Sevenoaks

Sevenoaks is a town in Kent, in the South East of England. Sevenoaks is a fairly traditional market town, although these days, given its proximity to London, it is known largely as a commuter town. It is the perfect place to explore the Darenth Valley, especially if you like gentle country walks with plenty of rustic pubs along the way.

Understand

Contrary to popular belief the town isn't named after the seven oak trees that stood alongside the cricket pitch (six of which were destroyed in the great storm of 1987); the town's name is instead derived from the Anglo Saxon word seouenaca, the name given to a small chapel in Knole Park around 800 AD.

The district of Sevenoaks consists of 29 villages and small towns including of Chiddingstone, Edenbridge and Hever.

Otford is a quintessential village, nestled in the Kent countryside. It was mentioned in the Domesday book and was the site of an old Saxon battle.

Get in

By car

Sevenoaks is very near Junction 5 of the M25 where the M26 meets the M25. The M26 (or A25) leads to Maidstone, and the A21 heads south to Tonbridge, Tunbridge Wells and Hastings.

By train
  • 🌍 Sevenoaks station, Tubbs Hill, Sevenoaks, TN13 1DP (fairly near the centre of town, to the north). It is on the Main Kent Coast Line, which runs from London Charing Cross to Hastings. London is 20–30 minutes away, depending on whether the train is direct or a stopper service. Trains also run on First Capital Connect to Bedford, Luton and St Albans. 
  • 🌍 Otford station, Station Approach, Otford, TN14 5QY (a 5–10 minute walk from the village centre). Be careful not to let train sales staff confuse the place with Oxford. There are regular trains from London Victoria as Otford lies on the main Ashford and Maidstone lines. The ticket office is often closed, but there is a side gate to let you onto the platform. There is a bike shed and a large carpark at the station, which gets busy during the week as many residents commute into London. 

Fare and timetable information is available from South East Trains or by telephoning +44 8457 484950 (premium number).

Get around

Sevenoaks is not a large town, and the centre can easily be travelled on foot. As with most other towns in England, the town is well serviced by buses and taxis.

By bus

Arriva is the bus company that operates in Sevenoaks. Timetables and fares are available on their website. Buy your ticket from the driver when you board the bus.

By taxi

The main taxi rank is at the train station, although you can order a taxi by telephone to pick you up from anywhere.

For pre-booked journeys, try:

See
  • 🌍 Hever Castle, Hever, near Edenbridge, ☏ +44 1732 861710. Mar: W-Su grounds 10:30AM-4:30PM, house noon-4:30PM (last entry 3PM); Apr-Oct: daily grounds 10:30AM-6PM, house noon-6PM (last entry 4:30PM); Nov-Feb: hour vary - consult website. A 13th-century castle once home to Anne Boleyn. Superb example of a Tudor manor house with plenty of history related to Henry VIII. Well maintained landscaped Italian style garden restored by William Waldorf Astor in the early 1900s. There are also special events from March to October. Castle & garden: adult £16.75, senior or student £14.75, child £9.40; garden only: adult £14.50, senior or student £12.75, child £8.90. (updated Mar 2019)
  • 🌍 Chiddingstone Village. It is described as being the most perfect surviving example of a Tudor village in the United Kingdom. Much of the village is owned by The National Trust. The Chiding Stone from which the village derives its name is a large sandstone rock formation, and tradition asserts that the stone was used as a seat of judgement, mainly to remonstrate overbearing local wives. (updated May 2016)
    • Church of St. Mary's, Chiddingstone. This parish church is a beautiful Grade II* listed sandstone church and is, perhaps, the fourth built on the site. In the churchyard is a mausoleum dating from 1736 built by Henry Streatfeild; leading down into the family vault beneath which has a through flow of air provided by vents in two false altar tombs. The church was almost destroyed by a lightning fire in 1624. 
    • 🌍 Chiddingstone Castle. Open to the public and houses Buddhist, Egyptian and Japanese artefact collections; the Japanese collection is exceptionally fine. The house dates back to the early 1500s, owned by the Streatfeild family and in the early 1800s was Gothicised by Henry Streatfeild with a new ashlar castellated exterior. The castle was sold to Lord Astor in 1938, and then served as a base for military forces during the Second World War. It then became Long Dene school until 1954 when the school was closed. The collections were assembled at startlingly low cost by Denys Eyre Bower, who bought the Castle with a bank loan, and was subsequently imprisoned on an absurd charge of attempting to murder his fiancee, who claimed Italian nobility but was in fact from Balham. The extraordinary story is told by Mary Eldridge in her book "Beyond Belief". 

