Dartford Heath - The Dell

Above - The Dell in the 1950s.  Supplied by Perran Newman

The valley of the Dell still exists in an almost 'untouched' way. It lies East to West between the stream (that runs North to South from Baldwyns Park towards the A2) and towards the direction of Denton Road. It formed part of what was once a main footpath from Bexley to Dartford over the heath. The earliest Ordnance Survey maps confirm this. The Valley has only been heavily tree lined since c1940s. Before then it was mainly heather, grass, shrub, fern, broom and gorse. This was owing to the fact that the heath was common land and grazed. Early Edwardian postcards also evidence how well used this area was for recreational purposes. The Great Storm of October 1987 did much to reduce the volume of trees but it is now nearly back to it's former glory.

Below - location of the valley of the Dell - most photos below were taken from the left point of the triangle looking left towards Coldblow and Wansunt.

The video footage below is a walk down the path from the direction of the old sandy road which once led from Denton Road to Heathwood Lodge. The old sandy road was once wide enough to facilitate the delivery of coal in lorries etc to the large Victorian residence. Certainly until the late 60s vehicles still drove up and down allowing passengers to either picnic or canoodle ! The sandy road is no longer distinguishable. All that is left now is a very narrow path inching between high bushes. This video was taken in Spring 1988 - just after the Great Storm of October 1987. There is much debris and - uncanny sunlight from above ! 

This end of the Dell is the furthest end from the stile which crosses the stream between Coldblow and The Heath and the opening still scene is pointing in the same direction as that of the photograph below. 

Below three images

The valley of the Dell cearly 1900s. Looking towards Coldblow. The stile over the stream still exists (though not the original) and lies roughly where the light patch is in the middle of the trees.

Above photo courtesy of Brian Porter

Below courtesy of Brian Porter

Below courtesy of Brian Porter

The below is a painting by Youens c1892 of a scene from Dartford Heath - could this be the Dell or the Paddock ? It matches the contours and general vegetation of the time

Below - shot taken (c. early 20th century) looking away from the stile and towards where the above photos were taken from

Below (c1950s) showing the large tree in the photo above 

Below - The Dell 1950s looking East - image supplied by Perran Newman.  The far hill, straight ahead and clear (now covered in brambles, bushes and trees) was a favourite place for children to make slides in the snow and ice of harsher winters gone by.  We played well into the dark as the snow had luminosity all of it's own !

Below 1988 - the Spring after the Great Storm - at the foot of the three hills running up to Portman Close and Denton Road direction. 1. Towards the A2 - first path 2. Middle path (now overgrown) 3. and 4. Middle path and path to Portman Close 

Below taken 1988 - original rope placed in the fork of an upper bough where children of the 1950s / 1960s swung out across the Dell. The black rope was the original.

Below taken 2005 with additional ropes

Below the base of the tree

Below - taken April 2018 and the one below that nearly 40 years previously

Below . . . . . . and in April 2018 - probably some 70 years after the first rope - a rope still remains !!!!

Below - courtesy of Fred Perkins, same tree and taken many, many years ago in 1969.