HOME IMAGES CONTACT ARTICLES TIMELINE INTERACTIVE ABOUT Copyright (c) 2008- 2013 - Orpington History - All Rights Reserved - Disclaimer Web Design and Hosting by Web Cloud Designs HOME IMAGES CONTACT ARTICLES TIMELINE INTERACTIVE ABOUT Tripes Farm once formed part of the Manor of Mayfield which in 1080 belonged to Bishop Odo - half brother to William the Conqueror  - who was Archbishop of Canterbury, Earl of Kent, Bishop of Bayeaux  and the instigator of the Bayeux Tapestry.    A very  consequential person indeed and any property belonging to him would have its own importance!  There are reminders of this  significant time in Orpington history i.e. Mayfield Nursery, Mayfield Avenue Mayfield Manor (demolished in the early 1930's) and  Norman Close.  The earliest remaining buildings on Tripes Farm date from 1540 (Tudor). It is the only remaining  farm in the Parish of Orpington.  Tripes Farm was a very large working livestock farm in the early part of this century and it  represented a very important part of local and regional history.   It has been worked by the George  family since 1911 and once boasted the largest outdoor pig  production enterprise in the UK. It  provided fresh pork and amongst the farm's most famous products were 'George's Famous Farm  Pork Sausages'. It's neighbour, Cooke's Farm, was an award winning chicken farm which had the largest production  of chickens in the UK (where the Buff Orpington originated). Cooke's Farm and Tripes Farm had a  very healthy economy and were suitably placed as Orpington, at the beginning of the Century, was  very accessible to London.  London was not only the Capital but also the heart of the British  Empire. Tripes Farm is surrounded to the north and west by the ever increasing town of Orpington. The  Farm  is well known today for its Commercial Centre and its very popular car boot sales held  fourteen times each year.  It is still a big part of the community and retains the 'country feeling' as it  is part of the Bromley Borough Council's "Green Belt".  Hopefully,  Tripes Farm will continue to  prosper and remain with the George family for years to come........  Tripes Farm Produce Marketing Draft - 1935c Mr Charles George Snr was a very clever business man. He not only established a fully working farm he commissioned many of the original 1930’s houses in Chelsfield Lane. Big on marketing, these images are ‘mock-up’s to promote the farm’s produce. These would be sent to a printer and flyers created for distribution all over the country. Tripes Farm - Approximately 1930c This is Chelsfield Lane and Tripes Farm. You can see how big it was. It was famous for it's sausages and poultry. The original farm buildings are approx 400 years old. You will notice that Ramsden Estate is still Ramsden Farm (at the very bottom of the picture) and Tripes Farm is located on what is now Alma Rd, Loxwood Close, Moyser Dr and Gload Crescent. Avalon Road is also still fields. Mr C George Snr, of Tripes, built the houses and widened Chelsfield Lane in the 1920s and those houses or villas (as they were called) are still there today. He also built all the houses in Craven Road, then called Craven Estate.