Do
  • 🌍 Knole Park, ☏ +44 1732 462100. open daily all year. See the deer admission free to pedestrians. (updated May 2016)
  • Hike: Otford is a waypoint on the North Downs Way, the Pilgrims Way and the Darenth Valley footpath. All of which are highly recommended, especially in summer. Paths get muddy in winter and after heavy rain.
  • LoveFit. A three-day event of fitness and partying on St Clere Estate, Heaverham. The next is 12th–14th July 2024. (updated Dec 2023)

Buy

There are a few antique shops in Otford.

Eat

🌍 St John's Fish Bar, 93 St Johns Hill, TN13 3PE, ☏ +44 1732 451 308. M-Sa 11:30AA–2:30PM, 4:30–9:30PM; closed Su. (updated Jul 2021)

Chipstead

🌍 George and Dragon, 39 High St, Chipstead, TN13 2RW, ☏ +44 1732 779 019. noon-11PM. 16th-century gastro-pub (updated Jul 2021)

Otford
  • The Forge, Otford (main high street). A very good restaurant. 
  • The Bull, Otford. It specialises in seafood, and long waiting times. Don't be put off by this as you will always be told how long it will take for your food to arrive before you order. It is usually worth the wait. 
  • Ellenor's, Otford. Not open on Sundays. A local charitable cafe, serve amazing homemade ice-cream with new flavours every week. 

Drink

🌍 The Bricklayers Arms, 39-41 Chevening Rd, Chipstead, TN13 2RZ, ☏ +44 1732 743 424. 11:30AM-10PM (closed M). A country pub with plentiful outdoor seating overlocking the sailing lake. (updated Nov 2020)

🌍 The Chequers, 73 High St, TN13 1LD, ☏ +44 1732 450 144. 11AM–11:30PM. 16th-century Grade II. (updated Jul 2021)

🌍 Oak Tavern & Tap House, 135 High St, TN13 1XA, ☏ +44 1732 742 615. noon-11PM. (updated Jul 2021)

🌍 The Restoration (The Black Boy), 13 Bank St, TN13 1UW, ☏ +44 1732 452 192. Th-Sa 11AM-10PM, closed Su M. Wooden panelled 16th-century pub with outdoor seating in the shopping precinct selling Shepherd Neame Beer, all day breakfasts and burgers. (updated Jul 2021)

🌍 The Rifleman, 30 Camden Rd, TN13 3LZ (follow St John's Rd). (updated Jul 2021)

🌍 The Sennockian (Spoons), 139-141 High St, TN13 1UX, ☏ +44 1732 469 010. 8AM-11PM. JD Wetherspoon (updated Jul 2021)

🌍 The White Hart, Tonbridge Rd, TN13 1SG. 11:30AM-11PM. (updated Jul 2021)

Otford

🌍 The Bull, High St, Otford, TN14 5PG, ☏ +44 1959 523 198. Once famed for its quiet, dimly lit atmosphere and good ales, it is now a Chef & Brewer chain pub/restaurant. 

🌍 The Woodman, 2 High St, Otford, TN14 5PQ, ☏ +44 1959 522 195. It is generally full of a younger crowd of locals. It regularly shows sporting events on television. 

🌍 Rising Sun, Twitton Lane, Otford, TN14 5JR, ☏ +44 1959 525 489. A really local pub, where you will be greeted by the local farmers, dogs and families enjoying everything from their own beer festival to a bit of folk singing. 

Villages east of Sevenoaks

🌍 Bucks Head, Park Ln, Godden Green, TN15 0JJ, ☏ +44 1732 761 330. W-F noon-3PM, 6-10PM; Sa noon-10PM; Su noon-7PM; closed M Tu. (updated Sep 2021)

🌍 The Chaser Inn, Stumble Hill, Shipbourne, Tonbridge TN11 9PE, ☏ +44 1732 810 360, . 9AM-10:30PM. Pillered Inn with a country house like interior (updated Sep 2021)

🌍 Swan on the Green, The Green, West Peckham, ME18 5JW (near St Dunstain' Church on Church Lane.), ☏ +44 1622 812 271, . M-F 11AM–3PM, 5:30–9:30PM, Sa 11AM–11PM, Su noon–9:30PM. A pub and micro brewery facing the cricket green that servers 2 German Beers including WeissBier (updated Sep 2021)

Sleep

🌍 Premier Inn Sevenoaks, ☏ +44 1732 496392. Set a little outside the Town Centre, this casual budget hotel is 2-minute walk from Sevenoaks train station. (updated Oct 2019)

  • Hever Castle has rooms, B&B double from £180. Open Mar-Dec, no dogs.

Connect

As of March 2022, Sevenoaks has 4G from EE and Three, and 5G from O2 and Vodafone.

Go next
Routes through Sevenoaks
East London ← Dartford ←  anticlockwise  clockwise  → Redhill → West London
South London ← merges with (A/C) ←  NW  SE  → Tonbridge → Hastings
Dorking ← Redhill ←  W  E  → at Wrotham Heath → Maidstone
Dartford ← Otford ←  'N  '  → merges with


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