Place Name
Named after the family of Anne Boleyn, the second wife of Henry VIII, who held nearby Wickham Court from the 15thCentury. The house was originally built for Sir Henry Heydon (about 1440 – 1504) who married Anne Boleyn, the daughter of Sir Geoffrey Boleyn, also spelt Bulleyne and Bullen, great-grandfather of Henry VIII’s wife Anne Boleyn. There is no evidence that the future queen actually lived there, though it is claimed that this is where Henry proposed to her. Peter Leigh, a local historian, suggests another connection: “Henry often hunted in the deer park which included Spring Park Woods, while staying at Addington Manor.” According to Addington Palace’s website the pair are rumoured to have held clandestine meetings there while the king was still married to his first wife, Catherine of Aragon, who is also commemorated nearby, see Arragon Gardens. This street was built in the first part of the 20thCentury, during a period of major residential development in the area.
