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Penshurst is a historic village and civil parish located in a valley upon the northern slopes of the Weald, at the confluence of the River Medway and the River Eden, within the Sevenoaks district of Kent, England.
The village is situated between the market town of Tonbridge and the spa town of Royal Tunbridge Wells, some south of Sevenoaks. Penshurst and its neighbouring village, Fordcombe, recorded a combined population of some 1,628 at the 2011 Census.
The majority of the parish falls within the High Weald Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, and the village is itself a conservation zone, with controls on the landscape ensuring the protection of its woodland and fields. There are several listed buildings in the village.
The village is the home of two historic estates. Penshurst Place, formerly owned by King Henry VIII, sits at the centre of the village in the valley, while Swaylands is situated at the top of Rogues Hill on the outskirts of the village.
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The Leicester Arms, once part of the Penshurst Estate, was owned by Sir William Sidney, grandfather of poet and statesman Sir Philip Sidney. His other grandson, the Viscount De L’isle, was appointed Earl of Leicester in 1618 and it was shortly after this that The Leicester Arms, formerly known as The Porcupine, was renamed in his honour. The pub and hotel is now owned privately.
Penshurst railway station, on the Tonbridge to Redhill railway line, is some north of the village, at the hamlet of Chiddingstone Causeway. Penshurst Airfield was located close to the station, but within the parish of Leigh. It opened in 1916 as a military airfield, and served as a civil airfield from 1919-36. It was reopened as RAF Penshurst in 1940, and closed in 1946. To the south of the village, within the parish, are the settlements of Saint's Hill and Smart's Hill.
The ancient historic parkland provides scenic walks to visitors, contributing significantly to Penshurst's tourism industry. The two walking trails across the estate - the Parkland and the Riverside Walks, both take in part of the Eden Valley walk. Seven miles of the Rivers Medway and Eden flow through the Estate, and there are several lakes. Both game and coarse fishing are popular at Penshurst Place.
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