Editing Pratt's Bottom

{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2015}}
{{Use British English|date=September 2015}}
{{infobox UK place
| country                  = England
| map_type                 = Greater London
| region                   = London
| population               =
| official_name            = Pratt's Bottom
| coordinates              = {{coord|51.3397|0.1128|display=inline,title}}
| london_borough           = Bromley
| constituency_westminster = [[Orpington (UK Parliament constituency)|Orpington]]
| post_town                = ORPINGTON
| postcode_area            = BR
| postcode_district        = BR6
| dial_code                = 01689
| os_grid_reference        = TQ471622
| static_image_name        = Village green and sign at Pratt's Bottom, Kent - geograph-2261083.jpg 
}}
'''Pratt's Bottom''' is a village in [[Greater London]], [[England]], within the [[London Borough of Bromley]] and, prior to 1965, within the [[Historic counties of England|historic county]] of [[Kent]]. It is south of its parent parish of [[Orpington]], lies about 100 metres above sea level and beyond London's [[urban sprawl]].

It has frequently been noted on lists of [[Place names considered unusual|unusual place names]].<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/23/world/europe/23crapstone.html?_r=0 | title=No Snickering: That Road Sign Means Something Else | newspaper=[[The New York Times]] | date=22 January 2009 | access-date=13 July 2014 | author=Lyall, Sarah}}</ref>

It is a small village, consisting of a main road (Rushmore Hill) on which is situated a school, a  village shop (the post office was closed as part of the widespread branch closures of June 2008) and the Bulls Head pub, two small churches and a few side roads. There is a village hall behind the green.

==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>

==Local Government Elections==
{{Election box begin |title=Chelsfield and Pratts Bottom 2018}}
{{Election box winning candidate with party link|
  |party      = Conservative Party (UK)
  |candidate  = Mike Botting
  |votes      = 2,928
  |percentage = 21.6
  |change     = 
}}
{{Election box winning candidate with party link|
  |party      = Conservative Party (UK)
  |candidate  = Angela Page
  |votes      = 2,770
  |percentage = 20.5
  |change     = 
}}
{{Election box winning candidate with party link|
  |party      = Conservative Party (UK)
  |candidate  = Samaris Huntington-Thresher
  |votes      = 2,715
  |percentage = 20.1
  |change     = 
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link|
  |party      = Labour Party (UK)
  |candidate  = Margaret Mills
  |votes      = 809
  |percentage = 6.0
  |change     = 
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link|
  |party      = Labour Party (UK)
  |candidate  = Stephen Richardson
  |votes      = 748
  |percentage = 5.5
  |change     = 
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link|
  |party      = Labour Party (UK)
  |candidate  = Peter Moore
  |votes      = 726
  |percentage = 5.4
  |change     = 
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link|
  |party      = Liberal Democrats (UK)
  |candidate  = Gerda Loosemore-Reppen
  |votes      = 674
  |percentage = 5.0
  |change     = 
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link|
  |party      = Liberal Democrats (UK)
  |candidate  = John Bray
  |votes      = 620
  |percentage = 4.6
  |change     = 
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link|
  |party      = Green Party of England and Wales
  |candidate  = Daniel Sloan
  |votes      = 616
  |percentage = 4.6
  |change     = 
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link|
  |party      = Liberal Democrats (UK)
  |candidate  = Jonathan Webber
  |votes      = 434
  |percentage = 3.2
  |change     = 
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link|
  |party      = United Kingdom Independence Party
  |candidate  = Michael Porter
  |votes      = 246
  |percentage = 1.8
  |change     = 
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link|
  |party      = United Kingdom Independence Party
  |candidate  = Brian Philp
  |votes      = 244
  |percentage = 1.8
  |change     = 
}}
{{Election box turnout
   |votes      = 13,530
   |percentage = 42.1
   |change     = 
}}
{{Election box hold with party link|
  |winner     = Conservative Party (UK)
  |swing      = 
}}
{{Election box hold with party link|
  |winner     = Conservative Party (UK)
  |swing      = 
}}
{{Election box hold with party link|
  |winner     = Conservative Party (UK)
  |swing      = 
}}
{{Election box end}}

==Transport==
Pratts Bottom, being in London, is under [[Transport for London]] remit and is served by [[London Buses]] bus services. Routes R5 and R10 serve the village, connecting it to Halstead, Knockholt, Cudham, Green Street Green and Orpington.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Transport for London |title=R5 bus route |url=https://tfl.gov.uk/bus/route/r5/?direction=inbound |access-date=2023-08-16 |website=Transport for London |language=en-GB}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Transport for London |title=R10 bus route |url=https://tfl.gov.uk/bus/route/r10/?direction=inbound |access-date=2023-08-16 |website=Transport for London |language=en-GB}}</ref> The nearest rail link to Pratts Bottom is at [[Knockholt station]] in [[London Borough of Bromley]].

==Nearby areas==
Pratts Bottom borders [[Chelsfield]] to the north and north east, [[Badgers Mount]] to the east, [[Halstead, Kent|Halstead]] to the south east, [[Knockholt]] to the south and south west, [[Hazelwood, London|Hazelwood]] to the west and [[Green Street Green]] to the north west. Number 30 Turnpike Road is divided into [[orpington]] to the West and Halstead to the East.

==See also==

*[[Rude Britain]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commons category-inline|Pratt's Bottom}}
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20041211072426/http://www.prattsbottom.co.uk/history.htm Historical notes on the village]
*[http://www.pbvh.co.uk/ Pratts Bottom Village Hall]

{{LB Bromley}}

{{authority control}}

[[Category:Villages in London]]
[[Category:Areas of London]]
[[Category:Districts of the London Borough of Bromley]]
[[Category:Villages in the London Borough of Bromley]]