Pratts_Bottom

Pratt's Bottom

Pratt's Bottom

Human settlement in England

Pratt's Bottom is a village in Greater London, England, within the London Borough of Bromley and, prior to 1965, within the historic county of Kent. It is south of its parent parish of Orpington, lies about 100 metres above sea level and beyond London's urban sprawl.

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It has frequently been noted on lists of unusual place names.[1]

It is a small village, consisting of a main road (Rushmore Hill) on which is situated a school, a village shop (the post office was closed as part of the widespread branch closures of June 2008) and the Bulls Head pub, two small churches and a few side roads. There is a village hall behind the green.

History

A "bottom" in this context means a valley or hollow, and the Pratts were a noble family once seated in the area.[2] Pratt's Bottom formed part of the ancient, and later civil, parish of Chelsfield in Kent[3] and was part of the Bromley Rural District from 1896.[3] The parish was abolished in 1934 and the village became part of Orpington Urban District.[4] In 1965 it was transferred to Greater London, to form part of the London Borough of Bromley.[4]

A tollgate stood in the village for many years. The turnpike cottage was demolished in the 1930s but is still seen as emblematic of the village, so much so that it is the basis of the recent village sign placed on the green. Sue Short has written a book about the history of the village titled Pratts Bottom: A Journey Through Life.[5]

Local Government Elections

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Transport

Pratts Bottom, being in the county of Greater London, is under Transport for London remit and is served by London Buses bus services. Routes R5 and R10 serve the village, connecting it to Halstead, Knockholt, Cudham, Green Street Green and Orpington.[6][7] The nearest rail link to Pratts Bottom is at Knockholt station in Kent.

Nearby areas

Pratts Bottom borders Chelsfield to the north and north east, Badgers Mount to the east, Halstead to the south east, Knockholt to the south and south west, Hazelwood to the west and Green Street Green to the north west.

See also

References

  1. [1]
    Lyall, Sarah (22 January 2009). "No Snickering: That Road Sign Means Something Else". The New York Times. Retrieved 13 July 2014.
  2. [2]
    Mills, A., Oxford Dictionary of London Place Names, (2001)
  3. [3]
    Vision of Britain - Chelsfield parish (historic boundaries Archived 1 October 2007 at the Wayback Machine)
  4. [4]
    Vision of Britain - Orpington parish Archived 11 March 2007 at the Wayback Machine
  5. [5]
    Short, Sue (2009). Pratts Bottom: A Journey Through Life. BPR Publishers. ISBN 978-0-9554336-1-0.
  6. [6]
    Transport for London. "R5 bus route". Transport for London. Retrieved 16 August 2023.
  7. [7]
    Transport for London. "R10 bus route". Transport for London. Retrieved 16 August 2023.

Media related to Pratt's Bottom at Wikimedia Commons
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