A quaint village with countryside walks and a historic pub is just a 30-minute bus ride away from Bromley.
With the weather heating up, plenty of people will be searching for ideas of day trips outside of London, but you don’t need to venture too far to find places to go.
Downe Village is located within seven miles of Bromley Town Centre and despite still having a BR postcode it feels more like being in the countryside than within south east London.
We’ve rounded up four reasons why we think you should pay a visit to Downe Village for your next day trip:
Easy travel links from Bromley
You don’t have to drive to reach Downe unlike some villages. Downe Village offers easy travel links from Bromley via the 148 bus route from Bromley Town Centre, stopping outside Downe Church, giving you easy access to the village.
Countryside walks
Downe is a perfect location to visit if you are looking for a spot to go on a countryside walk, with the village offering several pubs to make a stop at.
If you are looking for an idyllic walk visit Downe Bank off Hangrove Hill where you can enjoy seeing wild animals and can explore walking trails with five hectares of land.
Historic pub that was named as one of the best by CAMRA
If you fancy a drink, head over to The Queens Head pub in the village, which is one of the oldest pubs within Bromley borough.
The pub dates to 1565 and was named after a visit from Queen Elizabeth to the village of Downe.
The pub has outdoor seating with a marquee during the warmer weather and serves a range of pub snacks and traditional British dishes like fish and chips, along with burgers including a plant-based option.
The pub has been named in the CAMRA Good Beer Guide for 12 years and was also awarded Pub of the Year in 2014.
Visit the historic home of Charles Darwin
If you’re a history buff take a walk to Down House, located a short walk from the village and surrounded by rolling hills this family home is a great way to spend an afternoon in the village.
Now owned by English Heritage, this house dates back to the early 18th century when it was first built and served as the family home to naturalist Charles Darwin and his wife and children for over 40 years.
Visitors can pick up a guide narrated by world-renowned naturalist David Attenborough and explore rooms which feature Darwin’s huge collection of specimens and objects he picked up on his travels.
If the weather is nice, take a stroll through the gardens which offer scenic countryside walks, and where you’ll also find examples of the experiments Darwin conducted as well as the kitchen garden of Darwin’s wife.
Down House and Gardens is now owned by English Heritage, with tickets priced at £14.50 for adults and £8.60 for children.
A farm
A short walk from the village you’ll find Christmas Tree Farm, this small farm is a great place to visit with the family for a day out.
The farm has a number of farm animals to meet including ponies, pigs, chickens, ducks and sheep and you can also purchase feed for them at the entrance.
The farm is also dog-friendly, with dogs on leads welcome to visit with their owners.
Entry to the farm costs £6 for adults and £4 for children.
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