Editing Pratt's Bottom (section)

==History==

A "bottom" in this context means a valley or hollow, and the Pratts were a noble family once seated in the area.<ref name=mills>Mills, A., ''Oxford Dictionary of London Place Names'', (2001)</ref> Pratt's Bottom formed part of the ancient, and later civil, parish of [[Chelsfield]] in Kent<ref name=vision_parish>Vision of Britain - [http://www.visionofbritain.org.uk/unit_page.jsp?u_id=10040152&c_id=10001043 Chelsfield parish] ([http://www.visionofbritain.org.uk/bound_map_page.jsp?first=true&u_id=10040152&c_id=10001043 historic boundaries] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071001001505/http://www.visionofbritain.org.uk/bound_map_page.jsp?first=true&u_id=10040152&c_id=10001043 |date=1 October 2007 }})</ref> and was part of the [[Bromley Rural District]] from 1896.<ref name=vision_parish/> The parish was abolished in 1934 and the village became part of [[Orpington Urban District]].<ref name=vision_orp>Vision of Britain - [http://www.visionofbritain.org.uk/relationships.jsp?u_id=10223568 Orpington parish] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070311014351/http://www.visionofbritain.org.uk/relationships.jsp?u_id=10223568 |date=11 March 2007 }}</ref> In 1965 it was transferred to [[Greater London]], to form part of the London Borough of Bromley.<ref name=vision_orp/>

A [[Toll roads in Great Britain|tollgate]] stood in the village for many years. The turnpike cottage was demolished in the 1930s but is still seen as emblematic of the village, so much so that it is the basis of the recent village sign placed on the green.
Sue Short has written a book about the history of the village titled ''Pratts Bottom: A Journey Through Life''.<ref>{{cite book|title=Pratts Bottom: A Journey Through Life|last=Short|first=Sue|year=2009|isbn=978-0-9554336-1-0|publisher=BPR Publishers}}</ref>