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Approximately 25 miles from London, Sevenoaks is a fairly traditional market town, with a population of approximately 18,000. Given its proximity to London a large proportion of residents are commuters, although the town centre does contain a reasonable number of small and medium sized shops including a theatre, and a recently enlarged outdoor shopping centre.
Sevenoaks railway station was the first station in Britain to be re-built in the later well-known British Rail red, white and blue style.Sevenoaks is notable for being the first place in England to play cricket with three stumps. The orginial cricket green in the town is still used as such and has the name the Old Cricket Ground .
To the east side of the town is a large deer park - Knole Park - and stately home, Knole House, traditionally the seat of the Sackville family . Sevenoaks School, at the south end of the High Street and whose grounds penetrate into Knole, is the oldest secular school in England. The Knole estate is now owned and maintained by the National Trust.
Contrary to popular myth the town isn't named after the seven oak trees that stood alongside the cricket pitch, six of which were destroyed in the Great Storm of 1987. Those trees were one of several sets of seven oaks around the town and date from 1902 when they were planted to commemorate the Coronation of King Edward VII. The town's name is derived from the Saxon word "Seouenaca", the name given to a small chapel near seven oaks in Knole Park around 800 A.D.
Sevenoaks borders on several villages, including Sundridge , Kemsing , Hildenborough and Westerham.
Towns in Kent