication to a saint.