Along the Valley Floor Rail Trail (Sevenoaks Station) Preview

Directions

Leave Sevenoaks station by the main exit and walk out to London Road. Cross the road using the pelican crossing, turn left and then immediately right onto Hitchen Hatch Lane. Follow the Darent Valley Path signs. Fork left onto Bradbourne Park Road, passing a modern multi storey car park, and climbing gently to the junction on the left with Clockhouse Lane, an unmade road. Turn here, cross over the railway and continue on a footpath to emerge onto Lambarde Road. Turn right and a gate on the left gives access to Bradbourne Lakes.

Information

Bradbourne Lakes, owned by Sevenoaks District Council, form a series of ornamental lakes linked by small waterfalls that were first laid out in the eighteenth century by the owner of nearby Bradbourne Hall.

Directions

Follow the path keeping to the right of the lakes, crossing a road on the way. Beyond the last lake, the path emerges onto the A25. Cross the road with care. The main route turns left but a diversion is possible to the Sevenoaks Wildlife Reserve by turning right and walking a short distance to the entrance on the left.

Information

Sevenoaks Wildlife Reserve is a nationally important nature reserve and a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), home to over 2,000 species. Managed by Kent Wildlife Trust, the 73 hectare reserve was the first example of a gravel pit site being developed for the purpose of nature conservation. Birds, dragonflies and other wildlife as well as fungi and plants, thrive in the five lakes, ponds and woodland habitats. Look out for wading birds on the muddy lake edges such as common sandpiper, lapwing and greenshank and other birds like reed bunting, kingfisher and grey wagtail. Facilities include a visitor centre, shop, café, bird hides, walking trails and picnic area. Entry is free.

Directions

Back on the main route follow the A25 to an entrance on the right at the far end of a field. This leads across the field and then onto a track running along the western boundary of the reserve. A bridge over an inlet crosses the River Darent which changes direction at the reserve from eastbound to northbound (the river is not seen again until Otford). The track continues between commercial and residential development to the west and open land to the east, eventually reaching a road.

Directions

Turn right and follow the lane for about 400 metres to a footpath on the left opposite a mobile home park. Follow the path across a field and then under the railway. Fork right on the far side and then go under the M26 motorway. Continue ahead on the far side going up a slope and follow the boundary of the next two fields with the railway in a cutting on the right. Turn right at a path junction by a bridge over the railway.

Information

This is a good spot to pause and take in the views of the North Downs at the entrance to the Darent Valley gap, particularly looking northwest.

Directions

On the far side, follow the lane into Otford village keeping straight on at junctions with residential roads. Shortly before a T junction, look on the left for a concrete plinth just in front of a garden hedge.

Information

The small globe on top of the plinth represents the planet Neptune which forms part of the Otford Solar System. The solar system is a scale model in which the planets are scattered around the village according to their position relative to the sun at the time of the millennium. Look out for Uranus on the north side of Pilgrims Way West a little further on in the walk. The sun and the inner planets can be found at the back of the Recreation Ground in the village centre.

Directions

Turn left and follow the road down to the bridge over the river where it becomes the High Street. Further along there is a second stream crossing at a higher level.

Information

This stream used to serve a mill to the north of the road. The mill was destroyed by fire in 1924 – an interpretation board here contains more information on the fire and the history of the mill.

Directions

Turn left by the mill stream (signposted as the Darent Valley Path) onto a drive and at its end continue on a path that leads into a field. Follow the edge of this field initially next to the river, though it soon curves away to the left. At a junction with a surfaced track continue ahead, now on the right edge of the field.

Information

There are more good views here looking west across the valley to the Downs. Much of the valley side is wooded but a more open patch straight ahead is Polhill Bank, while on the opposite side of the valley is Fackenden Down. Both are Kent Wildlife Trust Nature Reserves protecting chalkland habitat and are accessible on foot.

