Editing Lullingstone

{{Short description|Hamlet in Kent, England}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2019}}
{{Use British English|date=May 2025}}
{{Infobox UK place
|country                  = England
|static_image_name        = Lullingstone1Aerialview.jpg
|static_image_caption     = Aerial view of [[Lullingstone Castle]] and [[St Botolph's Church, Lullingstone|St Botolph's Church]]
|coordinates              = {{coord|51.35813|0.19318|type:landmark_region:GB_source:enwiki-osgb36(TQ528644)|display=title,inline}}
|official_name            = Lullingstone
|population               =
|civil_parish             = [[Eynsford]]
|shire_district           = [[Sevenoaks (district)|Sevenoaks]]
|shire_county             = [[Kent]]
|region                   = South East England
|constituency_westminster =      
|post_town                = [[Dartford]]
|postcode_area            = DA
|postcode_district        = DA4
|dial_code                = 01322
|os_grid_reference        = TQ528644 
}}
'''Lullingstone''' is a rural hamlet in the [[civil parish]] of [[Eynsford]], in the [[Sevenoaks District|Sevenoaks]] district of [[Kent]], England, located south east of [[Swanley]]. It is best known for its [[Lullingstone Castle|castle]], [[Lullingstone Roman Villa|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 Britain|Roman]] [[villa]] in Britain, including a Romano-Christian chapel, displaying some of the earliest evidence of Christianity in Britain.

===20th century===
[[File:Target Dossier for Lullingstone, Kent, England - DPLA - 859abaa75e854074c1ce92171c864661 (page 2).jpg|thumb|left|1941 target dossier of the German [[Luftwaffe]] depicting the decoy airfield]]
Nearby is the site of a decoy airfield for the nearby [[Biggin Hill#RAF aerodrome|Biggin Hill]] airfield. Known as a [[Q-site]],  this was intended to entice bombers to misinterpret it as Biggin Hill.<ref>[http://kent.greatbritishlife.co.uk/article/the-lullingstone-decoy-kent-17874/ The Lullinstone Decoy, Kent Life]</ref>

In 1937 a plan was announced to create [[Lullingstone Airfield|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]].<ref>[http://www.kentrail.org.uk/Lullingstone.htm Lullingstone station] ''kentrail.co.uk''</ref>

[[Lullingstone Country Park]] was established in the 20th century.

In 1951 the parish had a population of 127.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://visionofbritain.org.uk/unit/10222291/cube/TOT_POP|title=Population statistics Lullingstone CP/AP through time|publisher=[[A Vision of Britain through Time]]|accessdate=19 May 2024}}</ref> On 1 April 1955 the parish was abolished and merged with Eynsford.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://visionofbritain.org.uk/unit/10222291|title=Relationships and changes Lullingstone CP/AP through time|publisher=A Vision of Britain through Time|accessdate=19 May 2024}}</ref>

==Transport==
===Railway===
The nearest [[National Rail]] station is [[Eynsford station|Eynsford]].

A station to be named Lullingstone was built between Swanley and Eynsford in 1939, but never opened due to the outbreak of WWII. It appeared without a train service in [[Bradshaw's Guide]] by December 1944, through to September 1953, but had disappeared from Bradshaw by June 1954.

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commons category|Lullingstone}}
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20070329154725/http://www.kentattractions.co.uk/Lullingstone%20Park.htm kentattractions.co.uk]
* [http://www.lullingstonecastle.co.uk/ lullingstonecastle.co.uk]
* [http://www.kentarchaeology.org.uk/Research/Libr/VisRec/L/LUL/Gallery.htm kentarchaeology.org.uk]


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[[Category:Hamlets in Kent]]
[[Category:Former civil parishes in Kent]]
[[Category:Sevenoaks District]]