Lying along the River Darent, northeast of the flourishing town of Sevenoaks, lies the village and civil parish of Otford, Kent. An historic locale with history stretching back centuries; this idyllic village is punctuated with grand country manor-homes, oast houses, suburban detached properties and bungalows that make up the rich suburban fabric of the village. With a long history, quaint infrastructure and easy accesibility to London, Otford is the ideal locale for those wishing for a relaxed countryside life fused with urban connectivity.

Whilst nearby Sevenoaks wasn’t officially recorded until the 13th century; Otford’s history stretches much farther back. In 1928, an archaeological excavation on Pilgrams Way East uncovered the remains of a Roman villa! The team was even able to uncover wall-plaster with a section of Virgil’s Aeneid written on the wall. This means that Otford was definitely a site of occupation during Roman Britain, from around 43-410 AD! The name ‘Otford’ itself is presumed to be an Anglo-Saxon contraction, with either ‘Otta’ or ‘Offa’ (both personal names) indicating the land’s ownership. It was recorded in 1086 in the Domesday Book as ‘Otefort’, and was part of the historic Codsheath Hundred in Kent.

One of the key features of Otford is the Archbishop’s Palace, also known as Otford Palace. In 822 AD, the King of Mercia - Ceowulf - agreed to sell parcels of land to the Archbishop of Canterbury; including land at Otford. It was subsequently enlarged and moated over the following centuries and became a stable site of court for Kings and Queens, considering it one of the finest homes in England. However, from the 1500s onwards it fell into total disrepair, and conservation on the Archbishop’s Palace only began in the 1960s!

Otford’s storied history and ruralised landscape means that development in the area has often been slow and stagnant. Due to its aged past, many properties and locations throughout Otford are protected under listed status’ and conservation areas - making development tricky. Whilst Sevenoaks District Council has allocated a small percentage of their new housing developments to the Otford locale, many of the developments across the Sevenoaks district are located elsewhere. For instance, just south of Otford, in the disused Sevenoaks Quarry, an estimated 950 homes are to be built in a grand development project!