 Chipstead is a very pretty village which lies to the west of Riverhead and just a couple of miles from the centre of Sevenoaks. It has a village store, 2 pubs and a pottery. There is a children's playground, tennis courts, a cricket pitch and a football pitch. A large lake is home for Chipstead sailing club.
The History
Chevening is situated at the crossing of the old coast road from London and the Pilgrim's road to Canterbury. There was so much traffic along this road in the Middle Ages that a fish market thrived at Chepsted (Chipstead) - the name means 'trading place'.
 In 1212 the church at Civilinga (Chevening) was dedicated to Saint Botolph and the manor held by Adam de Chevening, Justice of King John's Great Assizes. He lived at Chevening place and sold it to the Pole family (heirs of the Plantagenet Kings and cruelly persecuted under the Tudors).
The present house was built in 1620 to the design of Inigo Jones and bought by Major General James Stanhope in 1717. The house is now the private residence of the Foreign Secretary. |
