Spotlight - Dunton Green

From time to time Guttering Direct will be writing articles on different towns in different areas. As most of  our customers know we work all over the south east so we do from time to time get called out to some unique and interesting towns. This blog is to show our appreciation for the beautiful villages and towns we visit.

Today we will introduce you to Dunton Green.

• Population - approx 2500
• District - Sevenoaks
• Postcode District - TN13, TN14
• Guttering Direct were working here on Thursday 5th Jan 2012. We will be here again on Thursday 12th Jan 2012. www.gutteringdirect.com

For those who don't know of this town or have never visited, Dunton Green is a small Kent village lying in the valley of the River Darent, three miles north of Sevenoaks. From at least the 17th century, Dunton Green was a center for making bricks and tiles. In 1862 the Dunton Green Brick, Tile and Pottery Works was established: a large concern with clayholes or pits, kilns and an engine house. Whilst digging for clay many fossils were discovered. The village church (dedicated to St John) is built with local bricks. The village has a main line railway station, which at one time was a junction for a small branch line to Westerham, opened in 1881. The branch line is now closed and most of the the track-bed lies beneath the M25 motorway. Dunton Green celebrates it's centenery this year (2008) as originally it was part of otford.
There is a sad tale associated with the small village of Dunton Green. It concerns the daughter of the owner of a large house called Morants Court who fell in love with a highwayman. Her father who disapproved of their friendship, forced his daughter to betray the villain's next ambush at the foot of the nearby Star Hill. The father's servants intercepted the highwayman and promptly hanged him, cut off his head and made a cruel present of it to the shocked daughter. She was so horrified by the gruesome spectacle that she went insane. The ghost of the headless lover has been seen jumping the stream behind Morants Court on his stallion. The sound of horse's hoofs upon cobbles - heard by people working in the fields at dusk - is immortalised in Walter De la Mare's poem 'The Highwayman'. The cobblestones have long since been removed.


Overall this is a lovely town with a great feel to it. There are some beautiful open areas of park land and countryside. It really is a pleasure working here. When up the ladder you can see for miles on end. The Kent downs leading to Tonbridge is a beautiful sight.