A Sunny Springtime Saturday in Sevenoaks!

The market town of Sevenoaks, Kent was established in the 13th Century.

It was built at the convergence of two main routes from London and Dartford, which then head south towards Tonbridge and Hastings.

There is a fast and frequent train service to Sevenoaks from Charing Cross and London Bridge.

There is a lot to see and do in Sevenoaks town centre, and numerous ancient alleyways and passages to explore.

The town was named after seven oak trees which stood in what is now Knole Park, which have been replaced several times. 

In 1902 seven oak trees were planted at the bottom of The Vine cricket ground (one of the oldest cricket grounds still in existence) to commemorate the Coronation of King Edward VII. Six of these 7 Coronation Oaks were blown down in the Great Storm of 1987.

In 1456 the then Archbishop of Canterbury, Archbishop Bourchier, purchased the 100 acre estate of Knole and built the great house which lies to the eastern side of the town.

This became a regular haunt of Henry VIII. Queen Elizabeth I passed the Knole estate onto her cousin, Thomas Sackville

The Sackville-West family still reside in a wing of Knole House, but most of the estate is now owned and managed by the National Trust.

The prestigious Sevenoaks School is situated at the top of the town. Founded by William Sevenoke in 1432, it is the second oldest secular school in England.

In 1560 the school was granted letters patent by Queen Elizabeth I and became known as Queen Elizabeth's Grammar School.

My friend went to Sevenoaks School.

He told me that school rules stated that students were not allowed to walk through The Shambles... a cobbled alleyway in the town centre.

This was because it used to be where "ladies of the night" plied their trade!

Sevenoaks is close to several other popular visitor attractions including Chartwell, Hever Castle, Penshurst Place, Tonbridge and Ightham Mote.

I can tailor a tour to suit your particular interests. And can throw in a few extra facts about places that very few people know about... such as the bat caves in Westerham, and RAF Penshurst.