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Eynsford

Civil parishes in KentEngvarB from June 2016Sevenoaks DistrictVillages in Kent
Footpath to Eynsford geograph.org.uk 1314950
Footpath to Eynsford geograph.org.uk 1314950

Eynsford ( or ) is a village and civil parish in the Sevenoaks District of Kent, England. It is located 3.3 miles (5 km) south east of Swanley, 7 miles (11 km) south of Dartford. The village including its farmland and woods occupies the northern half of the triangle formed by three motorways in west Kent barring its very northernmost part which is Farningham. This area is undulating and has a large minority of woodland. In the south of the parish is Lullingstone, much of which was owned for many centuries by the large, late medieval Lullingstone Castle, whereas other parts of the village were owned by Eynsford Castle, which is older. Well before the founding of the Kingdom of England, Lullingstone Roman villa was founded in this part of the parish, which is open to the public today. The Darent Valley Path takes in a cross-section of the area.

Excerpt from the Wikipedia article Eynsford (License: CC BY-SA 3.0, Authors, Images).

Geographical coordinates (GPS)

Latitude Longitude
N 51.365 ° E 0.211 °
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Address

Pollyhaugh

Pollyhaugh
DA4 0HE , Eynsford
England, United Kingdom
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Footpath to Eynsford geograph.org.uk 1314950
Footpath to Eynsford geograph.org.uk 1314950
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Nearby Places

Lullingstone Roman Villa
Lullingstone Roman Villa

Lullingstone Roman Villa is a villa built during the Roman occupation of Britain, situated in Lullingstone near the village of Eynsford in Kent, south eastern England. The villa is located in the Darent Valley, along with six others, including those at Crofton, Crayford and Dartford. Constructed in the 1st century, perhaps around 80-90 CE, the house was repeatedly expanded and occupied until it was destroyed by fire in the 4th or 5th century. The villa was occupied over various periods within the Romano-British period, but after its destruction, it is only thought to have been reoccupied during the Medieval Times. The occupants were most likely wealthy Romans or native Britons who had adopted Roman customs. Some evidence found on site suggests that around 150 CE, the villa was considerably enlarged and may have been used as the country retreat of the governors of the Roman province of Britannia. Two sculpted marble busts found in the cellar may be those of Pertinax, governor in 185-186, and his father-in-law, Publius Helvius Successus. In the 4th century a room, probably already in religious use, was converted to a Christian chapel or house church, much the earliest known in the British Isles. In the Anglo-Saxon period, the ruins of a Roman temple-mausoleum on the site of the villa were incorporated into a Christian chapel (Lullingstone Chapel) that was extant at the time of the Norman Conquest, one of the earliest known chapels in the country. In addition to the pagan shrine in the villa's chapel and the dining room mosaics, the villa produced significant artistic finds including the Lullingstone Victory Gem and the busts.

Preston Hill Country Park
Preston Hill Country Park

Preston Hill Country Park is in Eynsford, in Kent, England. It is a woodland and former military firing range. Within the site of the park and woodland, stood Preston Hill farmhouse. This was then damaged in 1944 after a 1000 kg parachute bomb or mine was dropped, in the early hours of 22 January 1944. Three of the farmhouse occupants were killed and 8 others were injured, later the ruined farmhouse was demolished. The site was then used as a Ministry of Defence firing range (up to the 1940s); the remnants of the range can still be seen.Since 1951 it has been a Site of Special Scientific Interest (part of 363.7 acres (1,472,000 m2) Otford To Shoreham Downs site).Preston Hill has extensive views across the countryside from the Darenth Valley (following the River Darent) to Lullingstone Country Park. The site has 232 acres (940,000 m2) of chalk grassland and woodland with many wild flowers and rare butterflies at this site of outstanding natural beauty located within the Kent Downs.On the grasslands, a variety of butterflies including chalkhill blues and dark green fritillaries can be seen. Since the site is relatively quiet, common adders and grass snakes can also be found. The grassland is grazed occasionally by a herd of feral goats, which came from the Great Orme, near Colwyn Bay in North Wales.These are used to further encourage the growth of wildflowers.There are paths through the woodland (called 'Preston Plantation') at the top of the hill although they are steep in places and some have become overgrown.The park also is acreddited with a Green Flag Award by Natural England (linked with Lullingstone Country Park).