Petts Wood is a place in the London Borough of Bromley.The name appeared first in 1577 as "the wood of the Pett family", who were shipbuilders and leased the wood as a source of timbers. William Willett, a campaigner for daylight saving time, lived in nearby Chislehurst for most of his life, and is commemorated by a memorial sundial in the wood. The Daylight Inn in the suburb of Petts Wood is named in his honour. Petts Wood also has a second pub (The Sovereign of the Seas) and a railway station. It is situated between Orpington and Bickley. The Jubilee Country Park is located to the northwest of the main shopping area and is home to several rare species of animal life.Most of Petts Wood was built in the early twentieth century by the developer Basil Scruby together with Master builder, Noel Rees, as a high quality estate in a rural setting only a short train journey from the city, with the East side being built first. Noel Rees's name is still used as a selling point by estate agents, his houses can be found in Great Thrift, The Covert, Princes Avenue, Kingsway, Chislehurst Rd, The Chenies and many other roads in Petts Wood.The area sustained heavy bombing during WW2 because of its proximity to an important railway junction. Charles de Gaulle leader of the Free French and future President of France lived in Petts Wood, at 41 Birchwood Road, for part of the Second World War.The wood itself is now managed by the National TrustThe wood itself survives and is managed by the National Trust. Originally just 88 acres (36 hectares) were bought by public subscription and donated to the Trust in 1927. This was expanded when the neighbouring Hawkwood Estate and Edlmann Wood, comprising a further 250 acres (100 hectares), were donated to the Trust by landowners Robert and Francesca Hall in 1957. The woodland features oak, birch, rowan, alder, ash, hornbeam and sweet chestnut.
