Westerham’s Heritage
Westerham is not just a great place to live, work and visit now, it has a long and illustrious history too.
History is alive everywhere you look in this wonderfully ancient market town, from the Norman church, to the more contemporary houses with their famous historical occupants at Chartwell, Squerryes Court and Quebec House.
But there’s plenty more than that, Westerham has a wealth of Hidden History as well, featuring personages like Sir Francis Younghusband and Burgess and Maclean.
Westerham residents from previous ages have left traces of their lives in the landmarks and buildings around us. The histories of these places and the stories of some of the more colourful characters are sketched out in the following pages.
Heritage in Westerham…
Timeline
Westerham is steeped in the past so take a quick overview of the highlights.
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Famous People
Just some of the famous (or infamous) people with connections to Westerham.
Historic figures from Westerham »
Historic Places and Local Sights
Westerham is steeped in the past so follow our guide and take a walk to discover some of the hidden history.
Take a look at Westerham’s historic places »
Heritage Gallery
Westerham as it once was in photos and video.
View the gallery »
British Pathe News
HISTORIC camera footage by the world-famous British Pathé news service has gone online to watch for free – and features Churchill’s time in Westerham and cricket matches in Sevenoaks. British Pathé has uploaded its entire collection of 85,000 historic films, in high resolution, to its YouTube channel. This unprecedented release of vintage news reports and cinemagazines is part of a drive to make the archive more accessible to viewers all over the world.
“Our hope is that everyone, everywhere who has a computer will see these films and enjoy them,” says Alastair White, general manager of British Pathé.
“This archive is a treasure trove unrivalled in historical and cultural significance that should never be forgotten. Uploading the films to YouTube seemed like the best way to make sure of that.” (Sevenoaks Chronicle article)
Visit Westerham has uploaded a selection of the Pathe collection which can be viewed at Visit Westerham’s YouTube’s channel: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLgPWJpFAy9WnjRyw42t2S38pdzZhk_RfS
Westerham Heritage Collection
Photos and stories of the last 150 years of Westerham are expertly curated in the Westerham Heritage Collection, which sets out to archive thousands of old pictures and documents about our town. The Westerham Society launched this new website in February 2018, with the aid of a grant from the Lottery Fund. Go to www.westerhamheritage.org.uk
Westerham Valley Railway
Find out about the Disused Railway Stations
Publications
Read about the locality and its way of life.
List of publications
Useful Information
Maps of the town, suggested walks and more.
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