Gallery
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South side Looking west

South side Looking west

North side

The old lodge, built 1879

Old Downs is a quiet tree lined road of mostly detached, but also a few semi detached houses. It started out as the entrance drive to the house of that name. Thanks to a plaque found in the house by its builder Joseph Hartley, we know exactly when the road was built and how much it cost to build. He says he built the lodge (see picture), washhouse and entrance gate for £840, and constructed the road for £140. I once spoke to someone in Ash Road, who could remember the entrance gate. The lodge remained the only house for over 50 years until Kaye Cottage was built just before the war (between 1936 and 1939) for a member of the Stickland family, who owned the big house.

The Stickland family sold Old Downs House to Kent County Council in 1950, but the remainder of the land was bought by Ron Billings, a local builder who lies buried in Fawkham Churchyard. He applied in 1953 to develop all the land between Ash Road and the Fawkham Road. All of this was refused, with the exception of 6½ acres which made up the "Hartley Green Estate", which was built in 1957. This included all of Old Downs and the following houses in Ash Road: Grinstead, Boham, Beresford, Merryways, Crosskeys, Jarrick, Ringwood, Green Garth, Farleys, Alba, The Bench, Dene Bank, and Drymen House. One of the semi-detached houses in Old Downs went for £3,175. The council wanted to call the road "Old Downs Close", but the residents preferred the name without the close.

Links
Map at Multimap.com (site includes link to aerial photo also)
Profile of road on www.upmystreet.co.uk
Houseprices at Nethouseprices
Site Builders (14 Old Downs)
Style Cufflinks (16 Old Downs)