Hayes – Nature, Trails and Local History

Hayes combines designated natural areas with local history spanning activities in the Bronze Age to medieval buildings. Two trails focus on different themes: the Ravensbourne Trail passes a range of habitats, while the Hayes Trail explores the history of the Parish of Hayes. If you’re planning a hotel stay, these nature and history themes can help you decide whether Hayes is a destination that matches your interests.

Natural Areas and Landscape

Hayes and Keston Commons were designated a Local Nature Reserve by the London Borough of Bromley in 2011. A small part of Hayes Common is within a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI). The Ravensbourne Trail is about 2.5 miles long and marked by numbered or waymarked posts. It passes rare bog and wet meadow habitats, heathland, acid grassland and ancient coppice woodland. Check current trail conditions before setting out.

Local History and Trails

Between 1000 and 700 BC, people in the Bronze Age ground grain and wove sheep’s wool on Hayes Common. These activities bring the early period to life by linking local history to specific kinds of work, rather than just an era. St Mary the Virgin is a medieval parish church dating from the 13th century and also the oldest building in the village of Hayes. It offers a different historical reference point from the Bronze Age activities on Hayes Common: here, the focus is on a specific building; there, on the work people did on Hayes Common. The two themes therefore differ both in period and subject matter.

The Hayes Trail is a circular route along the surviving buildings of the Parish of Hayes as it was in 1914. It explores who lived in the buildings, what happened to the residents and the effects of the war on Hayes. The trail is about 6 miles long in total and is divided into five walks. “Circular route” describes the shape of the route, while the five walks describe how it is divided. Together, its shape and layout offer two different ways to understand the Hayes Trail.

To choose between the trails, you can consider both their themes and their length: the Ravensbourne Trail passes the habitats mentioned above and is about 2.5 miles long; the Hayes Trail connects the history of the Parish with a circular route of about 6 miles in total, divided into five walks.

Getting Around and Events

The Millennium Rock in Hayes is outside the library, at the edge of the path. The library therefore provides a specific reference point for its location. Hayes Library offers events and activities for all ages, including reading groups and Rhyme Time sessions. If you’d like to include a particular event in your travel plans, check the latest dates in advance: schedules and activities can change.

Discover more destinations: Bromley, Chislehurst, Biggin Hill, Beckenham, West Wickham.

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