Time Walk
Terraces, Turrets and a Square of Gardens
Behind this row of Victorian terraces lies an enormous hidden garden square, shared with three neighbouring streets. Walking along, the eye catches small Gothic touches on the house fronts and turrets on the roofline further down, with one leafy corner softening the view.
The rear elevations, plainer and visible from the corner with Sibella Road, show these houses were built to be seen from the front, not the back. That gap between show and substance runs right through the street's story.
Name Origin
An Unexplained Name
The sources used here do not explain where the name Bromfelde Road comes from. No reference to its origin appears in the material consulted for this page.
History
A Builder's Street, and a Night in 1940
The builder H J Brashier put up houses on Bromfelde Road, as he did on the nearby Chelsham Road. At 27-37, grey gault bricks were used on the fronts only, with cheaper yellow stocks kept to the sides and rear, out of view from the street.
Further along, at 39-49, the fronts take on a Gothic flavour, with windows grouped in pairs and threes and slightly pointed window and door heads. At 70-74, round and square turrets break up the roofline. At 62-82, the terraces are arranged in pairs with an inset bay between each, giving the impression of semi-detached houses rather than a continuous row.
On 18 September 1940 a landmine fell at the junction of Bromfelde Road and Union Road, leading to the rebuilding of 49-51 Union Road.
The porches at 59-97 Bromfelde Road carry balustrades decorated with a pierced clover motif — an unusual flourish on an otherwise plain Victorian terrace.
Today
A Green Square Behind the Fronts
Looking north from Union Road, the buildings at 25-37 Bromfelde Road close the view, framing the street as a destination rather than a thoroughfare. Behind the houses, extremely large rear gardens along Bromfelde Road, Sibella Road, Larkhall Rise and Union Road together form a square of greenery, rarely glimpsed from the pavement.
On the Map
Bromfelde Road Then & Now
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is it called Bromfelde Road?
The sources consulted for this page do not explain the origin of the name Bromfelde Road.
What is Bromfelde Road known for?
Its Victorian terraces, built partly by H J Brashier, with Gothic window details, clover-motif balustrades and corner turrets, plus very large shared rear gardens behind the houses.
What happened at Bromfelde Road in 1940?
A landmine fell at the junction with Union Road on 18 September 1940, leading to the rebuilding of 49-51 Union Road.