A WALK in the park led to a rocky restoration by conservationists.

Friends of Bromley Town Parks and Gardens were leading a walk round the Civic Centre grounds in Stockwell Close, Bromley, last summer when they noticed part of a boulder.

After pushing back the thick undergrowth, they discovered two large rockery formations created in 1865 by Victorian landscape gardening firm James Pulham and Son.

Working with Bromley Council, the group hopes to restore the area to its Victorian splendour.

The site was formerly the park of Bromley Palace, the manorial seat of the Bishop of Rochester from the 12th Century until 1845.

An exploratory clearance of the lower rocks was done last October and council contractors then cleared trees and shrubs and dug out the rock pools and channels.

The next stage is to see how much restoration work needs to be done.

Waterfalls will then be reinstated on the lower rocks and plants will be added.

The group's chairman Tony Banfield said: "When we saw the rocks, we thought they must be put back to where the public can see and enjoy them."

"Thanks to the contractors' work, it is now possible see the full glory of these amazing Victorian structures.

"They are quite remarkable for their date."

The 61-year-old believes the rockery had been neglected for more than 10 years because the grounds staff had not been told to maintain it.

A Bromley Council spokesman said: "Thanks to the work by contractors, it is now possible see the full glory of these amazing Victorian structures."