Otford is a village in north-west Kent sitting on the River Darenth where it cuts north-south through the North Downs. The name is a contraction of Ottenford, possibly derived from Offa, the King of Mercia who fought a battle here against the Kentish Saxons in 775 (the Battle of Otford). Notable landmarks are the Archibishop's Palace, the duck-pond roundabout, and the scale model of the Solar System which is the largest in the world. Otford is a key stopping-off point on the North Downs Way which runs through the village as it crosses the Darenth Valley.
According to the 2001 Census, the population of the Otford and Shoreham ward was 4,381 (statistics for Otford alone are not available).
