Eynsford, Shoreham and Lullingstone Castle

Eynsford has grown up beside a ford (still in use) across the Darent. The 12th-century church of St Martin, with its conspicuous slender spire and Norman doorway, overlooks the ford and the old bridge, bearing a clock inscribed with Robert Browning's hopeful lines "Grow old with me, the best is yet to be".

Crossing the bridge, you pass old houses including Toll Bar Cottage, and potentially Home Farm's herd of highland cattle. A gentle climb leads into the former medieval deer park of Lullingstone, where ancient trees provide an excellent habitat for wildlife.

A shady lane rises to a hill above Shoreham, featuring a chalk cross war memorial and ancient inns. In the village, you pass Samuel Palmer's former home, Water House, before following the river past hop fields to Kingfisher Bridge.

Further along is the magnificent Henry VII gatehouse of Lullingstone Castle (built in 1497), the Norman church of St Botolph, and the famous Lullingstone Roman Villa (featuring fourth-century mosaic floors and an early Christian chapel). The route then passes beneath a 19th-century viaduct back to Eynsford.

Acknowledgment: Text derived from the Out and Out Series; Discovering the Countryside on Foot. Pictures courtesy of Wikipedia.