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London
Green Belt Way
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Stage 16
-
Dartford Station to
Shoreham Station
(11.4
miles)
Start: Grid Reference TQ5427974359 Post Code DA1 1BP
StreetMap
ROUTE DESCRIPTION
From Dartford
Station we
follow
Darent Valley Path
thru' Dartford, Central Park & past Brooklands Lake. Thru' the villages of
Darenth, Farningham & Eynsford. A big climb up past Eagle Heights & drop back
down past the Roman Villa remains. Then past Lullingstone Castle. Lullingstone
Park Visitor's Centre, Shoreham Castle Farm and thru' fields to and Shoreham
village to finish near Shoreham Station.
Exit Dartford Station by
main entrance. Turn left and left again to cross over Station Approach. Turn
right along pavement and, as pavement splits, stay left, signed Darent Valley
Path. This leads to a footbridge. DO NOT cross the footbridge. Instead, turn
right and down steps.
Go straight on along the path, with a wall and the river to your LHS, for 230
yards. Turn right for a few yards at Dartford County Court, then before reaching
the road (Home Gardens) turn left and follow the path down and through an
underpass under the road. Once through turn left along
St Saviours Walk,
signed Darent Valley Path. After 100 yards the Walk comes out onto a road next
to a bridge over the River Darent, turn right past Holy Trinity Church.
Holy Trinity Church is
Grade 1 Listed
and sits right at the centre of the town overlooking the river. It was built by
Bishop Gundulf of Rochester
c1080 on the site of an earlier Saxon church. The
church has been greatly
modified and added to over the years.
Watling Street
was the old Roman road from Dover to St Albans via London. The route through
Dartford can easily still be seen on maps along what is now Watling Street, East
Street, High Street and West Street. The road would have crossed the River
Darent in the vicinity of the church, via a ford. This is where the town takes
its name. After the murder of
Thomas Becket,
in 1170 at Canterbury, many pilgrims would pass through here on their way to and
from Canterbury Cathedral. During the reign of Henry IV (1399-1413) a pedestrian
bridge was built, but before that the only way to cross was either the ford or a
ferry. According to Dartford Town Archive,
a ferry, operated by a hermit, was established in 1235. Even after a proper
stone bridge was built the post of hermit continued until 1518. He would collect
alms for the pilgrims and donations for the upkeep of the pedestrian bridge. The
footbridge survived until the mid-18th century. One of its arches was
moved to and is still on display in Dartford's Central Park. The hermit is
remembered by a small
window
in Holy Trinity Church.
In 1415 Henry V held a thanksgiving ceremony here after the
Battle of Agincourt.
He died in 1422 in France and his body lay overnight in the church for a requiem
mass before continuing the journey to Westminster Abbey. There is much to see
inside the church including a 15th century magnificent fresco
depicting St, George slaying the dragon. It was whitewashed over during the
Dissolution of the Monasteries, but was rediscovered in the 1830s. There is a
monument to
Sir John Spilman
who, in 1588, founded England's first commercial paper-mill at Dartford on the
River Darent, plus a brass plaque commemorating the work of
Richard Trevithick,
the pioneer of steam propulsion.
For further information on Holy Trinity Church visit the
church website
and the
article
at Kent Archaeology. There are also many old photos of Dartford, including the
church, at
Francis Frith.
Continue straight on along the pavement, past
The Wat Tyler
pub, and into the pedestrian area of the High Street.
The pub takes its name from the leader of "The Peasants' Revolt" of June 1381. A
board,
in Bullace Lane, on the side of the pub states:
"Wat Tyler and the commons of Kent, came in great numbers to the Brent on Friday after Whit Sunday, 1381. There they took council, saying among themselves that there were more kings than one and they would not suffer or endure any other king but King Richard, and before proceeding to London to demand from the king, "That you make us free for ever, ourselves, our heirs and our lands and that we be called no more bond or so reputed". Wat Tyler and several of the commons called at this ancient tavern (so it is said) to quench their thirst with flagons of ale."
Dartford does have connection with
The Peasants' Revolt,
but whether or not the above statement is true is in doubt. An
article
by the Gravesend Reporter suggests the pub was built in 1416 and thus
contradicts the claim. However, I can't ascertain what was on this site before
that.
After 80 yards turn left into Market Place. Use the RHS pavement. At end of Market
Place cross straight over Market Street using pelican crossing and signed Darent
Valley Path.
Go straight on down some steps, signed Darent Valley Path, and into gardens.
Turn left past the war
memorial then right past Dartford Library / Dartford Borough Museum and into
Central Park.
Follow Darent Valley Path signs through Central Park, and after 0.5 miles exit
the park through a tunnel
under the A225 (Princes Road).
Central Park
covers 26 acres and is owned and managed by Dartford Borough Council. It is
bounded by the River Darent to its east and Princes Road to the south. The park
began life as a gift of five acres of land to the people of the town by
Lieutenant-Colonel CN Kidd in 1903. He was a local businessman and very involved
in the local community. You can download an in-depth history of the park at the
LINK.
There are many things to see on your way through the park. The
arch of old medieval stone
footbridge that once crossed the river, a
bandstand,
children's play area,
cafe
and information centre, skatepark,
running track
and pavilion which is home to Dartford Harriers, river walks, an
Ecology Island and lots more. There is also a two day
Dartford Festival
in mid-July each year, and there are
future plans
to extend the park east and put the river at its centre.
