What's in it for me?
- Peaceful nature: Wander through ancient woodlands, poppy speckled grasslands and fields filled with lavender, all without travelling more than an hour from central London
- Historic sights and delicious food: Explore Norman ruins, a Tudor house, and a Georgian mansion, plus cosy pubs and a vineyard that serves wood fired pizza
- Convenient travel: Each of these stops is a direct train from London and easily accessible from across the Southeast, so there’s no faff with parking or transport changes
Do you prefer the town or the country? I enjoy both equally, which you’d think would be a problem living in London as I do, but surprisingly, it’s not.
I love the capital because of all its buzzy metropolitan excitement and unique things to do, but also because of how surprisingly easy it is to get away from it. Hop on a train and in a matter of minutes, not hours, you’re speeding into glorious English countryside, strolling through wildflowers, drinking pints in traditional pubs and exploring rambling estates.
Below I’ve detailed four of my favourite easily accessible but seriously underrated destinations from London by train: all of which fall on the same rail line. Each stop is on the Thameslink train from London Blackfriars to Sevenoaks, and each feels like the English countryside at its most charming, despite being on the doorstep of the country’s biggest city. You can do each stop as a separate day trip in its own right, or combine them at no extra cost with a ‘break of journey’.
The first, Beckenham, is still technically in London – though only became a borough of the city in 1935. This makes sense, as quiet Beckenham Place Park feels a world away from the busy capital. Six stops and 25 minutes on is Eynsford, a peaceful village in Kent filled with alpacas, meerkats and horses. For a day trip that combines both, just get off at Ravensbourne station for Beckenham Park Place, and hop back on the train when you’re ready to go to Eynsford. You’ll be allowed back on the train free of charge.
Another ‘two for the price of one’ combo is Shoreham and Sevenoaks, which both sit a few stops further along the line from Eynsford, only ten minutes from each other. Shoreham has a lavender farm and vineyard, while Sevenoaks is home to the famous deer-filled Knole Park. Both make incredible day trips in their own right, should you want a more relaxing pace.
However you choose to build your visits, all offer an easy, great value respite from the fast pace of London. All the picnic spots, flower-filled walks, and historic houses you’ll find below are child-friendly, and most are dog-friendly too. Read on to find out more.
Things to do in Ravensbourne
G
et off at Ravensbourne station and you’ll find yourself right next to Beckenham Place Park, a 237 acre park with ancient woodlands and a river running through it. The station is near two entrances to the park, the Crab Hill Entrance and the Ravensbourne Entrance. My favourite route is to enter via the former, for a woodland walk towards Beckenham Place Mansion.
This Georgian mansion appears as you emerge from the trees, creating a beautiful view with its hilltop position. The building has been recently restored and opened to the public, with regular community events (like yoga sessions) and a homeware shop to be found inside.
Next to it is Homestead Cafe, where you can pick up reasonably priced hot drinks and freshly baked pastries – a tea and a cake here is £4.75. After taking in the house and surrounding gardens, go past the park’s wild swimming lake, across the bridge over the railway line, and follow the path by Ravensbourne River down to the Ravensbourne Entrance to get back on the train, either to return home or to continue to Eynsford. All of it, from start to finish, is dog friendly.
Things to do in Eynsford
From Eynsford station you can do a loop walk through all the major sights. My preferred route is to walk from the station to Lullingstone Country Park, 460 acres of chalk grassland and ancient woodlands.
There are multiple hiking trails, as well as a cafe, picnic spot, play areas, even a golf course, and in summer the fields fill with wildflowers, including bright red poppies, and all of it is dog friendly.
The park also overlooks Lullingstone Castle, one of England’s oldest estates. The castle’s beautiful World Garden is open every Thursday until Sunday from April 3rd until October 26th. Adult entry is £9, children’s is £4.50. It’s also possible to enter the castle itself too on selected dates from now until the end of summer.
You can walk through the park to Eagle Heights, a wildlife reserve with rare birds, meerkats and alpacas. Entrance is £13.95 for adults, £9.95 for children.
There’s a cafe inside for lunch or afternoon tea, and they do experiences where you can get up close and personal with many of the critters there – for instance being able to hand feed the meerkats.
