Growing out of the sprawl of neighbouring Tonbridge to the southeast and nestled beneath Sevenoaks to the north - Hildenborough is a relatively newly established settlement that developed with the 1844 construction of St John’s Church. Benefitting from its proximity to London, and therefore its easy accessibility to London with a direct train running to Charing Cross in just 45 minutes, and the arable bucolic pastures of the Kentish Weald, this area is popular for commuters looking for the best of both worlds. Owing to these qualities, and the affluence of Tonbridge generally, the housing market in Hildenborough is expensive and grand - with large manor properties on the market for over £3 million!

The first reference to Hildenborough comes in the 13th century, where the town was originally recorded as ‘Hyledenn’, meaning ‘pasture on or by a hill’ or ‘clearing by a hill’. However, the ‘borough’ suffix seems to stem from 1349 - ‘borough’ referring to a manor. Although these references exist, prior to the 19th century, most of the area was populated by dense woodland. It seems that the 19th century aided in the expansion of the Hildenborough locale; no doubt owing to the advent of the railway system, with the Hildenborough rail station built in 1868. The rail system allowed the free movement of peoples and individuals and many families settled in Hildenborough to escape the over-crowded housing stock of inner city London. Most of the inner village centre of Hildenborough maintains this 19th century character, and is protected as a conservation area by Tonbridge and Malling District Council.

Although a small and quiet residential area in Kent, Hildenborough has been home to two Olympic athletes! The first being Henry Stallard, who competed in the 1924 Paris Olympics and memoralised in the 1981 film ‘Chariots of Fire’. Not only that, but it is also the home of Dame Kelly Holmes, double-gold Olympic medallist!

Hildenborough is firmly within a conservation area, helmed by the Tonbridge and Malling District Council. Their recent character analysis of the locale has only strengthened this conservation zone, with the analysis advocating for the 20th and 21st century infill properties to be re-developed to support the Victorian design and character of the locale. Therefore, development is subject to strict policies in order to adhere to the design language of the village. In 2021 Hildenborough Parish Council submitted an application to register as a Neighbourhood Area, but the village has yet to produce their local plan for the next few years.