Author: Amanda McGarrigle

History—Term 6
Swanley—our local area
(Linked with the Geography unit)

Background Information
Swanley was just a small hamlet of three houses, when the Sevenoaks Railway opened a branch line joining the London Chatham and Dover Railway’s (LC&DR) London Victoria to Dover mainline at what became known as Swanley Junction. The junction, opened on 2 June 1862, just a few hundred yards from what is now Swanley village. The LC&DR built a large station at the junction which opened on 2 July 1862.
As with many other places, the population, around Swanley station, grew, and in 1894, they built a small corrugated iron chapel until the completion of a stone church, dedicated to Saint Mary the virgin, opened in 1901. Swanley continued to grow, building three hospitals and a school in the 19th century.

In this unit the children will…
Learn about Swanley as a local history study
study over time tracing how several aspects of national history are reflected in the locality (this can go beyond 1066)
Learn that Swanley grew from a crossroads with virtually no buildings, to a considerable town with a population of 16,588 (2001) in one and a half centuries.
Learn that once the railway had been established it led to Swanley becoming a horticultural centre
Learn that three hospitals were established here: the Kettlewell (or Alexandra) Hospital in 1885, Parkwood Hospital in 1893 and White Oak Hospital in 1897
Learn that during both world wars Kettlewell & Parkwood were used as military hospitals.
Learn that Swanley Home for Little Boys was opened in 1883 for orphans from London .

By the end of this unit….
All children will:
Show chronological understanding by placing events, people and changes into correct periods of time.
Show knowledge & understanding of events, people and changes
recognise that the past is represented and interpreted in different ways
ask and answer questions, and to select and record information relevant to the focus of the enquiry
communicate their knowledge and understanding of history in a variety of ways
Most children will:
place the changes in the period within a chronological framework
make appropriate use of dates and terms;
show how some aspects of the period have been interpreted in different ways
select and combine information from a range of visual, textbook and documentary sources
Some children will:
describe reasons for and results of particular events
select and combine information from a range of sources to reach substantiated conclusions

The children will explore:
Swanley town
Swanley rail station
Swanley hospitals
Swanley library
Swanley orphanage
Swanley schools

https:/www.swanleytowncouncil.gov.uk/swanley-history/

Key Vocabulary
The Kettlewell (or Alexandra) Hospital in 1885—The Kettlewell stood on the site of Asda’s car park and was for poor patients from London who needed to recuperate after major surgery, and so rested in Swanley. It closed in 1959. The Roman Catholic Church in Bartholomew Way is on the site of Kettlewell’s chapel.
Parkwood Hospital in 1893—Parkwood was used as a military hospital. Parkwood become part of the Sidcup Hospital for facial injuries. Parkwood ceased being a hospital in the early 1960’s but the building still exists in its entirety in Beechenlea Lane – now Parkwood Hall School.
White Oak Hospital in 1897—the gates of White Oak can still be seen opposite Swanley Police Station in London Road.
Swanley Home for Little Boys was opened in 1883 for orphans from London, a place in the country where they learned a trade to secure a living in later life. This fine Victorian building is now Furness School in Hextable.
Swanley rail station—Railway workers were soon joined by horticultural workers who, in turn, were followed by industry such as Thomas Wood’s jam factory which stood on the site of Swan Mill.
The War Memorial, outside St Mary’s Church since 1980, was originally on the junction of Swanley Lane and London Road and was unveiled in 1922.
In 1975 the Library replaced rooms in the White Oak Hospital building. In 1999 the Library was rebuilt and is known as the Library and Information Centre