This guide covers Sevenoaks for readers choosing between a National Trust house and deer park, a nature reserve on the edge of town, a small aircraft museum in Shoreham and a chalk hillside reserve above Kemsing. InKent lists Shoreham and Kemsing as villages of the Sevenoaks area. Several places change their hours at the turn of the year, so the guide dates the information it gives.
Knole
Knole is a National Trust house and deer park at Sevenoaks, with showrooms, a Gatehouse Tower, a cafe and a shop. Check the National Trust page for current admission prices. It lists the showrooms and Gatehouse Tower as open 11am to 4pm with last entry at 3.30pm, the cafe, shop and car park 10am to 5pm, and the park from dawn to dusk. Weekend visits need pre-booking.
The winter pattern changes. From 2 November only the Great Hall, Great Stairs, Ballroom, Reynolds Room, Cartoon Gallery and King’s Room stay open, and the showrooms close completely from 23 December until the new year. Dogs are welcome in the courtyards and covered outdoor cafe seating, but must be on a lead at all times in the park because of the deer.
In the house, only the Great Hall is listed as wheelchair accessible, and the Gatehouse Tower is not accessible. The National Trust lists accessible toilets, 19 Blue Badge spaces and a powered mobility vehicle that is booked by phone.
Sevenoaks Wildlife Reserve
Sevenoaks Wildlife Reserve and the Jeffery Harrison Visitor Centre are on Bradbourne Vale Road and run by Kent Wildlife Trust. The reserve is made up of lakes and woodland, with bird hides, a nature trail, a cafe, a shop and the visitor centre, which the Trust says reopened on 2 March 2026 after refurbishment. The Trust lists the reserve as open daily from dawn to dusk and the visitor centre as open 10am to 4pm on weekdays and 9am to 5pm at weekends, with winter hours from 1 November to 28 February of 9am to 3pm on weekdays and 9am to 4pm at weekends. It lists a week’s closure for Christmas from Monday 21 to Sunday 27 December without saying whether the whole reserve or only the visitor centre closes. The reserve states a parking charge only, £2.50 on weekdays and £3.50 at weekends, by card only, and does not state an entry fee. Dogs are not allowed except assistance dogs.
Wheelchair users can reach the visitor centre, three hides and most of the nature trail. There are six disabled parking bays and accessible toilets during visitor centre hours.
Shoreham Aircraft Museum
Shoreham Aircraft Museum is at 13 High Street, Shoreham. The museum relies heavily on volunteers, was founded in 1978 and is a tribute to the airmen who fought over southern England in the Second World War, with hundreds of aviation relics excavated from crashed British and German aircraft, plus flying helmets, uniforms and insignia. Adults are £5.00, which includes an optional guided tour, and under-16s and members are free. The museum’s contact page says it opens on Saturdays and Sundays, 10am to 4pm, from Easter to Remembrance Sunday, and that after Remembrance Sunday (8 November 2026) the museum and tea room open on Sundays only, 10am to 4pm. The page also describes the tea room as open all year round, which on that reading means Sundays through the winter. Phone the museum on 01959 524416 to confirm what is open before travelling. No access statement is published.
Kemsing Down
Kemsing Down is a 16-hectare Kent Wildlife Trust reserve of ancient woodland, scrub and chalk grassland on south-facing slopes above Kemsing, at Pilgrims Way. The Trust describes it as known for orchids and butterflies in summer and for its wide views, and lists it as open at all times. Paths are steep, uneven, narrow and slippery when wet, with kissing gates and steps, which makes the site hard going for wheelchairs and pushchairs. Parking is very limited on the road at the Pilgrims Way end. Dogs are allowed on a lead. No entry charge is listed.
Choosing between them
- Indoors: Knole’s showrooms on the reduced route from 2 November, and the museum at Shoreham on its limited winter days.
- Outdoors, no entry charge stated: Sevenoaks Wildlife Reserve, which charges for parking, and Kemsing Down.
- With a dog: Knole’s park and Kemsing Down, both on a lead. Dogs are not allowed at the wildlife reserve.
- Around Christmas: the Trust lists a week’s Christmas closure at the wildlife reserve from 21 to 27 December, and Knole’s showrooms close from 23 December.
Getting there
Parking differs at each place: Knole’s car park is listed as open 10am to 5pm, the wildlife reserve charges card-only parking, and Kemsing Down has limited road parking. Use a journey planner for rail and bus options.
Frequently asked questions
Can I take my dog to Knole?
Dogs are welcome in the courtyards and covered outdoor cafe seating, and must be on a lead at all times in the park because of the deer.
Is Kemsing Down suitable for pushchairs?
The Trust says the ground is steep, uneven and narrow, with kissing gates and steps, so the site is unlikely to suit wheelchairs or pushchairs.
Is Knole open at Christmas?
The showrooms close completely from 23 December until the new year. Check the National Trust page for the park, cafe and shop.