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Located in the county of Kent, and around 15 miles east, and slightly south, of central London, is the town of Dartford.
The name 'Dartford' literally translates to 'shallow river crossing (i.e. ford) over the River Darent'. In the Domesday Book of 1086 it appears as 'Tarentefort'. The Holy Trinity Church, seen near the start of the walk, was built circa 1080, with 13th century additions.
Dartford's geographic location along the old Roman road of Watling Street made it a key thoroughfare for those travelling from Dover to London and beyond. Pilgrims to Canterbury would pass through Dover, and the Knights Templar held possession of the manor of Dartford in the 12th century. In 1415 Henry V celebrated England's Agincourt victory at a service in the Holy Trinity Church. Then in 1422, Henry's funeral service took place at the very same church. In 1452, his son Henry VI accepted the surrender of Richard, Duke of York, in Dartford.
In 1588 England's first paper mill was established in Dartford. John Spilman, a German-born entrepreneur, set up a factory on the River Darent and employed skilled German paper-makers. This was the first mill in England to produce good quality white paper on a commercially viable basis. Spilman would go on to become goldsmith to both Elizabeth I and James I.
Other industries in Dartford over the centuries have included wool, brewing, iron-making and engineering. In the year 2000 a mural was unveiled paying homage to Dartford's industrial past. This can be seen between Lowfield Street and High Street around the 11-and-a-half minute mark.
In 1849 Dartford received a railway connection on South Eastern Railway's North Kent Line from London Bridge to Strood. The town would receive further transport infrastructure in 1963 with the opening of the Dartford Tunnel. This crosses the Thames Estuary into the borough of Thurrock in Essex. A second adjacent tunnel would open in 1980, followed by the Queen Elizabeth II Bridge in 1991, at which point it became known collectively as the Dartford-Thurrock River Crossing, or simply the Dartford Crossing. For a toll, drivers are able to use this to bypass London when travelling between Kent and the East of England.
Dartford is the spiritual home of the Rolling Stones. In 1950 two local boys, Mick Jagger and Keith Richards, became classmates and childhood friends. Then in 1961, they met on platform 2 of Dartford railway station where it is said that the Chuck Berry and Muddy Waters records Jagger was carrying revealed a shared interest. The rest, as they say, is history.
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Filmed: 29th September 2021
Link to the walk on Google Maps: goo.gl/maps/JrcHsgWpHGMyxX6N7
Filmed on a Sony FDR-AX700 with a Zhiyun Crane 2 and a Sony ECM-XYST1M Stereo Microphone.
TIMESTAMPS:
0:00 East Hill
2:12 Overy Liberty
2:27 St Saviour's Walk
2:46 River Darent
3:14 St Saviour's Walk
3:24 Holy Trinity Church
3:32 St Saviour's Walk
3:44 Overy Liberty
4:04 High Street
4:55 Market Street
6:14 Dartford Central Park
9:41 Market Street
11:11 Lowfield Street
11:47 High Street
13:46 Hythe Street
16:27 Home Gardens