Farningham
Encyclopedia
Farningham is a village and civil parish
in the Sevenoaks District
of Kent
in England
. It is located on the River Darent
, south of Dartford
, and has a population of 1,289. The M20 motorway
and the A20 road both pass through the parish.
history – flint and other tools have been discovered and can be found in the Dartford Museum. The Romans
occupied the general area after their invasion in the 1st century and, along with large evidence of habitation down the road in Lullingstone
, there is also evidence of Roman habitation in Farningham. Three farmhouses and three villas have been unearthed. Charles Dickens was a visitor during his time for the trout fishing that the Darent provided.
The parish church is dedicated to St Peter and St Paul.
runs along the Darenth valley and intersects the A20 at the village. The construction of the of first sections of the M25 motorway
and M20 motorway
in the late 1970s bypassed the village again.
was built by the London, Chatham and Dover Railway
roughly 2 km north of the village, where Farningham Road station
is located. To the south in Eynsford, the Swanley to Ashford (via Maidstone East) Line runs (also built by the London, Chatham and Dover Railway), where there is Eynsford station
. The two lines meet to the west in nearby Swanley at Swanley station
. Regular train services operate to the London termini of Victoria and Blackfriars
.
, powered by the River Darent
, the building of which survives. There was a windmill
at Chimham's Farm, which was moved in 1880 to West Kingsdown
, where it still stands.
Civil parish
In England, a civil parish is a territorial designation and, where they are found, the lowest tier of local government below districts and counties...
in the Sevenoaks District
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...
in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. It 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'...
, south of 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 has a population of 1,289. The M20 motorway
M20 motorway
The M20 is a motorway in Kent, England. It runs from the M25 motorway to Folkestone, providing a link to the Channel Tunnel and the ports at Dover. It is long...
and the A20 road both pass through the parish.
History
Farningham is believed to be home to NeolithicNeolithic
The Neolithic Age, Era, or Period, or New Stone Age, was a period in the development of human technology, beginning about 9500 BC in some parts of the Middle East, and later in other parts of the world. It is traditionally considered as the last part of the Stone Age...
history – flint and other tools have been discovered and can be found in the Dartford Museum. The Romans
Roman Empire
The Roman Empire was the post-Republican period of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial holdings in Europe and around the Mediterranean....
occupied the general area after their invasion in the 1st century and, along with large evidence of habitation down the road in Lullingstone
Lullingstone
Lullingstone is a village in the county of Kent, England. It is best known for its castle, Roman villa and its public golf course.- Pre-Roman :It is believed that an Iron Age hill fort is sited on the hill above the castle, although this is unconfirmed....
, there is also evidence of Roman habitation in Farningham. Three farmhouses and three villas have been unearthed. Charles Dickens was a visitor during his time for the trout fishing that the Darent provided.
The parish church is dedicated to St Peter and St Paul.
Road
Farningham is situated upon the historic route of the A20, Kent's second major road between the capital and the channel ports. The village itself, with its narrow bridge over the River Darenth, and its narrow streets, was bypassed to the north east in the 1930s (?). The A225A225 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:...
runs along the Darenth valley and intersects the A20 at the village. The construction of the of first sections of the M25 motorway
M25 motorway
The M25 motorway, or London Orbital, is a orbital motorway that almost encircles Greater London, England, in the United Kingdom. The motorway was first mooted early in the 20th century. A few sections, based on the now abandoned London Ringways plan, were constructed in the early 1970s and it ...
and M20 motorway
M20 motorway
The M20 is a motorway in Kent, England. It runs from the M25 motorway to Folkestone, providing a link to the Channel Tunnel and the ports at Dover. It is long...
in the late 1970s bypassed the village again.
Rail
The Chatham Main LineChatham Main Line
The Chatham Main Line is a British railway line that runs from either London Victoria to Dover Priory / Ramsgate or London St Pancras to Faversham, with both services travelling via Medway...
was built by the London, Chatham and Dover Railway
London, Chatham and Dover Railway
The London, Chatham and Dover Railway was a railway company in south-eastern England from 1859 until the 1923 grouping which united it with other companies to form the Southern Railway. Its lines ran through London and northern and eastern Kent to form a significant part of the Greater London...
roughly 2 km north of the village, where Farningham Road station
Farningham Road railway station
Farningham Road railway station is on the Chatham Main Line, and serves the villages of Sutton-at-Hone and South Darenth in north Kent, in south east England. Train services are provided by Southeastern. It was 150 years old in December 2010...
is located. To the south in Eynsford, the Swanley to Ashford (via Maidstone East) Line runs (also built by the London, Chatham and Dover Railway), where there is Eynsford station
Eynsford railway station
Eynsford railway station serves Eynsford in Kent. Train services are provided by Southeastern.The ticket office, on the 'down' side, is situated in the substantial station building...
. The two lines meet to the west in nearby Swanley at Swanley station
Swanley railway station
Swanley railway station is on the Chatham Main Line, and serves the town of Swanley in north Kent, England. Train services are provided by Southeastern. Swanley Station is 17.4 miles from London Victoria....
. Regular train services operate to the London termini of Victoria and Blackfriars
Blackfriars station
Blackfriars station, also known as London Blackfriars, is a central London railway terminus and London Underground complex in the City of London, England. Its platforms will eventually span the River Thames a short distance downstream from Blackfriars Bridge. The current entrance is located on the...
.
Mills
Farningham had a watermillWatermill
A watermill is a structure that uses a water wheel or turbine to drive a mechanical process such as flour, lumber or textile production, or metal shaping .- History :...
, powered by 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'...
, the building of which survives. There was a windmill
Windmill
A windmill is a machine which converts the energy of wind into rotational energy by means of vanes called sails or blades. Originally windmills were developed for milling grain for food production. In the course of history the windmill was adapted to many other industrial uses. An important...
at Chimham's Farm, which was moved in 1880 to West Kingsdown
West Kingsdown Windmill
West Kingsdown Windmill is a Grade II listed smock mill in West Kingsdown, Kent, England that was built in the early nineteenth century at Farningham and moved to West Kingsdown in 1880. It is the survivor of a pair of windmills.-Post mill:...
, where it still stands.