Escaping the bustle of London doesn’t always require spending a fortune on train tickets to get out and into the countryside. One travel pro has shared their recommendation for an “easy and unique day trip from London” that takes less than an hour to get to.
Complete with ancient Roman ruins and rolling hills, travel editor Emma Cooke shared a video of her trip to Eynsford in Kent. In the video posted on TikTok, where Cooke has an account called @petite.blondine, the travel pro shared clips of baby horses frolicking alongside the River Darent, which runs through the historic Darent Valley Path.
Described as one of Kent’s “greatest hidden treasures”, the Darent Valley Path provides visitors with 19 miles of ancient woodlands and panoramic views of the Kent Downs National Landscape.
Regularly voted as one of the most picturesque villages in Kent, the quaint village is ideally situated between Orpington and Sevenoaks.
Despite making up part of the London commuter belt, it manages to retain its country charm, complete with a historic stone bridge dating back to the 17th century and a number of Grade II listed buildings, including a Tudor cottage.
Popular sites include the Lullingston Roman Villa, one of the most impressive Roman villa survivals in the UK, and the early Norman Eynsford Castle which is managed by the English Heritage and free to enter.
Once you’ve finished exploring, you can indulge in afternoon tea at the Riverside Tea Room or pop into one of the local inns for a drink.
One commenter responded to the video saying “Oh my goodness I’ve lived in Kent most of my life and didn’t even know about this!!” while another added “Well this looks like a dream.”
Cooke shared that she managed to get to Eynsford for just £5 by booking an off-peak single ticket from Denmark Hill in south London to Eynsford, but recommended using a railcard for this.
Trains to Eynsford also run regularly from London Blackfriars, London Victoria and Sevenoaks, and the station is located just a 10 minute walk from the centre of the village.
