Westerham
Westerham is a community and also civil parish in the Sevenoaks Area of Kent, England, situated 5 miles (8 km) west of Sevenoaks. It is recorded as early as the 9th century, and was discussed in the Domesday Book in a Norman form, Oistreham (contrast Ouistreham in Normandy, Oistreham in 1086). Ham is Old English for a town or homestead, and so Westerham implies a westerly homestead. The River Darent flows with the community, as well as previously powered three watermills. Westerham was residence to the Black Eagle Brewery, which was taken over by Taylor Walker & Co in the 1950s, becoming part of Ind Coope in 1959 as well as enclosing 1965. Yeast from the brewery was preserved at the National Collection of Yeast Cultures and also is currently used by the existing day Westerham Brewery which was developed in 2004 by Robert Wicks. The brewery creates a series of ales, consisting of Westerham British Bulldog. Westerham was home to Crayford Engineering, a successful cars and truck conversion business, from 1962 to the 1980s, working from a workshop at Squerryes Mede.
