Shoreham

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Shoreham is a village in the valley of the River Darent.

The name Shoreham is thought to mean estate at the foot of a steep slope. The Saxon word for steep slope was scor. pronounced shor, but written sore by Norman scribes.

There used to be a Victorian paper mill at Shoreham. Papermaking was the local industry until the mill finally closed in 1925. Paper Mills need a lot of water and so they are often found alongside rivers. Historically the river Darent was always important for paper making due to the clean water and proximity to London.

Bridge and the old ford.

The remains of a Roman Bath house were discovered in Shoreham in the 1980s. This, together with the already well-known Roman Villa remains at Lullingstone, suggest a significant Roman settlement on the banks of a navigable river. Unlike today, the river Darent used to be deep enough for the Romans to sail up the river to Shoreham from the river Thames.

Did you know?
Shoreham was the most bombed village in the United Kingdom during the Second World War.