Sevenoaks.html



Coordinates: 51°16′41″N 0°11′15″E / 51.2781, 0.1874

Sevenoaks
Sevenoaks shown within Kent
Population	18,588 (Built Up Area: c. 28,000)
OS grid reference	TQ525555
District	Sevenoaks
Shire county	Kent
Region	South East
Constituent country	England
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Post town	SEVENOAKS
Postcode district	TN13
Dialling code	01732
Police	Kent
Fire	Kent
Ambulance	South East Coast
European Parliament	South East England
UK Parliament	Sevenoaks
List of places: UK • England • Kent

Sevenoaks is a town situated in the west of Kent, England. It gives its name to the Sevenoaks district,¹ of which it is the principal town, and lies 21.5 miles (34.6 km) south-east of the centre of London, at the southern end of one of the principal commuter rail lines from the capital.

The presence of Knole House, a large mansion, led to the earlier settlement becoming a village; in the 13th century a market was established here. Sevenoaks became part of the modern communications network when one of the earlier turnpikes was opened here in the 18th century; the railway was relatively late in reaching it. It has a large commuting population, although a nearby defence installation is a large employer of labour.

There are a number of independent educational establishments in the town, including Sevenoaks School, one of Britain’s leading independent schools.

Etymology

The town's name is derived from the Saxon word "Seouenaca", the name given to a small chapel near seven oak trees in Knole Park around 800 AD.²

History

There are few records earlier than the 13th century for the town, when it was given market status. In the Middle Ages two hospitals were provided here by religious orders for the care of old or sick people, especially those going on pilgrimage.

Sevenoaks School, at the south end of the High Street, is the oldest secular school in England. It was founded by Sir William Sevenoke, a wealthy London merchant, in 1432. Sevenoke, an orphan, had been brought up in the town. In later life he became a wealthy merchant and Lord Mayor. Founding the school and adjacent almshouses was his thanks to the town. In 1560 it was ordered by Queen Elizabeth I that it should be called The Grammar School of Queen Elizabeth. It was "for the education of boys and youths in grammar and learning".

In 1456 Thomas Bourchier, Archbishop of Canterbury, purchased the Knole estate and built Knole House, which still dominates the town.

The eponymous oak trees in Knole Park have been replaced several times over the centuries. In 1902 seven oaks were planted on the north side of The Vines cricket ground to commemorate the coronation of King Edward VII.³ During the Great Storm of 1987, six of those trees were blown down. Their replacements, planted in a ceremony involving celebrities from television shows such as Blue Peter and including locals Gloria Hunniford and Caron Keating, were vandalised, leaving only one standing. There are now nine trees on the site, of varying ages.

Governance

Sevenoaks is governed by a town council.⁴ The town is divided into six wards, with sixteen councillors in total. The wards are named Kippington, Northern, St Johns, Town, Wildernesse and Eastern.⁵

The offices of Sevenoaks District Council are located in the town.

Geography

The town is situated at the junction of two main routes from the north before traffic climbs over the Greensand Ridge which crosses Kent from west to east; that situation is similar to Maidstone and Ashford. That road was one of the earliest in the county to be turnpiked in 1709, because of the clay soils.⁶

The valley to the north is that of the River Darent and it is here that that river turns to the north to cut through its gap in the North Downs. There are several lakes along the course of the river here, the result of the extraction of sand and gravel in the past.

The built-up area of the town has mainly spread along the main roads. The settlement of Riverhead to the north-west is the largest; other parts of the town (in clockwise order from the north) include Greatness;⁷ Wildernesse; Sevenoaks Common; and Kippington.

Demography

The 2001 Census counts approximately 18,588 residents within the Sevenoaks civil parish authority, compared to the 1801 town population of 2,600. The built-up area of the town has a population of about 28,000.^{citation needed} The town is mostly (around 98%) white, and a large minority of Polish and Eastern European people live in the east of the town.^{citation needed}

Economy

Sevenoaks, like much of West Kent, is characterised by high levels of economic activity and a skilled resident workforce, together with a large proportion of that workforce commuting to their places of employment. Those factors, however, lead to high house prices and pressure on the local area to build yet more houses. Many of those houses attract high prices, making it difficult for lower wage-earners to live there: and a wide range of occupations are therefore in short supply. Industries such as finance and business services tend to predominate. Transport links are generally overloaded and town centre congestion is common. One description given is that the area in general is "cash rich but service poor".⁸

The main industrial area is located north of the town, alongside the A225. Sevenoaks Quarry ⁹ is on Bat and Ball Road, also to the north.