Directions

At the far end of the field, join an enclosed path with the Darenth Valley Golf Course now on the right. The path ends at a surfaced lane. Turn right and head uphill to the next path junction. Turn left here on a path that skirts around the edge of a cricket ground and then a little further on, crosses a fairway of the golf course before eventually reaching a road.

Directions

Turn left and head downhill into Shoreham then after 50 metres, turn right to continue along the Darent Valley Path. Turn left through the timber gate into the churchyard with an avenue of yew trees.

Information

The grade 1 listed Church of St Peter and St Paul is a largely medieval church with an outstanding late medieval timber-framed porch. The church also marks the start of the Samuel Palmer Trail.

One of Britain’s most talented artists, Samuel Palmer lived in Shoreham and immortalised the beautiful landscape of the Darent Valley nearly 200 years ago. Walk in his footsteps on this 5.3 mile circular trail, experiencing the landscape through his eyes and ears on this self-guided audio visual trail (available on the free Darent Valley Trails app). You will pass stop points 1 – 8 on this Rail Trail so look out for the numbered waymark discs with QR codes to access the free audio information on your smartphone (if you don’t have the app downloaded).

Directions

Leave the churchyard and continue ahead on the road which soon turns right to run alongside the river. When the road turns left to cross a bridge, continue ahead into Darenth Way following the Darent Valley Path.

Information

The white-rendered Water House was the home to Samuel Palmer when he lived in Shoreham in the early nineteenth century.

Directions

The road turns into a drive then a path which follows the riverside to the northern edge of the village. Turn left at a path junction, cross the river and walk by a fence to the end of Mill Lane.

Directions

The riverside path continues across the lane and passes the point where the mill stream rejoins the main river. Follow the path by the river and then along the right edge of fields. Just after the river briefly reappears on the right, bear left and cross two fields going over a slight rise, passing hop fields on your right just before reaching Redmans Lane. Carefully cross over the road and up the flight of steps along a permissive path with lavender fields to the left.

Information

The lavender fields at Castle Farm form a sea of vibrant purple in the landscape during summer months, with pure lavender oil harvested and extracted for use in a variety of products.

Directions

Return to the road opposite the entrance to the Country Park where there is a Visitor Centre, café and toilets. Continue alongside the riverside path, following the Darent Valley Path signs until you reach the Tudor gatehouse of Lullingstone Castle.

Information

The present manor house and gatehouse were built in 1497 and both Henry VIII and Queen Anne were regular visitors. The silk farm established here in the 1930s provided silk for the late Queen Elizabeth II’s coronation gown. The castle is also home to the World Garden of Plants based on the collections of plant hunter Tom Hart-Dyke. Hidden in the grounds, alongside the River Darent, are the notable heritage features of “Queen Anne’s” Bath house and an 18th century Ice House.

Directions

Continue along Lullingstone Lane, which is also the Darent Valley Path, and after 800 metres, pass Lullingstone Roman Villa. Take extra care along this section of the walk as there is no pavement along the road.

Information

Lullingstone Roman Villa is among the most outstanding Roman villa survivals in Britain. The villa was begun in about AD 100 and developed to suit the tastes and beliefs of successive wealthy owners, reaching its peak of luxury in the mid-4th century. Visitors to the villa today can still view the spectacular mosaics and prints of the rare wall paintings, a heated bath-suite and a ‘house-church’.

Directions

Continue along the lane, underneath a viaduct.

Information

Eynsford Viaduct, with its impressive nine brick arches rising 75 feet (23 metres) above the valley floor, was built between 1859 and 1862 by the Sevenoaks Railway Company. It is a Grade II listed building and is still used by the London to Sevenoaks line and beyond.

Directions

At the junction with Sparepenny Lane, continue straight ahead along the riverside area to the ford and humpback bridge over the River Darent.

Information

Eynsford Bridge is a well-preserved example of a multi-span bridge dating from at least the 17th century, built to allow pedestrians and packhorses to cross the river.

Directions

Carefully cross over the bridge, then at the junction with the main road (A225), cross over and turn right. Eynsford station will be on your left-hand side after about 700 metres.