Otford
Encyclopedia
Otford is a village and civil parish in the Sevenoaks District
of Kent
known for its classically British countryside. The village is located on the River Darent
, flowing north down its valley from its source on the North Downs
. The name is a contraction of Otterford, possibly derived from Offa
, the King of Mercia
who fought a battle at Otford against the Kentish Saxons in 776 at the Battle of Otford.
Notable landmarks are the Archbishop's Palace
, the duck-pond roundabout, and the scale model of the Solar System
which claims to be "the largest scale model in the world".
The parish church is dedicated to St Bartholomew.
According to the 2001 Census, the population of the Otford and Shoreham
ward was 4,381, Otford's population being 3,528.
Otford Cricket Club is known for its under 13 team which won five trophies in 2006. They won the Kent Cup by beating Margate
in the final.
Otford lies on the A225
, a main road between Dartford
and Sevenoaks
. The presence of the site of a Roman
villa, in addition to the remains of an ancient trackway
, suggests that this road has a long history. The M26 motorway
uses the valley here as part of its route.
Rail
Otford railway station
is on the commuter line between London Victoria and Ashford, and is a junction for the branch line to Sevenoaks.
Footpaths
The village is a key stopping-off point on the North Downs Way
which runs through the village as it crosses the Darent Valley
, intersecting the Darent Valley Path
.
Pilgrims' Way
Passing through Otford is the Pilgrims' Way
, the historic route supposed to have been taken by pilgrims from Winchester in Hampshire, England, to the shrine of Saint Thomas Becket
at Canterbury Cathedral
.
Sevenoaks (district)
Sevenoaks is a local government district covering the western most part of Kent in England. Its council is based in the town of Sevenoaks. It was formed on 1 April 1974, under the Local Government Act 1972, by a merger of the Sevenoaks Urban District, Sevenoaks Rural District and part of Dartford...
of Kent
Kent
Kent is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of...
known for its classically British countryside. The village is located on the River Darent
River Darent
The River Darent or River Darenth is a Kentish tributary of the River Thames in England. Its name is believed to be from a Celtic word meaning 'river where oak-trees grow'...
, flowing north down its valley from its source on the North Downs
North Downs
The North Downs are a ridge of chalk hills in south east England that stretch from Farnham in Surrey to the White Cliffs of Dover in Kent. The North Downs lie within two Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty , the Surrey Hills and the Kent Downs...
. The name is a contraction of Otterford, possibly derived from Offa
Offa
Offa may refer to:Two kings of the Angles, who are often confused:*Offa of Angel , on the continent*Offa of Mercia , in Great BritainA king of Essex:*Offa of Essex A town in Nigeria:* Offa, Nigeria...
, the King of Mercia
Mercia
Mercia was one of the kingdoms of the Anglo-Saxon Heptarchy. It was centred on the valley of the River Trent and its tributaries in the region now known as the English Midlands...
who fought a battle at Otford against the Kentish Saxons in 776 at the Battle of Otford.
Notable landmarks are the Archbishop's Palace
Otford Palace
The Archbishop's Palace is in Otford, a village and civil parish in the Sevenoaks District of Kent. The village is located on the River Darent, flowing north down its valley from its source on the North Downs...
, the duck-pond roundabout, and the scale model of the Solar System
Solar system model
Solar System models, especially mechanical models, called orreries, that illustrate the relative positions and motions of the planets and moons in the Solar System have been built for centuries. While they often showed relative sizes, these models were usually not built to scale...
which claims to be "the largest scale model in the world".
The parish church is dedicated to St Bartholomew.
According to the 2001 Census, the population of the Otford and Shoreham
Shoreham, Kent
Shoreham is a village and civil parish in the valley of the River Darent six miles north of Sevenoaks in Kent: it is in the District of Sevenoaks. The parish includes the settlements of Badgers Mount and Well Hill....
ward was 4,381, Otford's population being 3,528.
Otford Cricket Club is known for its under 13 team which won five trophies in 2006. They won the Kent Cup by beating Margate
Margate
-Demography:As of the 2001 UK census, Margate had a population of 40,386.The ethnicity of the town was 97.1% white, 1.0% mixed race, 0.5% black, 0.8% Asian, 0.6% Chinese or other ethnicity....
in the final.
