Latest news with #Pratts
Daily Mirror
17-05-2025
- Daily Mirror
Residents in 'lovely' village giggle at name that's been ridiculed for decades
Despite its unfortunate name, residents in Pratt's Bottom, near the Kent border, say it's a 'lovely' place to live - and it even has a link to infamous highwayman Dick Turpin Locals have always had a good chuckle over the name of their village, Pratt's Bottom, a spot that carries on amusing even after years of residence. Settled near Kent's border and just to the south of Chelsfield within the Bromley borough, this village's peculiar name certainly hasn't gone unnoticed. James Horgan, a 64-year-old business owner from the area, has been running his kitchen servicing venture for over 40 years. Having moved his business from Farnborough to Pratt's Bottom two decades ago, he recognises that the village often pops up in lists featuring Britain's most hilarious place names, rubbing shoulders with the likes Badgers Mount and Locksbottom. Delving into the local history, Mr Horgan shared: "The name is derived from a farmer called Pratts, who was the original farmer that owned the land, and this is Pratts Farm bottom, because we're at the bottom of the hill." He affirmed that for those who live there it's just part of daily life saying: "Local people just accept it." Sharing a common experience, he said: "It always raises a laugh when they ask for your address. When you give it and spell it out you notice some people can't quite get to grips with it." Christen Lock, 55, residing at Pratt's Bottom for 20 years now, also reminisced about her lifelong connection with Bromley borough. She mentioned that most locals would probably trace back some connection to the Pratts family if they examined their property deeds. Ms Lock mused on local legends, saying: "People say Dick Turpin used Pratt's Bottom pub as his haunt. Pear Tree Cottage used to have some tunnel from the pub to the cottage and he used to escape there." She added: "It's a lovely area. Everyone in the village is so friendly and people look out for each other. It's really nice, you often see children outside playing on their bikes." Ms Lock also shared that she still finds humour in the name of the area, noting its frequent mentions in television and radio media, reports Kent Live. Tony Lavelle, a resident of Pratt's Bottom for over 20 years, delved into the history of his home, tracing it back to its farmhouse beginnings in the late 15th century. He said: "Pratt's Bottom was part of Chelsfield until the 1960s. "Then as Green Street Green developed for housing, that was combined with Pratt's Bottom to form a different parish." He continued: "In the late 15th century, a lot of farmhouses were built as the region was becoming more prosperous. After the Black Death, the population started to grow again. This would probably have been the only house in the valley." Mr Lavelle, who has researched and written about the area's history, recalled how radio legend Terry Wogan would often joke about Pratt's Bottom and mentioned past efforts to change the village's name. He said: "There was a property developer in the early 1900s called George Osgood and he actually used to own the post office around the corner. There are various roads named after him as well. "As a property developer, he didn't like the name Pratt's Bottom. He thought it would put people off, it was too down market. So he called it Chelsfield Valley, he tried to change the name in an effort to improve the area."
Yahoo
09-03-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Volunteers in New London look to reclaim Bates Wood Park
New London — New London high school student Galileo Thompson admits to having little experience hiking or being in the woods. It's not my thing," the 16-year-old said, shortly before arming himself with a bow saw and working to cut and free a fallen tree limb entangled in a tent at an abandoned encampment in Bates Woods Park. Despite his aversion to briars and tree roots, Thompson joined more than two dozen others Saturday at the park for what he said he sees as a worthy cause, cleaning up one of the few wooded areas in the city. He was one of a group of volunteers that fanned out into the woods carrying garbage bags rakes, loppers, saws and buckets as part of the quarterly cleanup effort. The cleanup at the city's largest green space was organized by Bates Friends Forever, an all-volunteer group that advocates for the conservation and enhancement of the park. Frida Berrigan, the group's co-founder, said Bates Woods is a great spot for hiking, bird watching and dog walking but unfortunately has very few visitors. She's hoping her group might be able to provide incentives to attract people in. Regular cleanups and hikes are a good way to expose people to the park, she said. "We think the park is amazing and not enough New Londoners know they are allowed in there," Berrigan said. "There's no encouraging signage or maps of this urban woodland." Volunteers at past cleanups filled dozens of garbage bags of trash and hauled out bulky waste that included mattresses and tires. One person pulled an old lawnmower out of the woods during Saturday's trek. Bates Friends Forever, an outgrowth of opposition to the the city's storage of excess construction debris at the capped former landfill adjacent to the park, is now focused on encouraging access. Berrigan said the the effort to mark and name trails has already begun. Her group has applied for grant funding for trail head markers and others things to help encourage residents into the park, which connects to Clark Lane in Waterford. New Londoners Cassady Zipkin and Anthony Zerkow, three young children in tow, joined Saturday's group, in part, as a way to expose their kids to the outdoors. Zerkow said he was also interested in seeing what Bates Woods Park, aside from its pavilions and playgrounds, had to offer. Bates Woods Park, once was home to a zoo, is between 65 and 85 acres depending on who you ask, Berrigan said. Ricardo Pratts, a member of the city's Parks & Recreation Commission, said he's been in the city for 30 years and "never stepped foot into these woods." "Nobody comes back here. But it's truly a beautiful area and our kids are unaware of it, Pratts said. If people felt safe and the place was more inviting, Pratts said he thinks more people might take the opportunity to take a look, especially considering the number of people who live within walking distance and the areas of the city it connects. The park is expected to see more activity in the coming months. The city's Planning and Zoning Commission has approved construction of a 3,000-panel solar farm to be located on the capped former city landfill at the park. The plan awaits approval by the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection. The area is now a meadow bordering the park and Berrigan said while she is in favor of solar power, she remains disappointed in the decision to cover up the green space in what she considers part of Bates Woods. The city recently went out to bid on construction of a new 24-foot wide, 900-foot long driveway to access the former landfill in order to construct the solar array. The driveway is expected to be constructed in part with the construction debris stockpiled by the city at the base of the landfill. For information, visit or email batesfriendsforever@