DIRECTIONS THROUGH CENTRAL PARK. Go straight on for 150 yards. At junction turn
left and follow path as it bends right. At next junction turn left, soon
straight on past path to RHS. At next junction take right fork and straight on
for 150 yards - the River Darent will be to your LHS and soon past a skate park
to your RHS. At junction take right fork past footbridge to your LHS. Almost
immediately, take left fork keeping river to your LHS. At next junction stay
left past running track to your RHS. Stay straight on soon through a metal gate
into the Prince's Tunnel.
There are two tunnels under Princes Road. They were originally built in 1923 to
take the busy A225 over both streams of the River Darent. However, the western
stream was diverted and the tunnel was converted to a walkway / cycle track and
opened as
Prince's Tunnel
in 2009. It connects Central Park to Brooklands Lake making it safe for
pedestrians and cyclists without having to cross the busy dual-carriageway and
also forms part of the Darent Valley Path.
A few interesting points about the tunnel: classical music is played constantly;
it is designed to flood if the river floods; it is floodlit, and on the
southside above the arch is a plaque commemorating the opening.
On
exiting the tunnel
go through a second metal gate and then stay left past a path going off to the
RHS. After just a few yards stay left past another path going off to the RHS and
across the lake. Then almost immediately, at fork, turn right and along the
eastern side of the lake (at 1 mile).
Follow the
path
along the edge of the lake for 300 yards to a lane (Powder
Mill Lane)
next to an industrial estate. Turn left along the lane and over the
river. Immediately over the bridge, turn
right onto a path signed Darent Valley Path.
Dartford
was one of the places most bombed by the Germans during World War II. Power
The
Darent Valley Path
is a 19 mile waymarked footpath, stretching from the River Thames at Dartford to
the Greenland Hills above Sevenoaks. Our route continues along the Darent Valley
Path to the end of the stage. The Darent Valley Path is a bit of a gem and by
far the obvious route to take around this part of
Luckily today much of this historical past has survived and can still be seen.
Apart from
An illustrated guide book to the path, entitled
"Along
and Around the Darent Valley Path",
was published by Kent County Council in 1997 and is still available on e-books.
To get a feel for the walk you can also visit
www.bertuchi.co.uk/darent.php
- he does go in the opposite direction to
Follow the Darent Valley Path through the woods and stay straight on, keeping
the river to your RHS.
To the right, just across the river is Dartford Trade Park industrial estate
-
luckily most is hidden by trees. Soon the path seems to be blocked by broken old
mill stones, these, a few
steps that led to a
footbridge over the mill race and the
walls which held the
mill wheel are all that still stands. However, stay straight on along the
path, keeping the river
to the right
On exiting the woods, the path goes between the river, to your RHS, and large
open fields through a
fence to your LHS. At the end of the fields stay straight on through a small
wood, then turn right to cross a
footbridge
over the river.
Turn left along the edge of the field, then after 250 yards turn right along a
wide path
and after 120 yards cross a stile to a lay-by next to the A225 (Hawley Road).
Turn left along the pavement, staying on the left-hand side and under the
A2 road bridge (at 2
miles), then past the entrance to an industrial site and Hawley Mill to the
left. Soon after Hawley Mill,
directly opposite Mill Road and immediately before
green metal gates, turn left onto an
enclosed narrow path
signed Darent Valley Path.
The path leads to a
footbridge
over the River Darent and then right along the
side of the river
(to your RHS) and
after 240 yards
under the M25
road bridge. A few yards after the M25 there is a choice of three paths - one to
the left, one which goes right through the trees and one which veers
left
along the
LHS of the trees and then straight on across a field. Follow the
last option,
it is the most obvious and crosses the field diagonally (going almost directly
east).
There is some interesting graffiti on the pillars supporting the motorway, but only up as far as the artist could reach. Just after the motorway, on the left, is an apple tree. A strange place to grow this, but on reflection it most likely originated from a discarded apple core thrown from the window of a car as it sped along the M25 above.
At the
opposite side
of the field the path goes through a kissing gate and out onto a road (Darenth
Road South). Turn right along the road, signed Darent Valley Path and soon past
the entrance to
a care home.
Soon to your RHS is the inviting
Chequers Inn
(website)
This was originally built in the 16th Century and was an old coaching
inn and is
grade II listed. South Darent Road is now a dead end on its northern side.
The road used to join up with Darent Road and continue north into the centre of
Dartford. However, with the building of the A2 road it got cut in two. Then with
the opening of the M25 in the 1980 both ends were even greater cut off. Both of
these major roads meet just 400 yards directly north of here at the huge
M25 J2 Darenth Interchange.
At the end of Darenth Road cross straight over Darenth Hill and onto a very narrow path next to the entrance of a distribution depot, and to the left of a lane which leads to a fishing area called The Alders. Be careful as the narrow path is difficult to spot and this makes it is easy to go wrong here and end up at The Alders fishing area with its small intimate restaurant for the anglers.
St Margaret's
Church
is just a few yards to the left on the south side of Darenth Hill. The church is
described as the
"gem
of the
In the
Domesday Book
of 1086 Darenth is recorded has having 59 households and thus described as
"very
large".
The path soon becomes
enclosed
in on both sides and leads to a flight of
steps (at 3 miles).
Climb the steps and then follow the path as it turns right,
and leads
to the corner of a large field. Stay straight on along the bottom (RHS)
edge of the field.
To the left the field climbs upwards to
The path eventually goes through a wood, with the river once again to the right. Then emerges from the wood into an isolated park area in the corner of a large field.