Communications
RoadOtford lies on the A225
A225 road
The A225 road runs in a north-south direction, connecting Dartford with Sevenoaks in Kent, England. For much of its journey it follows the valley of the River Darenth.-Overview:...
, a main road between Dartford
Dartford
Dartford is the principal town in the borough of Dartford. It is situated in the northwest corner of Kent, England, east south-east of central London....
and Sevenoaks
Sevenoaks
Sevenoaks is a commuter town situated on the London fringe of west Kent, England, some 20 miles south-east of Charing Cross, on one of the principal commuter rail lines from the capital...
. The presence of the site of a Roman
Roman Britain
Roman Britain was the part of the island of Great Britain controlled by the Roman Empire from AD 43 until ca. AD 410.The Romans referred to the imperial province as Britannia, which eventually comprised all of the island of Great Britain south of the fluid frontier with Caledonia...
villa, in addition to the remains of an ancient trackway
Trackway
A trackway is an ancient route of travel for people or animals. In biology, a trackway can be a set of impressions in the soft earth, usually a set of footprints, left by an animal. A fossil trackway is the fossilized imprint of a trackway. Trackways have been found all over the world...
, suggests that this road has a long history. The M26 motorway
M26 motorway
The M26 is a motorway in Kent, England. It provides a short link between the M25/A21 at Sevenoaks and the M20 near Wrotham.-Route:The motorway starts at junction 3 of the M20 and heads west, encountering almost immediately the single junction along its length where it has an interchange with the A20...
uses the valley here as part of its route.
Rail
Otford railway station
Otford railway station
Otford railway station serves Otford in Kent. Train services are provided by Southeastern.- Services :From Monday 23 March 2009, most of the stopping train service to/from Blackfriars is extended across Central London via the 'Thameslink' route, serving City Thameslink, Farringdon, St Pancras...
is on the commuter line between London Victoria and Ashford, and is a junction for the branch line to Sevenoaks.
Footpaths
The village is a key stopping-off point on the North Downs Way
North Downs Way
The North Downs Way is a long-distance path in southern England, opened in 1978. It runs from Farnham to Dover, past Godalming, Guildford, Dorking, Merstham, Otford and Rochester, along the Surrey Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and Kent Downs AONB.East of Boughton Lees, the path splits...
which runs through the village as it crosses the Darent Valley
River Darent
The River Darent or River Darenth is a Kentish tributary of the River Thames in England. Its name is believed to be from a Celtic word meaning 'river where oak-trees grow'...
, intersecting the Darent Valley Path
Darent Valley Path
The waymarked path Darent Valley Path is long, following the River Darent from the banks of the River Thames at Dartford through the Kent Downs Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty to the Greensand Hills above Sevenoaks.It is close to Shoreham Village and Otford Village.The route is well served by...
.
Pilgrims' Way
Passing through Otford is the Pilgrims' Way
Pilgrims' Way
The Pilgrims' Way is the historic route supposed to have been taken by pilgrims from Winchester in Hampshire, England, to the shrine of Thomas Becket at Canterbury in Kent...
, the historic route supposed to have been taken by pilgrims from Winchester in Hampshire, England, to the shrine of Saint Thomas Becket
Thomas Becket
Thomas Becket was Archbishop of Canterbury from 1162 until his murder in 1170. He is venerated as a saint and martyr by both the Roman Catholic Church and the Anglican Communion...
at Canterbury Cathedral
Canterbury Cathedral
Canterbury Cathedral in Canterbury, Kent, is one of the oldest and most famous Christian structures in England and forms part of a World Heritage Site....
.
Leisure
Sevenoaks Information provides a comprehensive What's On events diary for Otford and surrounding area.External links
- The Otford Village Information Website. What's On Interactive Calendar, Organisations and News.
- The Otford Society: includes historical information
- Otford Parish Council and Heritage Centre
- St. Bartholomew's Church, Otford
- Visit the Otford village website
- Otford's Scale Model of the Solar System
- Otford churches