In the Great Depression, the council had a ‘make-work’ scheme, Bromley Unemployed Works Scheme, that created the Amphitheatre and a yachting pool for children to sail model yachts on.
This remained a popular pass-time until the 1980s.
In 1967 there was some exceptionally heavy rain. It caused flooding downstream on the river Ravensbourne, but it also washed away the yachting pool. A paddling pool was put in the place of the yachting pool, though the weather meant it could only be used a few times a year. A local potter made some glazed tiles, with a nod to to the yachting pool, of ports (mostly) around the north sea.
In the millennium the paddling pool was converted to the current large sandpit with climbing frames and a rock formation. This is very popular and used all summer and winter.
Here are some memories from a post put up by Bromley Gloss on Facebook, they are a fascinating read:
Paul Mathias said “My Nan used to take me there in the 1960s, we’d get the bus from Croydon with me clutching my precious pond yacht. Precious days. That yacht later saw much use when my Nan moved to Cowes on the Isle of Wight and I sailed it from the Green.”
Duncan Wardrop commented “I spent hours here as a boy, it was fantastic fun. I deeply regret that such opportunities for innocent play are pretty much non-existent in today’s world.”
Margaret Hart said “My nephew aged about 3 fell in whilst under my care, I was aged 11, and because he had a heavy woollen coat on I hadn’t the strength to pull him out, then like an Angel from Heaven a pair of strong arms lifted him up and gave him to me. A gentleman from the other side of the pool had seen what had happened and run around to get him. I put my Nephew in his pushchair and ran straight home with him. My Mum was doing her washing in a tin bath and picked him up and fully clothed dumped him in the warm washing water.”
Robin Aldcroft “I used to sail my Star Yacht Northern Star there. 60 years later I’m still sailing model yachts (and dinghies!) My mother used to drop me off and go shopping in the high street and pick me up on the way home to Crab Hill.”
Pete Fisk “I remember it well, terrified at the thought my dear old Dad might never come back as he waded in to retrieve my beloved (albeit, home-made) old tub that had sunk out of reach in the middle – while all the other kids with their shiny new yachts sailed on oblivious! I was 23 at the time!”
Andrew Etherington said “I used to sail “Gull” there many years ago. When the wind dropped we’d stretch a long piece of string across the pond to rescue our boats.”
Gerald Harley “I remember making a motor boat and sailing it there in the late 50s and early 60s . My dad built a yacht from a newel post with a brass keel and parachute silk sales. It really raced across.”
Debbie Nurdin “I had a green yacht that I remember sailing on there a few times in the 1960s. My husband remembers sailing his boat there too. We went back there last year and were really sad to see it was no longer there”. Bromley Gloss then replied to Debbie “I know, it’s sad. But believe me the sandpit is much better than the kidney shaped paddling pool they replaced the hexagonal pool with some decades back.”
Jackie Huke then said “We lived in Ravensbourne Road and the Library Gardens were our playground. I used to walk along the wall of the pond. I only fell in once!”
David Barry (see his photo, reworked to improve the colour) “That was me in 1958 ish with my yacht earned by my milk round wages! Hours of enjoyment come rain or shine!”
Billy Ruffer “I remember it well, I lived in Martins Road and spent many an hour watching them, alas never had a boat of my own, some came with yachts as big as the Cutty Sark !!!”
Margaret Thompson said “I remember sailing my boat in Bromley Gardens a very long time ago must have been the forties.”
Sue Copeland added “Aww.. My father made me a beautiful wooden sailing boat just like these that I used to love sailing on the pond in the early 60s.“
Jackie Harkison said “Loved this place went there with my Grandmother. Then went and feed the swans.”
Barbara Anderson then put “I remember going there in the 1940 s in between the air raids!”
An account from a message sent to me on 2026-06-25, by Richard Edmund: “… you are asking something now. I think is was round but it was 70 years ago. It was a boat with a sail, that my dad would have bought I assume. I remember it wasn’t very deep so if the wind stopped blowing you could walk in and get it back. My grandmother ran the railway signal pub by Bromley south station and we would walk up the high street, and my mum would pop into Medhursts to buy something and I’d be fascinated by the system which shot the money and receipt upstairs and seconds later it would return through a tube with the change.
There was a McFisheries and a coffee roasting shop on the way back, and best of all a Kennedy sausage shop. Still the best sausages ever. Saturday morning pictures were a favorite at the picture house in the high street. As I got a bit older we were allowed to get a bus from outside the other big department store to Charlton Athletic games.
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