Pratt's Bottom

Pratt's Bottom
Pratt's Bottom Pratt's Bottom shown within Greater London
OS grid reference	TQ471622
London borough	Bromley
Ceremonial county	Greater London
Region	London
Country	England
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Post town	ORPINGTON
Postcode district	BR6
Dialling code	01689
Police	Metropolitan
Fire	London
Ambulance	London
EU Parliament	London
UK Parliament	Orpington
London Assembly	Bexley and Bromley
List of places UK England London

Coordinates: 51°20′23″N 0°06′46″E / 51.3397°N 0.1128°E / 51.3397; 0.1128

Pratt's Bottom is a village now in the London Borough of Bromley, but historically part of Kent. 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 1894.^[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]

Pratt's Bottom was declared to be the 'sister city' of Wellington, New Zealand in 2009 by then-Mayor, Kerry Prendergast .

Transport

Pratts Bottom is served by Transport for London bus routes R5 and R10 with services to Orpington via Green Street Green and to Knockholt, as well as Arriva Kent route 402 to Bromley via Farnborough and to Tunbridge Wells via Sevenoaks. The nearest rail link to Pratts Bottom is at Knockholt station.

References

↑ Lyall, Sarah (22 January 2009). "No Snickering: That Road Sign Means Something Else". The New York Times. Retrieved 13 July 2014.
↑ Mills, A., Oxford Dictionary of London Place Names, (2001)
1 2 Vision of Britain - Chelsfield parish (historic boundaries)
1 2 Vision of Britain - Orpington parish
↑ Short, Sue (2009). Pratts Bottom: A Journey Through Life. BPR Publishers. ISBN 978-0-9554336-1-0.

External links

Media related to Pratt's Bottom at Wikimedia Commons

London Borough of Bromley

Districts	Anerley Aperfield Beckenham Berry's Green Bickley Biggin Hill Bromley Bromley Common Broom Hill Chelsfield Chislehurst Crystal Palace Cudham Downe Eden Park Elmers End Elmstead Farnborough Foxbury Goddington Green Street Green Hayes Hazelwood Hockenden Horns Green Keston Leaves Green Locksbottom Longlands Luxted Mottingham New Beckenham Orpington Park Langley Penge Petts Wood Plaistow Poverest Pratt's Bottom Ruxley St Mary Cray St Paul Cray Shortlands Single Street Southborough South Street Sundridge Sydenham Upper Norwood West Wickham Widmore

Attractions	Bromley Museum Chislehurst Caves Churchill Theatre Crofton Roman Villa Crystal Palace Museum Down House Wickham Theatre

Parks and open spaces	Betts Park Bromley Wood Chislehurst Common Covet Wood Crystal Palace Park Cuckoo Wood Cudham Frith Darrick Wood Elmstead Wood Hayes Common High Elms Country Park Jubilee Country Park Kelsey Park Norman Park Poverest Recreation Ground Scadbury Park Sundridge Park

Places of worship	St George's Church, Beckenham St John the Evangelist, Penge St Mary's Church, Downe St Mary the Virgin, Hayes St Peter and St Paul's Church, Bromley

Constituencies	Beckenham Bromley and Chislehurst Lewisham West and Penge Orpington

Rail stations and tram stops	Anerley Avenue Road Beckhenham Road Beckenham Junction Bickley Birkbeck Bromley North Bromley South Chelsfield Chislehurst Clock House Crystal Palace Eden Park Elmers End Elmstead Woods Hayes Kent House Knockholt Lower Sydenham New Beckenham Orpington Penge East Penge West Petts Wood Ravensbourne St Mary Cray Shortlands Sundridge Park West Wickham

Other topics	Coat of arms Council Grade I and II* listed buildings Parks and open spaces People Public art Schools

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