The history of West Wickham predates the Norman conquest of England in 1066. West Wickham is mentioned in the Domesday book with the following entry: "In lordship 2 ploughs. 24 villagers have 4 ploughs. 13 salves; a church; a mill at 20d.; a wood at 10 pigs. Value before 1066 8; later 6: now 13. Godric son of Karl held it from King Edward". In Tudor times, the Manor House, Wickham Court, was expanded by the Boleyn family and the area was popular for deer hunting. The Grade I listed building was built by Sir Henry Heydon in 1469. His wife was Anne Boleyn, a daughter of Sir Geoffrey Boleyn, who was Lord Mayor of London in 1469. She was the great-aunt of Queen Anne Boleyn. The house was later sold to the Lennard family in 1580. In 1935, it was sold and adapted for use as an hotel. After World War II, it was sold to the Daughters of Mary and Joseph, an American order of nuns and occupied by Coloma College run by the Daughters of Mary and Joseph. From 1978 to 1996 it was occupied by Schiller International University and is now home to Wickham Court Preparatory School. Until the 1900s West Wickham remained a small village. The inter-war period saw rapid development and transformation into a suburb, facilitated by the arrival of the railway. Modern-day West Wickham is a suburb of Greater London, after the London Government Act 1963, which came into effect in 1965, with West Wickham absorbed into the London Borough of Bromley. Like many suburbs of Greater London the area consists of local retail outlets, pubs, restaurants and primarily 1930s housing. It also hosted a plaque containing the original bark of Stock Tree that once stood opposite 'The Swan' which was cut down owing to the requirement to build a new road. The plaque and bark now reside at West Wickham Library, on Glebe Way. There are several parks, West Wickham playing fields, Wickham Park and Blakes Recreation ground.
Education
West Wickham has four schools. They are Oak Lodge, Wickham Common, Pickhurst and Hawes Down. St David's College and Wickham Court are private schools. In 2012, Wickham Common won a hockey gold medal when they represented Bromley in the London Youth Games. There are no secondary schools in West Wickham, but there are some in the neighbouring towns. Langley Park School for Boys and Langley Park School for Girls are located in Beckenham, Hayes School is located in Hayes, and Ravens Wood School is located in Keston. Wickham Court serves as a nursery, primary school and secondary school. All Saints' Catholic School was a secondary school located on Layhams Road, West Wickham, London Borough of Bromley which closed in 2007.
West Wickham has a non-League football club Glebe F.C. who play at Oakley Road. West Wickham is home to Beccehamians RFC a rugby union club founded in 1933 which plays competitive rugby at Sparrows Den at the bottom of Corkscrew Hill. Other clubs nearby include Croydon RFC, a club that currently competes in Surrey 1, that has a rugby pitch used often for county matches.
Arts and culture
Since 1958 the area has an Arts association. Since 1967 it has had its own community theatre known as Theatre 62 / West Wickham Theatre centre.