Afterwards, continue walking past the 75 foot tall Eynsford Viaduct into Eynsford, a calm village filled with pretty shops and pubs. The walk will take you through the green, which the Darent River runs through.
In summer on hot days, children play in the water by the bridge and local horses are brought over to have a drink and run about.
Further into town is Eynsford Castle, ruins which date back to Norman times and are free to enter. For a pint and a pie, try the pubs in Eynsford Plough Inn, Malt Shovel or Castle Hotel – is just over £20at any of these spots.
Things to do in Shoreham
Shoreham station is encased by greenery: you step off the train into a fairytale.
A short walk away you’ll find Shoreham village, which the River Darent also runs through. Stroll through its medieval buildings and cobbled streets then head out into the stunning surrounding countryside. The Mount Vineyard is a perfect gateway to it: have a pizza or small plates lunch at the scenic restaurant overlooking the vineyards, paired with a £15 tasting of their wines, then walk past the vineyards towards Castle Farm.
The walk from the vineyard takes you through burbling streams and wildflower meadows. You’ll know you’re near Castle Farm when you start seeing vivid purple fields appear – one of the farm’s main products is lavender, and in summer they open the lavender fields to visitors. Entry starts from £7, and you can bring your own picnic or buy Kentish lavender ice cream and punnets of juicy cherries there. Dogs are also welcome at Lavender Walk events.
Art fans should also check out the Samuel Palmer Trail, which follows in the footsteps of the renowned English landscape painter, who was particularly inspired by Shoreham and its surrounding views. Alternatively, if you’re walked out, head back to the village for a pint at one of the pretty pubs there: The Crown would be my pick.
Note, Shoreham is also close to Eynsford – keen walkers will be able to reach Lullingstone Country Park from Shoreham station, which lies just beyond Castle Farm, should you want to include this in a Shoreham day trip.
The last stop on the line, just ten minutes on from Shoreham, is Sevenoaks, a town that dates all the way back to the 13th century, when a market was first established here. From the station walk through the town up to Knole Park. The Archbishop of Canterbury purchased the Knole estate in 1456 and built Knole House there, which is now one of the largest houses in England. After the Archbishop, the house was owned by various Tudor monarchs, including Henry VIII before being taken over by the Sackville family in the early 17th century.
Entry to the 1000-acre medieval deer park is free, while tickets to the house, grounds and Gatehouse Tower with views across the landscape is £18 for adults, £9 for children. Brewhouse Cafe is a great place for tea and a snack on the estate – you can eat there, or get something to takeaway for a picnic among the hundreds of deer roaming around. Note, dogs are welcome in the park and outdoor courtyard, but not indoors.
Afterwards walk back into Sevenoaks to explore the independent shops, cafes and pubs, being sure to go through The Shambles, a hidden snickleway that dates back to the 1600s. Dulce’s Patisserie is an excellent place for fancier sweet treats, while Sevenoaks Bookshop has a hidden cafe that serves £2.50 cakes and £2.90 tea to enjoy among the books. Or for something harder, get a pint of Kentish beer from Britain’s oldest brewer at The Restoration Pub, which also dates back to the 1600s.
If you’re doing this as a dedicated, single destination day trip, on your walk back to the station you can detour to Sevenoaks Wildlife Reserve. This sprawling nature reserve is made up of five peaceful lakes surrounded by woodland and marshes. There are seven different ‘hides’ to birdwatch in, plus elemental gardens with wildflowers and specially-built habitats to encourage insect life, including the world’s largest bee house.
Each of these stops on Thameslink’s Blackfriars to Sevenoaks route is a calm countryside oasis, all still largely undiscovered, with minimal crowds.
I highly recommend
working your way through all of them this summer. Happy day tripping.
About the author: Emma has worked for over a decade as a travel and lifestyle journalist, and has an audience of over 600,000 on TikTok and Instagram with her travel platform, @petite.blondine, where she shares travel advice and itineraries. She was previously on the Telegraph’s travel desk and her editorial bylines include BuzzFeed, the BBC, the i and the Independent.