On the left, running along the edge of the field, is a
path / lane
leading to Roman Villa Road. It is used as an access route by
Concord Model Flying Club
to get here by car and fly their models over the field. Nearby are the remains
of
Darenth Court Roman Villa
(this is either in the woods behind, or near the far end of the lane in the
north east corner of the field, or possibly both as there are two parts to the
villa's
buildings). The main part of the villa was discovered at the end of the 19th
Century, a second site containing the bath house and an adjacent building was
discovered in 1969. The villa is one of the largest ever found in the
A path to the right, along the edge of the field, soon turns right to cross a
footbridge over the river and within a few hundred yards leads to
St John's Jerusalem. This
is a pretty 17th Century house, parts of which date back to 13th
Century. It is set in peaceful, secluded gardens and moated by the
Darent. The site from 1199 was a Commandery of the
Knights Hospitaller,
where newly joined knights were trained for the Crusades. The property was
confiscated by Henry VIII during the
"Dissolution
of the Monasteries".
The flint chapel is all that remains of the original buildings. Today the
buildings are in the care of the National Trust, but the house is occupied as a
private residence. Only the chapel and gardens are open to the public.
Follow the
well-defined path
straight on across the large field (going directly south) and towards a tall
chimney in the distance. At the other end of the field (after 580 yards) the
path again goes straight on and is
enclosed
between a fence and a hedge. After 120 yards stay left along a lane which soon
leads to a T-junction with a road (Holmesdale Hill) and in the village of South
Darenth.
Turn right along the narrow pavement and follow Holmesdale Road as it turns
left. Be careful as the pavement disappears at times.
Soon the river is just to the RHS of the road and 50 yards later an
old flour mill
straddles the river at Mallys Place. The original mill burnt down in 1879 and a
new brick mill was built the following year. During much of the 20th
century the mill was not used and in 1960 was converted to a woodwork factory.
During the
Great Storm of
October 1987,
the western side of the building was severely damaged. In recent years the
damaged portion of the mill has been taken down, and the remaining part
converted to residential use. You can see by comparing a recent photo at
Geograph
to the link above how the building is now smaller.
250 yards later follow Holmesdale Road as it passes Devon Road (and bridge) to
the RHS. Then along the RHS pavement as the road veers left and later right
(at 4 miles)
and
into the centre of South Darenth village.
On reaching the junction (at 4 miles), to the left is the aptly named
The Jolly Millers
public house. to the right is a small fenced green with the village sign at its
centre. The information below comes from the
link to Geograph.
"The
South Darenth village sign features the River Darent, St Mary's Church at Horton
Kirby, Horton Kirby Viaduct and the chimney of the former Horton Kirby Paper
Mill - see Link
, Link
, Link
,
and Link
.
Although they are separated, Horton Kirby and South Darenth seem to be regarded
as the same village. They even have the same village sign - see Link
Two
of the features (the viaduct and the chimney) are actually in South Darenth, the
church is in Horton Kirby while the River Darent is common to both, although
less of a feature in Horton Kirby than in South Darenth."
On passing East Hill, to your LHS, stay straight on along the RHS pavement and into Horton Road, soon past the entrance to a new housing development to your RHS and what until 2008 was the site of the large paper mill - the chimney is still standing.
After
just 40
yards,
and
where the pavement ends, cross
over to the LHS, then turn right to cross over New Road. Stay straight on along
the pavement and
soon
up steps
and
under a high viaduct to just past The Bridges public
house to your RHS.
South Darenth
village has 5.2 hectares designated a
conservation area.
The area was greatly changed in the latter half of the 19th Century
with the coming of the railway and the expansion of the paper mills.
Horton Kirby Paper Mill,
at South Darenth, was built in the 1820s by Henry Hall and replaced an older
corn mill. The 1987 a storm caused havoc in the Horton Kirby Paper Mill
Industrial Estate, resulting in the destruction of at least two business
premises. The three-storied West Mill was reduced to rubble and the falling roof
tumbled into nearby buildings. In 2008 most the paper mill was demolished to
make way for a housing development, only the tall chimney and a two storey
building were left standing as both are historically listed. In front, just past
the mill, and towering over the valley is the
South Darenth Railway Viaduct.
It was built in 1858 and carries the
Station Road, next to the pub, is named so as it leads to Farningham Road Station at Sutton at Hone. The station has a reputation for crime. According to the British Transport Police in 2007/8 it was the second most vandalised station in the country. On Wednesday, 6th August 2008 the station was in the national press for another crime. This time, during the morning rush hour, a woman was pushed off the platform and onto the railway tracks after she asked two men to stop smoking. The woman suffered a broken wrist and bruises to her legs, but was lucky to just miss the live rail by inches. A man was later charged with grievous bodily harm over the incident and sentenced to 4 years imprisonment.
Turn right, signed Darent Valley Path, to cross Horton Road, past The Bridges
pub and into Station Road
(staying along the RHS pavement). Follow the road for a short distance to just over the
river, then turn left to cross Station Road and down onto a
narrow footpath
next to the river, signed Darent Valley Path.
There are a few videos of the Darent Valley Path along this stretch of the walk.
One I enjoyed was by a guy named Chris on his walk from the old chimney at
Horton Kirby Paper Mill to Franks Lane. You can watch it at
YouTube.
The path follows the right bank of the river for half a mile to Westminster
Playing Fields at Horton Kirby. Be careful to follow the main path (signed
"Darent
Valley Path")
through here as there are lakes to the right with paths going off between them
and around them and at one point a footbridge to the left over the river leads
to a parking area.
On reaching Westminster Playing Fields follow the path south and along the LHS
of the fields to a pavilion. Stay left
past
the pavilion on the grass, keeping the
car park to your LHS. At the far end of the car park, veer left towards a
kissing gate at the corner of the field. Go through the kissing gate and follow
a well-worn path diagonally across the field to the opposite corner (at 5
miles).
