[image] Statistics Population: Ordnance Survey OS grid reference: Maps for TQ525555 Administration District: Sevenoaks County: Kent Region: South East England Nation: England Other Ceremonial county: Kent Traditional county: Kent Post office and telephone Post town: SEVENOAKS Postcode: - style="vertical-align: top;" Dialling code: 01732 Politics UK Parliament: European Parliament: South East England [image]
The town's name is derived from the Saxon word "Seouenaca", the name given to a small chapel near seven oak trees in Knole Park around 800 A.D.. Contrary to popular myth, the town is not named after the seven oak trees that lined the boundary of The Vine Cricket Ground, 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.
In the Middle Ages two hospitals were provided here by religious orders, for the care of old or sick people, especially those going on pilgrimage.
By the early 19th century there were no fewer than seven grammar schools in the town.
In 1710 part of one of the roads - from Sevenoaks through Tonbridge and Pembury to Tunbridge Wells- was the first in Kent to be turnpiked, and others followed within the century.
The town is now by-passed by the A21 Dual carriageway road, and is connected to the M25 London Orbital motorway at Junction 5.
The main station - Sevenoaks (formerly known as "Tub's Hill", after the adjacent area) - was opened on 2 March 1868. There is a second station, on the branch to Swanley Junction, serving the north end of the town, opened earlier (2 June 1862). It is named after the local inn - Bat & Ball.
Sevenoaks was the scene of a horrific railway accident on 24 August 1927, when a passenger train ran out of control down the bank from the north. Thirteen people were killed.
The line to Sevenoaks was electrified in 1935. It was the first station in Britain to be re-built with the later well-known British Rail red, white and blue colouring.
Sevenoaks is part of the rail franchise which, post-privatisation, was served by Connex South Eastern. Subsequent to their 'sacking' in 2003 due to poor performance, services have been operated by South Eastern Trains (SET) - a wholly owned subsidiary of the Strategic Rail Authority (SRA) - until a new private operator is established early in 2006.
During the Great Storm of 1987, six of the seven oak trees around The Vine were blown down. Following this, a further seven small oak trees were planted in a local ceremony involving celebrities from television shows such as Blue Peter, including locals Gloria Hunniford and Caron Keating.
Sadly the trees were located right outside the pub named after the cricket ground, "The Vine", and six of the seven saplings were vandalised one night. This left one of the original trees, and one of the new ones. Sevenoaks County Council decided that a more rugged set of replacements were required, and hence seven further, more mature trees were planted, leaving the vine with a total of nine trees in a row.