Kent, Swanley: St Mary's Church and park

[1] Start at the Oaks Surgery, Swanley.  With the entrance behind you turn left and go onto the path alongside the Recreation Ground. Turn right onto this path and with the Recreation Ground on your left walk towards Aldi.  Follow pavement alongside the Civic Centre and

[2] Cross their car park onto St. Mary's Road.  Cross over  St Mary's Road and turn right towards St Mary's church (Info A).

[3] At the opening to the church/ cemetery on left , enter and follow path (Church on your right ) and exit onto London Road.

[4] Cross London Road and turn left (Info B) Continue walking down London Road.  On the right hand side take the path through "The Woodlands" walk through mature trees.Exit this path at the end and turn left into Hilda May Avenue and right again to rejoin London Road. Continue down London Road.

[5] Turn right into Shurlock Avenue.

[6] At the end of this road turn right into Alder Way.

[7] At end of Alder Way turn right into Northview  and immediately  cross the road and take path on left. With green on left walk along this path and exit, turning left into the Spinney.  

[8] At the end of this section of the Spinney go forward onto footpath.

[9] Turn right into Park and follow miniature train track towards the lake and children's play area.(Info C) 

[10] At the lake, turn right and walk towards the top of the park towards the small car park. (Alternatively turn right at children's play area to take a path to top of park but not so good view of lake from here.)

[11] At top of the park, take path ahead through gap in trees (easily seen) and go forward to exit park. Continue forward past houses on the left  (due for demolition and rebuild at time of writing Dec 2012)  and garages on the right.

[12] Turn right into Bonney Way and then left into Sycamore Drive.

[13] Turn left at corner into Bartholomew Way. ( Info D)  (St Bartholomew's school and church on this corner - Asda car park now facing you.)

[14] Cross at the traffic lights and turn left.  Continue through Asda car park (gap in wall) and follow Asda building where there is a paved area. ( You will now be in the pedestrian area of the shopping centre).

[15] Turn left out of Asda car park and continue.  

[16] Turn right into Nightingale Way (post office on the corner) which will lead you back to the Oaks Surgery on the other side of this car park.

A. St Mary's church built in 1901  to replace the small corrugated iron church known as St Philip's and St James'). Note the odd shape of the building as it was intended to be built as a much larger church to accommodate the expanding Swanley population.

B. Shortly on your right hand side, opposite Police Station,  you will see some wrought iron gates.  These are the original gates of the White Oak Hospital established 1897 and closed 1959 due to the setting up of the NHS.  This was one of three hospitals in Swanley. The Kettlewell (or Alexandra Hospital) stood on what is now the Asda car park and Parkwood in Swanley village.(this building  still exists).  The Welsh Artist, James Dickson Innes died of TB in a hospital in Swanley in 1914.

C. View of the lake. Look out for the heron who frequents the lake. Cafe at side of lake. Miniature railway in the park is managed by volunteers and runs during the Summer months. 

D. St Bartholomew's church stands on the site of the Kettlewell's hospital chapel.