The River Darent
The River Darent is a Chalk stream, meaning the river starts by rising out of the Chalk rock itself, which results in extremely pure water and gives the river a unique ecology.
Darenth
Open all year round
Free
Dogs welcome
Facilities
- Accessible footpaths
- Car parking
Geosite details
The River Darent is a Chalk stream, meaning that the river starts by rising out of the Chalk rock itself, which results in extremely pure water and gives the river a unique ecology. Species to keep an eye out for are beds of the water-crowfoot (Ranunculus) plant, and brown trout fish, both of which are iconic chalk stream species.
There are only around 200 chalk streams in the world, so the Darent is an extremely rare type of river.
The Darent Valley has a rich heritage that has built up around the river, with historic buildings including Lullingstone Roman Villa, Eynsford Castle, and Lullingstone Castle. The Darent Valley was home to one of the most celebrated British landscape artists, Samuel Palmer, who painted much of this area during his career. There are also wonderful nature reserves on the chalk slopes of the valley, including Polhill Bank and Fackenden Down.
How to get here
- Where to start? The best way to discover the River Darent and the incredible heritage of the Darent Valley is to catch a train from London or Sevenoaks and then follow the Darent Valley Path along the river and through Shoreham village. Or you can get a train to either Otford or Eynsford station and follow the Darent Valley Path between the two.
- Travelling by train? With around 40 stations in and bordering the National Landscape with connecting links to London and the continent, the Kent Downs and Cross-Channel Global Geopark can be readily accessed by train.