On entering the next field follow the path along the left-hand edge and
soon
back to
river. For the next 400 yards the
path
continues through a narrow wood adjacent to the river. This area is very
picturesque, but at points is uneven underfoot and can be slippery when wet.
Horton Kirby
was recorded in the
Domesday Book
as
"Hortune"meaning
"muddy
place by a river".
It was divided into four manors, Court Lodge,
The Parish Church of St Mary the Virgin is on the
"The
first was rebuilding of the nave in about the late 1300s/early 1400s, obviously
in hurry, without arcades and out of alignment with the rest of the edifice. A
possible reason for this is damage by the Great Kentish Earthquake of 1382,
which created havoc throughout the county. The second period saw the rebuilding
of the tower (which then had a spire) with modern brickwork in 1816, and the
chancel being halved in length in 1821.
The website also goes on to compliment another period when improvements were
made.
"In the late 19th century the church was genuinely `improved', even by Victorian standards, by Ewen Christian, architect. Windows were unblocked and an organ purchased which is still in use today. The three stained glass windows in the chancel date from 1863."
Horton Kirby
has many links with early settlers and can trace this back thousands of years to
Neolithic Times. In 1972 during construction work for a new sewer, at
Westminster Playing Fields a previously undiscovered
Roman villa and granary
were unearthed. This find filled in a gap in a line of villas along the valley.
Luckily, whilst digging took place there was a 24-hour watch on the site by
interested archaeologists who spotted the early uncovering of Roman artifacts.
As a consequence, the sewer was diverted and this historical site was saved. It
also may explain why there are hundreds of fragments of Roman tiles embedded in
the flint walls of St Mary's
Church.
Other major finds show that Horton Kirby was an important settlement during
Saxon Times. In 1866 a Saxon cemetery was discovered by workmen digging
foundations for the
"Home
for Little Boys"
at the top end of New Road, South Darenth. This led to the discovery of between
60 and 70 graves. A second was discovered by council workers in 1937 preparing
land for the building of new houses at
Just across the bridge on The Street at the entrance to Westminster Playing
Fields was the site of
Westminster Mill.
This was the biggest influence of the Industrial Revolution on the village. It
also brought jobs and more people to the area. The mill was originally used for
making flour and owned by Thomas Millhouse, a church warden at St Marys in 1894
who lived at Mill House. It was damaged by lightening in 1908. By 1914 it was
rented by Walter Millen and used to make shoelaces. In March 1918 Millen bought
the mill, the mead, the bridge and the weir. Between 1926 and 1936 the mill
expanded with extra floors and extensions being added. It ventured into cork
insoles for shoes. Millen was regarded as a kind and generous man by his workers
and friends. The story quoted below from the
Horton Kirby & South Darent
Website (story was unavailable
March 2023, but see
Archive)
is by a young lady who worked at the mill tells of his generosity.
"Eileen
"Nippy" Filmer began work at the Mill when she was 14 putting tin tags on the
bootlaces and was paid 3 /4 d a gross. One of the many works' outings she
remembered as follows: "In 1938 a day trip was organised by Mr Millen for the
workers. We put one shilling a week aside for 20 weeks. It was a train ride
(with breakfast on the train) to
In November 1940 the mill was taken over by Vickers-Armstrong at the behest of the Ministry to produce lighting, nuts and bolts for the war effort. After the war in April 1946 normal production was resumed and continued until 1952 when the company ceased trading. The mill was then sold to the J Day Group. They continued to produce shoelaces until 1968 and then cable and harnessing for the General Post Office (now Royal Mail and BT) until 1991. During this time, in 1975 a former employee set fire to the west wing by the bridge, resulting in a complete rebuild and loss of 50, 000 pounds worth of equipment. The mill stayed empty until 2001 when it was demolished to make way for a new residential development on the site.
The village has two traditional English pubs, both of which are just off the route on the opposite side of the river. The Fighting Cocks has been a pub since 1818, is on The Street south of the entrance to Westminster Playing Fields and has a garden backing onto the river. The name comes from cock fighting which was held there in the early 19th Century. The other is The Bull (pub website), north of Westminster Playing Fields on the corner of Bull Hill and Lombard Street. A short distance north of The Bull on School Lane is the Horton Kirby Environmental Centre, built for local children to experience and be educated about the local area.
Across the River Darent, from the route just before Franks Lane, is
Reynolds Place.
It was recorded in the Domesday Book as a Saxon farm and is named after a
medieval family. It had many well-known and wealthy occupants including Sir John
Browne, Lord Mayor of London in 1480. The original house was a large Tudor
mansion built in the 16th Century, but was greatly damaged during the
great storm of 1703 and had to be demolished. All that remains today is a
farmhouse, but with many features going back to Tudor Times.
The path comes out onto a road - Franks Lane. Turn left along the lane and
across the
bridge
over the river. After 220 yards and immediately before
Horton & Kirby Cricket Club,
turn right through a kissing
gate and onto an
enclosed footpath
(signed Darent Valley Path) going directly away from the road and with the
cricket field to your LHS. The river is now away to the right across the field
and follows the line of trees in the distance.
Franks Hall
is just across the river on higher ground above the flood plain. This was built
in 1591 by Lancelot Bathurst and replaced a much older hall which stood on this
side of the river near the south east corner of the field. The older house was
built in 1220 by the Frankish family from
To read more about the history of Horton Kirby, just visit British History Online, or for a complete and thorough write up read the Horton Kirby & South Darenth "Villages Design Statement" published in 2005.
