Dartford
town in Kent, England
Dartford is the main town in the Borough of Dartford, Kent, in England. It is about 18 miles south-east of London, on the River Darent. It is today a commuter town for London, but it has been more important in the past.
In prehistoric times, the first people appeared in the Dartford area about 250,000 years ago. Archaeological investigations have uncovered important finds from the Stone Age, the Bronze Age and the Iron Age. Roman villas were built along the Darent Valley. During the medieval period Dartford was an important waypoint for travellers.
Dartford was a crossing-point for the River Darent when the Romans colonised Britain.