Whether your interests lie in history, walking, countryside or relaxing in a village pub, Eynsford has a great deal to offer. The picturesque village of Eynsford, at the western end of the AONB, lies on the River Darent and derives its name from Aegen, an anglo-saxon family name and the ford crossing in the village - Aegenford. This has since become Eynsford.

Judges in the Village of the Year competition have described Eynsford as an ambitious and well-led community. The village boasts a newsagent, Post Office (including greengrocer), butcher, and off licence, two churches, a tea room, two car repair centres, a flower shop, 4 pubs and a Social Club. There is also a village Hall where the WI market takes place every Friday between 2-3pm and the Riverside Players put on regular theatrical productions. Eynsford has won the Best Kept Village Award and the South East in Bloom competition five times. The Eynsford Village Appraisal is about to be published and the village is also involved in the Darent Valley Traffic and Visitor Access Project. This project aims to find ways of reducing the negative impacts of traffic and visitors on rural lanes and villages, while making it more attractive for people to walk, cycle and horse ride to explore the area.

Explore Eynsford by arriving by train (the village station is on the London Victoria main line) and pick up the Eynsford Walk-about leaflet from the post office to guide you around the village. This will guide you to the 17th Century bridge by the ford, past tudor cottages, St Martins Church and the remains of the fascinating Eynsford Castle, one of the earliest Norman stonework defences in the country. Look out for the blue tiled drinking fountain and the plaque on the cottage where composers Peter Warlock and EJ Moeran lived in the 1920's.

Or pick up one of the two countryside walks leaflets that start from the railway station to take in many of the attractions of the surrounding area. There is Eagle Heights Birds of Prey Centre, Lullingstone Roman Villa, Lullingstone Castle (it was here that the rules for lawn tennis were drawn up using a ladder on two chairs as a net), Lullingstone Visitor Centre and for the walkers there's the Darent Valley Path !

Interestingly a new railway station was built in Lullingstone many years ago in anticipation of a new London airport. Only the platforms now remain !

Explore Eynsford and the Kent Downs using sustainable transport

Help to conserve and enhance the special landscape and communities of the Kent Downs by using public transport. This will ease congestion in village centres and the rural road of the AONB, cut down on pollution and help to keep these valuable services in the rural areas.

Eynsford also lies on the Darent Valley Path and for the keen walkers this is an excellent way to access the area from Dartford or Sevenoaks