Follow the path straight for 600 yards to go through a
wooden stile.
Then turn right along on a fenced off path along the side of a field and after
40 yards turn left, with the River Darent to your RHS. The
footpath
follows the river for 360 yards then passes
under the M20
motorway (at 6 miles).
In the field across the river, just before the M20 road bridge, are the remains
of
Franks Roman Villa.
Evidence found here suggests it was built on the site of a late Iron Age
settlement.
After another 250 yards the path passes through an
arch
under the A20 road. Once under turn right to cross a
footbridge
over the River Darent, then left to follow the path through woods along the
opposite bank. 250 yards later the path leads to and through the large riverside
beer garden of the
Lion Hotel
and out onto the Farningham High Street.
Turn right along the High Street and through the village. The road soon starts
to gently climb. To the right is the aptly named White House. Stay straight on
over Dartford Road to the RHS and past
The Chequers Pub
Across the street to the left is the
Family Butchers, which
during spring and summer is brightly decorated with flowers.
After another 80 yards turn left to cross over and into Sparepenny Lane.
Farningham
has many well preserved and interesting old buildings
-
it has to be one of my favourite villages on the route. Evidence of Neolithic
and
Iron Age
settlements have been found in the area, some of which are now in the
The village grew up along the busy
The bridge over the Darent replaced a much older ford, evidence of which can
still be seen from the Lion Hotel beer garden. Crossing the river next to the
bridge is a listed structure consisting of red brick arches, each closed off by
wooden fence like structures. It is thought the arches and fences are a
"cattle
screen"
built in the 18th Century to stop cattle from escaping. Directly
across the road from the Lion Hotel is the
old corn mill.
It was built in the 18th Century by the Colyer Family on an expensive
mechanical base. It replaced an older mill built here in 1610 by, Sir Anthony
Roper and is now a private dwelling.
It appears Roper's
father was also Sir Anthony, who inherited Lord of the Manor of Farningham from
his father in the 16th Century. The Domesday Book records a mill here
as far back as 1087. A short distance to the left of the mill is the manor
house. This for a number of years, in the latter part of his life, was home to
William Bligh
-
better known as
"Captain
Bligh of the Bounty".
The
Church of St Peter & St Paul
is just east of this and dates from the 13th Century - the tower was
added 200 years later. Inside is a rare 15th Century font with
carvings of the seven sacraments and in the graveyard to the rear of
the church
is the impressive 18th Century
Nash mausoleum.
Shortly after the church, on the same side of the High Street is the
Pied Bull
public house (website).
According to the pub website it dates from 1612, however the
Farningham & Eynsford Local History Society
state its records go back to 1587. It is clear that by the 17th
Century it was a coaching inn on the main road from
According to
The Lion Hotel
website the pub dates back to the 16th Century when it was the
entertainment centre of the village. It was visited by writer
Charles Dickens
(1812
-
1870) who enjoyed fishing in the river. The pub is currently owned by a company
called
Vintage Inns.
The route around
There are many other historical buildings in the village and you can read more
on these by following the link above to the
Local History Society.
A full history is available at
British History Online
and photos and stories can be seen at
Francis Firth.
There are some plaques about the place
-
and I'm
sure I have taken photos of them. I'll
put them on here when I find them.
For the first couple of hundred yards
After 210 yards, and almost immediately after the entrance to Hampton Court Cottage, turn left through a gap in the hedgerow, signed Darent Valley Path. The path crosses a stile (or kissing gate) into a field, turn right and follow the worn permissive path along the top edge of the field and parallel to Sparepenny Lane.
NOTE:
If you choose to contine along Sparepenny Lane, you'll achieve the same goal but
you'll miss lots of views over the Darent Valley.
The path continues along the top edge of fields and parallel to Sparepenny Lane
for the next 0.8 miles. Originally, the Darent Valley Path was along the lane.
However, a few years ago it was diverted via the permissive path through the
fields and this avoids traffic and allows great views over the valley.
After 330 yards the path passes through a wooden kissing gate and into a second
field. Continue straight on along the top edge of the field.
At the kissing gate take a short diversion right to the side of the lane and
then retrace your steps back to the kissing gate and continue along the path.
The reason for the diversion is to see a small memorial to
Flight Lieutenant James A. Paterson,
a Battle of Britain pilot from
The path continues for 0.6 miles - along the top edge of a second field, then
through a
small wood
(at 7 miles) managed by the Woodland Trust (Nine
Hole Wood),
then along the edge of a third field.
At the end of the third field it exits onto the lane through a kissing gate.
Turn left along the lane and past the Eynsford sign.
On walking along the top of the last field there are great views of the ruins of
Eynsford Castle. The
11th Century castle was the residence of a Norman knight William de
Eynsford. It has been uninhabited since the 14th Century, and in
later years was used as kennels for hunting dogs owned by the Hart-Dykes of
Follow Sparepenny Lane downhill, soon past Crockenhill Lane to the RHS, and eventually to a T-junction at Riverside
A video on
YouTube, uploaded by a runner and entitled
"Eynsford to Otford via Shoreham (Kent)",
follows our identical route
of the next 3.9 miles of
this stage and the first 1.47 miles of stage 17 from Shoreham to Otford. It's
worth a watch as the runner has done her homework.
