Coney Hall Farm was first mentioned in the 17th century, when its lease stated that the tenant had the sole right to catch coneys (rabbits) on nearby Jackson’s Heath.[2][1]
Coney Hall is one of many owner-occupied estates arising during the inter-War housing boom; it was built in the 1930s on hilly farmland south-east of West Wickham by the developers Morrell Brothers, who purchased Coney Hall Farm following the death of its owner Sir Henry Lennard in 1928.[1] In the previous decade, Lennard's opposition to road developments adjacent to West Wickham Common and Hayes Common had left the area accessible only by steep and narrow lanes.[1] In Coney Hall's early days London Transport refused to provide a bus service, and a free private coach service connected the estate to the nearest railway station, Hayes.[1] The quality of the new houses was not always that high, with a mortgage strike by Elsy Borders of 81 Kingsway in 1937 sparking sympathy strikes elsewhere, and contributing ultimately to an improvement in the legal standing of mortgage payers.[1][3][4] During World War II Canadian troops were billeted at Coney Hall.[1]
The area contains typical suburban architecture of two-storey houses with polygonal bay windows and half-timberedgables. It is centred on a bend on Glebe Road, east of Coney Hall roundabout, with a smaller row of shops on Addington Road.
Coney Hall Recreation Ground (tennis courts, playground, skatepark[6] and green space) [7]
Well Wood (woods and green space).[8] 41.61 acres (16.84 ha) The Well Wood consists of ancient semi-natural woodland with oak, ash, hazel, yew, sweet chestnut, field maple, hawthorn, Douglas fir and larch, containing masses of wood anemones and wood sorrel, followed by a carpet of bluebells; it is frequented by bats, badgers, foxes, owls, woodpeckers, buzzards and many other birds.
