McGresty
as it happens
A little trip to Westerham
To understand Westerham you have to go back a very long time. First of all it is a large village in the County of Kent, population about 4500 and bus number 246 from a place named Bromley goes there. It is a longish ride, passing the Pilgrims Way and is spread out all over the place.
There are records of it in the 9th century and it's also mentioned in the Domesday Book. Apparently the area near Westerham has been settled for thousands of years. A Celtic fortification (c 2000 BC) and a Roman road are nearby, plus the remains of a Roman encampment. In 1066 England was invaded by William the Conquerer, who came from France, no wonder I'm not all that fond of England. So why did I go there then?
First of all it is too large, I want to go to small villages. Once there I did my usual sense: this is about people primarily plus a little 'be careful' warning. Some photo's of the village green and street that runs by it were taken.
Off to the left you can see the church steeple of St. Mary the Virgin, which means it's more Catholic than Protestant.
After a short breather at a table on the green, I say this guy and his Triumph motorcycle. He's 73 years old and has been a hard core biker since the early 1970's. We spoke of various venues, because I also rode my bike to those places back then, I had a 1 in 500 production racing engined BSA 250 (it did 140 mph plus) and put about 25,000 hard miles on it. The old Triumphs rarely lasted 7 to 10,000 miles, they were rubbish. He has put at least 5 times that many on this new one. We chatted for some time then he rode off out of town.
From Westerham you can reach Chartwell, where Winston Churchill used to live. I asked and was given more than one direction. Years ago I had started toward the place but turned back upon reaching a large field of very wet mud. There turned out to be a very narrow path snuggled between two buildings. That narrow way became tighter and very dark. I found it difficult to manage, due to my messed up right eye, so returned to the entrance.
More interesting than I thought it would be. I did have a few chats with some others. While waiting for the bus a lady and I talked. Once the 246 bus came we boarded it and continued the conversation until she got off at her stop. Now for smaller villages.
There are records of it in the 9th century and it's also mentioned in the Domesday Book. Apparently the area near Westerham has been settled for thousands of years. A Celtic fortification (c 2000 BC) and a Roman road are nearby, plus the remains of a Roman encampment. In 1066 England was invaded by William the Conquerer, who came from France, no wonder I'm not all that fond of England. So why did I go there then?
First of all it is too large, I want to go to small villages. Once there I did my usual sense: this is about people primarily plus a little 'be careful' warning. Some photo's of the village green and street that runs by it were taken.
The green
Off to the left you can see the church steeple of St. Mary the Virgin, which means it's more Catholic than Protestant.
Street leading up to the green.
After a short breather at a table on the green, I say this guy and his Triumph motorcycle. He's 73 years old and has been a hard core biker since the early 1970's. We spoke of various venues, because I also rode my bike to those places back then, I had a 1 in 500 production racing engined BSA 250 (it did 140 mph plus) and put about 25,000 hard miles on it. The old Triumphs rarely lasted 7 to 10,000 miles, they were rubbish. He has put at least 5 times that many on this new one. We chatted for some time then he rode off out of town.
an oops...
From Westerham you can reach Chartwell, where Winston Churchill used to live. I asked and was given more than one direction. Years ago I had started toward the place but turned back upon reaching a large field of very wet mud. There turned out to be a very narrow path snuggled between two buildings. That narrow way became tighter and very dark. I found it difficult to manage, due to my messed up right eye, so returned to the entrance.
And...
A little research came up with some interesting stuff. The name derives from Westerly Homestead in Old English, in other words a hamlet (there were probably only a few buildings back then). The manor was originally run by Godwin, Earl of Wessex and later by his son Harold Godwinson the last Saxon King of England. A British army general, named James Wolfe won a battle with the French in Quebec during the year 1759, he was born in Westerham. A number of movies have also been filmed here.More interesting than I thought it would be. I did have a few chats with some others. While waiting for the bus a lady and I talked. Once the 246 bus came we boarded it and continued the conversation until she got off at her stop. Now for smaller villages.
Jun 15, 2026