Walk from Farningham to Eynsford: A perfect afternoon stroll through Kentish countryside
The walk from Farningham to Eynsford is only a few miles long but takes in two charming Kentish villages both with historic bridges. Along the way we saw signs of a Norman knight, a fallen spitfire pilot and a castle ruins. Battlefields and green fields. This is Kent all over.
This is a perfect walk for couple of hours – after lunch kind of stroll or a picnic perfect spot with easy paths to navigate and cosy pubs and homely tearooms in each village.
The walk basic info
The Farningham to Eynsford village walk is very easy and suitable for 1/2 day (if you want to walk around the castle, villages and perhaps have a meal or refreshments at the beginning or end of your walk). Also perfect as an evening summer walk as you only need 2 – 2.5 hrs for the actual walk.
- Distance: 2 miles to Eynsford Castle (back to Farningham 4 miles in total)
- Difficulty Level: very easy, level walk on fairly flat surface
- Type of walk: you’ll walk through the fields, meadows and villages (take a sunhat in summer, there is not much shade)
- Navigation: The path is marked and very easy to follow, you shouldn’t need a map
- Parking: Free street parking in Farningham and usually plenty of spaces
- Refreshments: Pub in Farningham or tearoom, pubs or village shops in Eynsford
- Make it longer: Once you get to Eynsford, you can continue to Lullingstone Castle Farm or Roman Villa and the Lavender Farm and country park and further into Shoram or even Otford.
MORE WALKS
DISCOVER KENT
- Down House – the home of Charles Darwin >>
- Discovering the hidden gems in Cobham village >>
- The historic spa of Tunbridge Wells >>
The walk’s starting point – Farningham Village
Farningham is a village on the river Darenth within Sevenoaks District. It’s also a place I constantly struggle to pronounce correctly. ‘Where did you go this week-end?’ friends would say. ‘Oh, to Farmington’ I’d reply knowing that yet again I’d managed to get it wrong. No wonder my friends had never heard of it! The M20 and A20 both run remorselessly nearby but it’s an example of one of those Kentish villages which seem to spring up out of nowhere.
Take the turning and the Tardis of time transports you back to a main street with a village butchers shop. Remember them? A couple were tending to their front garden. The cottage had a tawny owl perched on a plinth over the front door. The door was wide open.
Here the Darenth is crossed by an eighteenth century bridge. But the real attraction is a bridge of another sort nearby. Built of brick and flint it also fords the river but is variously described as a folly or actually and more practically as a way of ensuring that the cattle didn’t stray too far downstream.
It looks onto the gardens of the grand Lion Hotel which run down to the river. Opposite is the Mill and its cottages. Here the houses are tall, white and weather boarded.
Farningham has a fine metal hanging sign by the approach to the bridge. It’s of a Norman knight proudly on horseback with a long oval shaped shield raised high. HIC EST VVADARD. Here is Wadard. The Doomsday book records the area as being one of the manors of Wadard and the village sign is taken from a image of Wadard that appears in the Bayeux Tapestry.
MORE LOCAL PLACES TO VISIT
- Hall Place & Gardens in Bexleyheath >>
- Red House – The William Morris Home in Bexleyheath >>
- The fascinating history of Dartford >>
Following the Darenth Way
We slowly walked up the main street by the Lion hotel, past the Chequers pub and then took a left following a sign for the Darenth Way.
RAF pilot memorial
A bit further along, also on the left is a small stone monument commemorating the death of a 20 year old RAF pilot in the summer of 1940. We paused for a moment and looked up at the clear blue sky. It all seemed so tranquil now, but here was another fighter shot down from the skies. Plumage of a different sort; thick, grey smoke spilling out over the green fields full of slowly ripening vegetables. And yes, there was a solitary red poppy growing by the path.
Views from the walk
Ahead in the valley we could see the ruins of Eynsford Castle with the river in the dip below. At the end of the path we faced a choice. Right to Lullingstone Castle or left to Eynsford Castle. Spoilt for choice we stayed true to our plans and soon reached Eynsford village.
DISCOVER KENT
- Down House – the home of Charles Darwin >>
- Discovering the hidden gems in Cobham village >>
- The historic spa of Tunbridge Wells >>
Eynsford village
Eynsford has a lovely bridge with a gauge marking the water’s depth. ‘Mummy, I can see it – the fish – it’s coming your way!’ shouted a boy excitedly.
Brown carp are found in the waters and history records Charles Dickens rather uniquely casting a line nearby instead of frequenting the local pubs. How that man actually wrote so many books is beyond me, as every Victorian pub in Kent seems to lay a claim to his custom.
Eynsford Castle
Magda bought an ice cream in a shop on the high street and we found the entrance to the castle (English Heritage – free). A good deal of the flint curtain walls remains and it looks imposing still. The undercroft is well preserved and marked out.
We looked out onto the valley path we’d taken earlier and tried to appreciate the castle strategic importance. Farningham church – St Peter and St Paul’s – with its fortified tower battlements lay in a straight line up river. In the eighteenth century, the castle was used as stables and kennels by the Hart Dykes of nearby Lullingstone Castle.
This blog post was originally published on 16 October 2016 and last updated on 13 January 2024