To the left
"Riverside"
leads past the green on the banks of the Darent and the 16th century
Plough Inn
to Eynsford village with its many old and interesting buildings. Eynsford has
been an important
crossing point
of the Darent for thousands of years. The 15th Century hump-back
bridge and adjacent much older
ford
cross the river to the main part of the village. Just over the bridge is the
Watermark Restaurant and
directly across the High Street is the Norman Church of
St Martin of Tours
(church
website). In the mid-12th Century the church was the focus of a
dispute between William de Eynsford III and
Thomas Becket,
the Archbishop of Canterbury. William was excommunicated and it led to a
confrontation between Becket and King Henry II. It was one of many
confrontations which would eventually lead to Becket's
assassination in Canterbury Cathedral on 29th December 1170.
The High Street has many old and interesting buildings. A short distance to the
left, along it, is
The Castle Hotel
and directly opposite the inn is access to
Eynsford
Castle.
Eynsford
has connections with and has been home to many famous people. The Wesley Stone
next to the bridge marks the spot where
John Wesley
once preached from.
Percy Pilcher,
a late 19th century inventor and aviator constructed and flew some
lightweight gliders near the village, but tragically crashed and died in 1899 at
the age of 33 just before he was about try and become the first person to make a
powered flight. In the 1920s composers
Peter Warlock
and
EJ Moeran
rented a house in the village and created some of their best works here. They
were famous for their open house and drunken parties. Warlock would often wake
up the local residents by going around the village late at night, on his
motorcycle, whilst drunk and sometimes naked.
Graham Sutherland,
the 20th Century English artist, lived at Willow Cottage.
Arthur Mee
(1875
-
1943), writer and author of
The Children's
Encyclopedia
lived in a grand house which he built on Eynsford Hill.
You can read more about Eynsford at
Wikipedia,
Francis Frith and at
British
History Online.
At T-junction turn right onto Lullingstone Lane and stay on RHS. The lane soon
turns left. Then after passing a metal gate, turn right onto a signed Footpath,
uphill and diagonally across a large crop field.
As you climb take time to turn around and look at the
view
back towards the village of Eynsford and across the Darent Valley.
After 300 yards
cross the railway
(with great care) and continue straight on, uphill and across another large
crop field for 420 yards (now going directly west).
Again, as you climb, look back for a great
view
of Eynsford Railway Viaduct, the Darent Valley and Eynsford Village. A lot of
the land around here is chalk based and, with our climate getting hotter, I
wouldn-t
be surprised to see vineyards sprouting up in the area.
Eynsford Viaduct
was completed in 1862 to link
The path enters another field, Stay straight on for 90 yards to
exit
the field to a
lane.
Cross straight over the lane into another crop field and go straight on along a
well-defined path
(at 8.1 miles).
A short distance to the right, along the lane, is Hulberry Farm. It is home to
one of the UK's
largest Bird of Prey Centres,
"Eagle
Heights Wildlife Foundation".
Here the have around 100 birds, including eagles, hawks, falcons, owls, vultures
and many more. According to their website:
"This includes over 50 species, many of which are now breeding at the centre or can be seen flying in our daily demonstrations. We have also become a wildlife sanctuary and house a variety of animals including, Meerkats, African Servals, Farm Animals, Reptiles, Huskies and more!"
Follow the path for 300 yards to a hedge
- Hulberry Farm is just to the right.
Stay straight on, keeping the hedgerow to your RHS, then 300 yards later to the
field
corner. Turn left and steeply downhill along the edge of the field. Towards
the bottom the path becomes enclosed, and eventually down
steps
to rejoin Lullingstone Lane.
The views over the valley below and the railway viaduct can be stunning, and if
lucky you might see some of the birds of prey in flight.
Just to the left, on reaching the lane, is
Lullingstone Roman Villa.
First constructed in 75 AD of wood, it was rebuilt using flint and tiles by 150
AD, and greatly extended over the next 300 years. From the 4th
Century there is evidence Christianity was practiced here and thus was the site
of one of
On reaching Lullingstone Lane turn right and follow for 550 yards to a red-brick
building with two towers and a central archway. This is the gatehouse and
entrance to Lullingstone Castle.
The
gatehouse
at Lullingstone Castle was built in 1497 and is believed to be one of the first
buildings to be built of red-brick in Britain. Through the entrance is the
"castle",
a magnificent manor house dating from the same time. However, the later
Queen Anne front
conceals the older part of the house. To the left on the lawn is the older
St Botholp's
Church.
Built in Norman times and sometimes referred to as
"The
Church on the Lawn".
It was built mainly of flint and remains from the Roman villa. The red bricks
visible at the top of the walls were added in the early 18th Century.
The church has many interesting things to see including some of the oldest
stained glass in the country. The church is still in use and is open to the
public. According to the church website:
"... it is also the parish church of Lullingstone. The regular congregation comes not only from Lullingstone but beyond, drawn by its regular Sunday morning services according to the 1662 Book of Common Prayer with lessons taken from the King James Bible."
Behind the church is a walled garden. This was originally a herb garden designed
by Eleanour Sinclair Rohde and has recently been converted to
"The
World Garden".
An estate at Lullingstone is recorded in the Domesday Book (1086) although the name is believed to have earlier Saxon origins.
According to
"The
Heraldic Notices of
Here is an earlier love story (or two) about Anne Hart from
Historic-Kent.co.uk.
(as of July 2020, the link no-longer has the story, but here's
another)
"A
rather odd little story is told of his daughter Anne. It relates how, on the
night of the celebration of her betrothal to Sir Thomas Dyke of Horeham, Sussex,
she slipped away to her bedroom where she made a rope of knotted sheets and
climbed down into the arms of a young naval officer called Bluet, who was
waiting for her in a boat in the moat.
