Lullingstone

Human settlement in England

Eynsford

District

Sevenoaks

Kent

Region

South East

CountryEnglandSovereign stateUnited KingdomPost townDartfordPostcode districtDA4Dialling code01322PoliceKentFire Kent Ambulance South East Coast

List of places: UK; England; Kent

51°21′29″N 0°11′35″E / 51.35813°N 0.19318°E / 51.35813; 0.19318

Lullingstone is a rural hamlet in the civil parish of Eynsford, in the Sevenoaks district of Kent, England, located south east of Swanley. It is best known for its castle, Roman villa and its public golf course.

Lullingstone was a civil parish until 1955. The parish was in Axstane Hundred and its successor Dartford Rural District.

History

Pre-Roman

It is believed that an Iron Age hill fort is sited on the hill above the castle, although this is unconfirmed.

Roman Occupation

Lullingstone Roman villa was discovered in 1939, and is believed to have been built around 100 AD. It contains some of the finest excavated remains of a Roman villa in Britain, including a Romano-Christian chapel, displaying some of the earliest evidence of Christianity in Britain.

20th century

Nearby is the site of a decoy airfield for the nearby Biggin Hill airfield. Known as a Q-site, this was intended to entice bombers to misinterpret it as Biggin Hill.^[1]

In 1937 a plan was announced to create an airport the size of Heathrow in Lullingstone. The area of land had been reserved and construction of Lullingstone railway station to serve the site began. The proposal was abandoned at the outbreak of World War II.^[2]

Lullingstone Country Park was established in the 20th century.

In 1951 the parish had a population of 127.^[3] On 1 April 1955 the parish was abolished and merged with Eynsford.^[4]

Transport

Railway

The nearest National Rail station is Eynsford.

References

^ The Lullinstone Decoy, Kent Life
^ Lullingstone station kentrail.co.uk
^ "Population statistics Lullingstone CP/AP through time". A Vision of Britain through Time. Retrieved 19 May 2024.
^ "Relationships and changes Lullingstone CP/AP through time". A Vision of Britain through Time. Retrieved 19 May 2024.