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Keston Common
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<h2 id="history">History</h2> <p>The land was formerly part of the estate of <a href="/facts/Holwood_House/t92XLNFb">Holwood House</a>, and in the early nineteenth century three ponds were constructed to provide water to the house.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:5" href="#fn:5"><sup>5</sup></a> It is only two miles from <a href="/facts/Charles_Darwin/uwDLGItY">Charles Darwin</a>'s home, <a href="/facts/Down_House/4MN56FBe">Down House</a>, and he often visited to study the plants and animals there. It helped to provide the materials for his works on earthworms and carnivorous plants. 'Darwin's Landscape Laboratory', which included Keston Common, was the British Government's 2009 nominee for a World Heritage Site, but the application was unsuccessful.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:6" href="#fn:6"><sup>6</sup></a> In 1926 the then owner of the common, Lord Stanley, donated it to the parish.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:7" href="#fn:7"><sup>7</sup></a> </p> <h2 id="other-information">Other information</h2> <p>The common is a <a href="/facts/Site_of_Nature_Conservation_Interest/ksFmfVdN">Site of Metropolitan Importance for Nature Conservation</a> and an <a href="/facts/Ancient_Monuments_and_Archaeological_Areas_Act_1979/vy9zXDxh">Area of Archaeological Significance</a> with earthworks which are a listed structure. Two of the ponds are now used for fishing.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:8" href="#fn:8"><sup>8</sup></a> The <i>Friends of Keston Common</i> work to conserve and protect it.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:9" href="#fn:9"><sup>9</sup></a><a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:10" href="#fn:10"><sup>10</sup></a> 21.5 hectares is registered <a href="/facts/Common_land/7vufQTKp">Common Land</a>.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:11" href="#fn:11"><sup>11</sup></a> </p> <h2 id="access">Access</h2> <p>There is access from Westerham Road, Heathfield Road and Fishponds Road.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:12" href="#fn:12"><sup>12</sup></a> </p> <h2 id="see-also">See also</h2> <ul><li><a href="/facts/List_of_Sites_of_Special_Scientific_Interest_in_Greater_London/gVrkqlgU">List of Sites of Special Scientific Interest in Greater London</a></li> <li><a href="/facts/Parks_and_open_spaces_in_the_London_Borough_of_Bromley/dxWdXf36">Parks and open spaces in the London Borough of Bromley</a></li></ul> <h2 id="references">References</h2> <ol> <li id="fn:1"><p>"Natural England, Keston and Hayes Common SSSI citation" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2012-10-24. Retrieved 2012-05-04. <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20121024045324/http://www.sssi.naturalengland.org.uk/citation/citation_photo/1003496.pdf" target="_blank">https://web.archive.org/web/20121024045324/http://www.sssi.naturalengland.org.uk/citation/citation_photo/1003496.pdf</a> <a href="#fnref:1" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:2"><p>London Gardens Online, Keston Common <a href="http://www.londongardensonline.org.uk/gardens-online-record.asp?ID=BRO046" target="_blank">http://www.londongardensonline.org.uk/gardens-online-record.asp?ID=BRO046</a> <a href="#fnref:2" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:3"><p>"Natural England, Keston and Hayes Common SSSI citation" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2012-10-24. Retrieved 2012-05-04. <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20121024045324/http://www.sssi.naturalengland.org.uk/citation/citation_photo/1003496.pdf" target="_blank">https://web.archive.org/web/20121024045324/http://www.sssi.naturalengland.org.uk/citation/citation_photo/1003496.pdf</a> <a href="#fnref:3" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:4"><p>"Map of Keston and Hayes Commons SSSI". Natural England. <a href="http://magic.defra.gov.uk/MagicMap.aspx?startTopic=Designations&activelayer=sssiIndex&query=HYPERLINK%3D%271003496%27" target="_blank">http://magic.defra.gov.uk/MagicMap.aspx?startTopic=Designations&activelayer=sssiIndex&query=HYPERLINK%3D%271003496%27</a> <a href="#fnref:4" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:5"><p>London Gardens Online, Keston Common <a href="http://www.londongardensonline.org.uk/gardens-online-record.asp?ID=BRO046" target="_blank">http://www.londongardensonline.org.uk/gardens-online-record.asp?ID=BRO046</a> <a href="#fnref:5" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:6"><p>Darwins's Landscape Laboratory, Keston <a href="http://www.darwinslandscape.co.uk/topic.asp?navid=57&tid=199" target="_blank">http://www.darwinslandscape.co.uk/topic.asp?navid=57&tid=199</a> <a href="#fnref:6" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:7"><p>London Gardens Online, Keston Common <a href="http://www.londongardensonline.org.uk/gardens-online-record.asp?ID=BRO046" target="_blank">http://www.londongardensonline.org.uk/gardens-online-record.asp?ID=BRO046</a> <a href="#fnref:7" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:8"><p>London Gardens Online, Keston Common <a href="http://www.londongardensonline.org.uk/gardens-online-record.asp?ID=BRO046" target="_blank">http://www.londongardensonline.org.uk/gardens-online-record.asp?ID=BRO046</a> <a href="#fnref:8" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:9"><p>Friends of Keston Common <a href="http://www.friendsofkestoncommon.btck.co.uk/" target="_blank">http://www.friendsofkestoncommon.btck.co.uk/</a> <a href="#fnref:9" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:10"><p>"River Ravensbourne, Ravensbourne Valley Woodlands, Keston and Hayes Commons". Greenspace Information for Greater London. Archived from the original on 2013-07-17. <a href="https://archive.today/20130717180409/http://www.gigl.org.uk/igigl/siteDetails.aspx?sID=M025&sType=sinc" target="_blank">https://archive.today/20130717180409/http://www.gigl.org.uk/igigl/siteDetails.aspx?sID=M025&sType=sinc</a> <a href="#fnref:10" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:11"><p>Common Land in England, Keston Common <a href="http://common-land.com/lands/view/2230" target="_blank">http://common-land.com/lands/view/2230</a> <a href="#fnref:11" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:12"><p>London Gardens Online, Keston Common <a href="http://www.londongardensonline.org.uk/gardens-online-record.asp?ID=BRO046" target="_blank">http://www.londongardensonline.org.uk/gardens-online-record.asp?ID=BRO046</a> <a href="#fnref:12" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> </ol>