Together they ran away and were married. The jilted Sir Thomas swore he would never marry anyone else and, indeed, he did not. When Bluet died nine years later his widow found the faithful Sir Thomas still waiting for her and they married."
It was Anne Hart's
marriage to Sir Thomas Dyke which formed the roots to the current family name
and it was also Thomas who bestowed the name
Until recently the castle was in the hands of Guy Hart-Dyke (died
2018)
and his wife Sarah. It means that the manor has stayed in the ownership of the
Hart-Dyke family and their ancestors for almost 650 years, and this makes them
one of the oldest families in the world to have continually lived in the same
house.
Guy & Sarah's
son Tom hit the news in March 2000 when he and his companion Paul Winder were
taken hostage by rebels whilst searching for rare orchids in the Panamanian
jungle. They were held captive for nine months. During this time Tom came up
with the idea of the
To look at the manor house and the grounds it's
easy to believe a very wealthy family must live here. However, in 2006 BBC2
showed an earlier recorded series of documentaries about the family, the castle
and Tom's
idea of a
"World
Garden"
as a means of creating enough income to keep the castle in the family. In
another series
"Return
to Lullingstone"
(televised in 2007), the BBC came back to see how things were progressing. The
garden opened to the public in July 2005 and in the same year won the Guild of
UK Travel Writers Tourism Award for best new tourist attraction in the
This wasn't
the only time the family had to come up with a business adventure to keep the
castle in the family. In the 1930s the family were almost crippled by
inheritance tax, so Zoe Hart-Dyke decided to import silk-worms from China and
start a
silk farm.
It was the
Lullingstone Castle also holds a place in "Lawn Tennis" history. In 1875, Sir William Hart-Dyke and a group of the games' enthusiasts got together here to experiment on the lawn and debate how the game should be played. They decided the size of the court and where the lines should be placed. They drew up the original rules of what is now the modern game. It was only two years later when the first Wimbledon championship took place.
After passing the gatehouse go straight on through a kissing gate and along a
path into the woods, with the river and lake to the left.
To the right on the side of the hill is
Lullingstone Park Golf Course.
The path follows the River Darent for just over a third of a mile to behind
On the riverbank a short distance before the visitor's
there is a beautifully
carved bench, a memorial to a deceased teenager. Behind the centre is a
footbridge
over the river and close to this at a junction of paths is a tastefully engraved
wooden sculpture.
The Visitor's
Centre has a restaurant,
a shop and a small
museum to keep young children entertained. There are many interesting walks from
the visitor's centre through the adjacent country park. The park covers
an area of 460 acres and was once part of the old deer park of Lullingstone
Castle. According to
Kent County Council:
"Lullingstone Country Park is internationally important for its collection of ancient trees, with over 300 veteran oak, beech, ash, hornbeam and sweet chestnut, some of which are thought to be 800 years old. Find out more in Lullingstone's Veteran Trees leaflet (PDF, 795.8 KB). The park also has areas of chalk grassland that fill with spectacular displays of orchids and other wild flowers in spring and summer."
You can also download the Kent Country Council leaflet of
Lullingstone Park
and visit
British History Online
for a full history of Lullingstone.
The entrance to the car park from
Lullingstone
Visitor Centre
is from Castle Road / Redmans Lane.
Once over the entrance, stay right to go over a stile and into the field. Follow the path along the bottom edge of the field and parallel to the lane and then straight on into a second field.
From recent footage it seems this footpath along the edge of these fields is now
fenced off from the field.
At the border of the fields, to the RHS, a gap in the hedgerow to the LHS leads
to the road and just opposite is the entrance to Castle Farm.
The farmhouse at Castle Farm is built on what remains of
Shoreham
Castle.
This was Norman, it was known to be unoccupied by at least the early 16th
Century and was previously called Lullingstone Castle, until the name was
adopted in 1738 by the Hart-Dyke family for their manor house.
Castle Farm is well worth the short diversion from our walk. On the river next
to the farm, and visible from the lane, is a small and unusual
water powered
windmill.
There is the multi award winning
Hop Shop
with lots of local produce on sale. The same family have been farming here since
1892. The farm covers 1.100 acres and grows crops of wheat, barley, rapeseed,
hops, apples, pumpkins, lavender and a grass-fed herd of beef cattle. It is the
largest producers of Lavender in the UK, with a specialised distillery on site,
allowing them to extract the precious essential oils within hours of the crop
being harvested.
On entering the second field, stay straight on for 250 yards to the corner
bottom corner of the field, then turn left and down some
steps to Redmans Lane.
Veer left to cross the road to a gate. Go through a
gap next to a
gate
and onto a path/track
signed Darent Valley Path.
Just of the path across the field after Castle Farm, the distinctive field down
to the left is a hop garden. Hop
gardens
have been a recognised feature of the
Connie Evans
(link broken) gives a wonderful personal account of her childhood memories of
working in the hop gardens. Her website gives an insight into how, not only did
the industry in
In late spring / early summer the fields, to the left across and climbing up
from the valley floor, are a purple haze with
lavender.
The hops, the lavender and other local produce from the farm and surrounding
areas are sold in the Castle Farm's
multi award winning
Hop Shop.
Follow the path straight across fields for just over a mile to Shoreham. It is
relatively easy to follow the Darent Valley Path through the fields just above
the river which is off to our LHS.
