Otford
From Free net encyclopedia
Template:Infobox England place Otford is 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 name is a contraction of Ottenford, 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.
Communications
- Roads: 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 M25 motorway uses the valley here as part of its route.
- Railway: Otford railway station is on the commuter line to Sevenoaks
- Footpath: The village is a key stopping-off point on the North Downs Way which runs through the village as it crosses the Darent Valley.
According to the 2001 Census, the population of the Otford and Shoreham ward was 4,381, but statistics for Otford alone are not available.