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Orpington BR6 is a South East London area with a rich history. It was established as a human settlement since the Stone Age. Ancient tools and pottery fragments were found in the area. A significant archaeological finding is the Iron Age farmstead unearthed in 1956 during the construction of the Ramsden Boys School. The Crofton Roman Villa is a genuine Roman building dating from the year 140. It was part of a large farming estate. What remains of the villa has 10 rooms but it’s estimated that it had 20 rooms back in the day. The villa featured a hypocaust, a system of underfloor heating.
The first mention of the area comes from 1038. Orpedingetune, as it was spelled back then, belonged to the Monastery of Christ Church at Canterbury. Grenstretre was the old name of Green St Green. Queen Elizabeth I visited the Orpington Priory in the 16th century. The stable at Anchor and Hope Inn housed the Queen’s horses. The inn turned restaurant can be found on Orpington High Street. The local railway station opened in 1868. Crofton Roman Villa was discovered during the construction of the station. The office building near platform 8 was originally a steam locomotive shed.
This BR6 area has several leisure centers that provide sports facilities to the community. The Walnuts Leisure Center features a swimming pool, gym, sauna, squash court, and multi-purpose halls. The center is home to well-known swimming club Orpington Ojays that trains athletes for national competitions. Sprinter Dina Asher-Smith was born in Orpington. She is the fastest woman sprinter in the UK. Folk singer Nic Jones, cricketer Jeremy Barnes, actress Deena Payne, and referee Barry Knight are other notable people who hail from this BR6 area. TV presenter Jeremy Beadle attended Orpington County Secondary Boys’ School. Scientist Charles Darwin is a former resident.