No weekend is complete without a visit to Poverest, the charming outer London suburb handily located on the Chislehurst Road, where a good time is always on offer. [map]
Whether it's recreational excellence, prestige shopping or heritage opportunities you seek, Poverest won't disappoint. And it's so easy to get to, either a brief walk down the steps from St Mary Cray station or a short Uber hop from the bright lights of Orpington. Bring your best party clothes and/or comfortable shoes and you'll soon be able to embrace everything Poverest has to offer.
Ask anyone in Poverest where the heart of the action is and they'll likely point you towards Poverest Road, the historic backbone of the community. It stretches for almost a mile from the rustic outskirts of Petts Wood to the bustling artery of Cray Avenue with its diverse variety of commercial outlets. Along the way it passes multiple homes a millennial could only dream of owning, and additionally crosses a low hill with excellent views over the Cray valley, topped by a mobile mast so tall your TikTok vids can't fail to upload.
The summit was once home to a single farmstead which in 1327 was part of the manorial estate of a certain Margaret de Pouery, after whom the area was inevitably named. Today two churches are to be found at this prime location, one Lutheran and one Baptist, both examples of unforgettable archetypical postwar architecture. Those undecided where to worship on Sundays will be delighted to hear that their services don't overlap - one's at 10.30am and the other at 3.30pm - leaving plenty of time inbetween for a good Kentish brunch of lamb's liver and bacon at Beril's Cafe.
Heritage and history are second nature in Poverest and nowhere is this more true than in the small parklet alongside Bellfield Road at Dipper's Slip. Here can be found the double whammy of Fordcroft Romano-British Bathhouseand Anglo-Saxon Cemetery, a scheduled monument now under the protection of the Orpington and District Archaeological Society. The bathhouse was discovered by Arthur Eldridge during roadworks in 1946 and is believed to have been part of a larger villa complex in use between AD 270 and AD 400. The cemetery lies a tad to the northeast and is thought to contain mid-fifth and sixth century burials. You don't find this kind of treat at Westfield.
What's more the remains of the bathhouse are on full public view, admittedly underneath sheeting inside an open-sided shed behind a fence inside a locked enclosure, but still plainly seen. If you want to get closer (and who wouldn't?) ODAS unlock the gates once a year for an Open Day giving guided tours of the foundations and a closer look at the caldarium, tepidarium, frigidarium and bits of hypocaust. Unfortunately they do this in July so you've missed the annual unveiling, also the display of tiles and other finds in Poverest Coronation Hall, but feel free to come stare through the fence anytime.
When it comes to recreation there's only one place to head and that's Poverest Park. This former strawberry field was adapted for public use in the 1930s and now boasts a playground, some tennis courts and the Orpington Excelsior Bowling Club. It's also the ideal spot for a picnic celebration, although Alexander's 5th birthday was yesterday so Marvels puppet theatre will have packed up and gone home by now. Don't miss the mural on the front of the pavilion, painted to honour the now defunct St Mary Cray Athletic, but maybe do miss the basketballer on the side because that artwork's very poor.
Fans of Robin Hood will notice something comfortingly familiar about the street names here, this because the avenues of Poverest were laid out on farmland which included a patch of woodland called Robin Hood Shaw. Littlejohn Road and Hood Avenue are also on the map if not on this large green sign. For the full Sherwood Forest experience you have to head to Robin Hood Green, a sloping tongue of tightly mown grass surrounded by a curve of interwar semis. Regrettably only two of its three oak trees remain upright so potential woodland activity is limited, but imagine the fun you could have practising archery on the greensward.
And then of course there's Marion Crescent! This is Poverest's buzzing retail hub, a parade brimming over with hospitality and purchasing options. For all day breakfast there's Regals Cafe (strapline We're Not Posh), for 'Mediterannean' there's The Greek Way and for all things African there's Taste House Restaurant. Alas you're too late for the legendary sausage rolls at Stanley Bakeries, where not even a £1 cuppa could keep the business afloat. But the kind ladies at Ace Ironing will be happy to deal with all your pressing issues, and if French polishing is your thing then be aware that SJM at number 30 have an actual royal warrant.
And that's not all. For evening entertainment there's all the fun of Poverest Coronation Hall, the tin-walled community centre opened in 1953, which seats 60. For motorsport there's revved-up council lawnmowing on the green at Church Hill Wood. For lovers of brass rubbing the manhole covers across the estate are classic Grip-Lock roundels from Needham of Stockport. For the green-fingered the gates to Poverest Allotments can be unlocked with a quick email and a one-off joining fee of £5. And for a rifle through six decades of sports neckwear in a museum-like setting, Winston Sports on Bridge Road have been manufacturing elite level 'ties and associated products' since 1956. On the downside there's no pub anywhere, maybe never was, but other than that Poverest really does have it all.
Before you leave be sure to climb to the lofty heights of Tillingbourne Green Open Space, spread yourself out on the dandelion slopes and stare out across the leafy canopy of the railway viaduct. Apologies for the racket coming from Poverest Primary on the hilltop but they've already gone back before the start of September, not just staff and children but also Buddy the school's therapy labradoodle. Best not head to the parade at the foot of the hill because only four of its dozen units are still trading and you might get the idea Poverest is a typically ordinary suburb struggling like any other, rather than the ultimate secret leisure destination it plainly is.