The shopping area in the High Street ¹⁰ includes the new Blighs development. It is a typical small town centre, with no large department stores.

Landmarks

• (Main article: Knole Park)

Knole Park is a 1,000-acre (4 km²) park inhabited by deer and several million trees. In its centre is Knole House, the home of the Sackville family (the Earls of Dorset) since it was given to them by Queen Elizabeth I in 1577. The estate is owned and maintained by the National Trust, although the Sackvilles still live there.

Transport

Sevenoaks is located at the junction of two ancient roads heading south from London and Dartford to the Weald. In 1710 part of one of the roads - from Sevenoaks through Tonbridge and Pembury to Tunbridge Wells - was the first in Kent to be turnpiked, and others followed within the century: it became the A21 road in the 1920s; the road now bypasses the town, and also takes traffic to the M25 London Orbital motorway at Junction 5. The Dartford road is now the A225. The cross-country A25 road passes through the north of the town.

Sevenoaks railway station

There are two railway stations in Sevenoaks. The principal station is located on the South Eastern Main Line, and is also acts as the terminus for the suburban stopping services to both London Charing Cross and Blackfriars. The latter services follow the branch line via Swanley, calling at the second of the stations, named Bat and Ball.¹¹

Religious sites

There are three churches belonging to the Church of England in Sevenoaks, dedicated to St Nicholas, St Luke, and St John the Baptist;¹² and also St Mary's at Riverhead. The Roman Catholic Church is dedicated to St Thomas of Canterbury; and there are some eight other denominations represented in the town.¹³

Education

Main article: List of schools in Kent

There are two state single-sex secondary schools in the town: Wildernesse School (for boys) and Bradbourne School (for girls) ¹⁴ and two state primary schools. Among the high number of independent schools is Sevenoaks School, a co-educational boarding and day school; and several Preparatory schools, including Solefield School,¹⁵ Walthamstow Hall, New Beacon Preparatory School and Sevenoaks Preparatory School.

Leisure

Sevenoaks Wildlife Reserve ¹⁶ is to the north of the town centre, around one of the former gravel pits. It is a Site of Special Scientific Interest, covering some 175 acres (71 ha).

Sevenoaks Scouts ¹⁷ is an active youth organisation in the town.

Sevenoaks Information ¹⁸ provides a comprehensive What's On events diary for the town and surrounding area.

Sports

The Vine Cricket Ground is one of the oldest cricket grounds in England, with the first recorded match having been played in 1734. It was given to the town in 1773 by John Sackville, 3rd Duke of Dorset, owner of Knole House at the time. It is notable for being the first place in England to play cricket with three stumps. In 1777 an "all-England" team played Hambledon here.

Culture

Television viewers can receive either London (north via Crystal Palace) or Kent & Sussex (eastwards via Blue Bell Hill) transmissions. Programmes including London Tonight and BBC London, or Meridian Broadcasting & South East Today.

The Sevenoaks Theatre ¹⁹ (previously known as the Stag Theatre) is located on London Road.

Notable people

Main article: List of people from Sevenoaks

The list of notable people who have been connected with the town includes John Donne, the poet, who was vicar of Sevenoaks in the 17th century, and the 20th-century writer H. G. Wells. Many actors and actresses have lived here, as have a number of sports personalities. Diana, Princess of Wales, went to West Heath School in Sevenoaks.

In January 1967 The Beatles made promotional films for "Strawberry Fields Forever" and "Penny Lane" in Knole Park. In a Sevenoaks antiques shop John Lennon bought a Victorian circus advertisement which provided the inspiration for "Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite!", on the famous Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band album released later that year.

Twinnings

• Pontoise, France
• Rheinbach, Germany

References

• Kent History Illustrated Frank W. Jessup (Kent County Council, 1966)
• Railways of the Southern Region Geoffrey Body (PSL Field Guide 1989)