A short distance from the village the path drops down to the river, but soon
climbs up to cross Mill Lane and then
stay
left around the old Mill House to a
footbridge over the river. After crossing the footbridge turn right to follow
the path along the river
to
Shoreham
was home to
Samuel Palmer
(1805 - 1881), visionary landscape painter. It was a peaceful home away from the
hustle and bustle of the big city where he found inspiration and could get on
with his work. He lived at
Water House from 1827 to 1835 and is remembered by a
plaque on the outside
wall of the garden. His time here is described as his
"visionary
period"
during which he entertained many people from the arts and literary world, these
were nicknamed
"The
Ancients".
They included his friend and teacher,
William Blake
(1757
-
1827), the English poet and painter. Much of Palmer's work from this period is
in the
Victoria &
Albert Museum
in London.
At Kent-Downs there is an audio self-guided walk:
A Samuel Palmer trail through Shoreham where you can follow in the artist's
footsteps and learn about some of the rich cultural and artistic heritage of the
Darent Valley.
On the left, just past Water House is
Flint Cottage.
The suns on the front wall is a "fire mark" the early trademarks of a well-known
insurance company. The fire engines of the day would only attend houses which
displayed such an insurance certificate. Many old houses in the village still
display this mark.
On the right is the old bridge over the Darent River, a ladder on the side of
the bridge shows the depth of the river for travellers who used the now closed
ford.
Next to the bridge is the
War Memorial
with the names of all the locals killed in action in two world wars. One such
local was a man named
Thomas James
Highgate.
He was the only son of a farm labourer, born on 13th May 1895 at
Oxbourne Farm,
Each year on the Early May Bank Holiday the village holds the
Shoreham Duck
Race
along the river. It starts at the bridge and finishing at the footbridge near
Most of the village and some of the surrounding area is designated a
conservation area, and contains many old houses and pubs. It lies within the
Metropolitan Green Belt, the
Kent Downs
Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty
and is specified as a Special Landscape Area.
Within the village there are at least 32 listed buildings. Some have already
been mentioned above and some others are below, but to read about them all and
the full history of the village, visit the Sevenoaks Council website for the
full
Shoreham High
Street & Church Street Conservation Area Appraisal.
The 16th century Kings Arms to the right on Church Street, and just a short distance past the bridge, boasts the only complete Jolly Ostler's Box still remaining in the UK. The "Ostler" was the person employed by the inn to look after and groom the horses whilst their owners used the facility.
At the far end of
The Shoreham and District Historical Society decided in 2003 to mark the 60th anniversary of the end of World War II by producing a book based on interviews with people who lived in the village during the war. In 2006 their book "Shoreham at War" was published.
On passing the bridge, veer left along Church Street staying on the LHS
pavement. After a short distance follow the road left and uphill past some old
cottages.
To the left as you go up Church Street is a narrow road between houses. This leads to the award winning The Mount Vineyard. It is open Thursday to Sunday, 12 - 6pm, all year round for tastings and food. The menu and list of drinks is extensive - see the vineyard's website for details.
As the road turns right stay left through the Lych Gate of the church and
straight on along a
yew-lined
brick path
past the church to your LHS.
The route through the churchyard is a small diversion from the Darent Valley
Path as it continues along the road. However, this does seem to be a safer and
more interesting option.
The
Lych Gate
of St Peter & St Paul is hundreds of years old. The church is mainly
At the top of the path, exit the churchyard via a gate into a field. Turn right along a wide track and soon to a road (Station Road).
Surprisingly for such a small place, as well as the Old George Inn and the Kings
Arms, there are two other pubs in the village. The Old Crown Inn and the Two
Brewers are on the High Street and both just a short distance off the route. The
village has many connections with smugglers and one described by Dorothy
Gardiner on her own visit to Shoreham in her
"Companion
into
"She
recounted a story she was told about some smugglers who arrived at the Old Crown
Inn there early in the 19th century, with a wounded Spaniard. The
foreigner was nursed back to health by the daughter of the owner of the inn, a
man known as Squib the Maltster. When he was fit and well again, the Spaniard
married Squib's daughter and for a while they lived together in the village.
But then one day the Spaniard was taken by the press-gang and his wife died giving birth to their child. Many years later (so the tale concluded) the Spaniard returned to Shoreham. On enquiring in the village after his wife, he was told she was dead and he, without another word, turned round and walked away again, never to be seen thereafter."
People with connections to Shoreham include,
Verney Cameron
(1844
-
1894), the son of the local vicar. Whilst in
William
Colgate's
(1783
-
1857) family farmed in the village at Filston until 1798, but because of his
father's
republican views and support for the French Revolution the family was forced to
immigrate to
Actress
Naomi Watts
was born here on 28th September 1968.
Edward
Plunkett
(aka Lord Dunsany), 18th Baron of Dunsany (1878
-
1957) live at Dunstall Priory. He was an Anglo-Irish writer and dramatist, saw
action in the trenches during World War I and active at Shoreham in the Home
Guard during World War II. He was President of the
Shoreham
Village Players
in the 1950s and wrote a one act play about the village called
"The
Road".
He died in
Methodist
John Wesley
(1703
-
1791) used to visit Shoreham to see his great friend and supporter the
Rev Vincent
Perronet
(1693
-
1785), who was vicar here for fifty-seven years. Wesley is said to have had to
be rescued by the Perronet family from an unsympathetic audience when he
preached from a stone near the bridge over the River Darent, but the experience
did not stop his preaching in the vicarage kitchen.
Turn left along the road and after
100
yards turn right onto a narrow and
enclosed
footpath,
signed Darent Valley Path.
You continue along Station Road for another 230 yards to finish at Shoreham Railway Station, or you may decide to continue further along the Darent Valley Path on stage 17.
For a small village it is well serviced by the railway on the Swanley to
Sevenoaks line. This is thanks to the natural communications corridor of the
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