Dartford Hotels and Guest Houses

At a mere sixteen miles from the heart of London, Dartford is privy to much of what goes on in the big city. Its proximity to one of the biggest metropolises in the world gives Dartford some advantages over its neighbors while also detracting a bit from the identity of the city. Dartford has historically been a jumping off point of sorts that allowed residents of London a short trip to the gorgeous city of Dover and its gorgeous white cliffs. Similarly, Dartford provided countless people from the county of Kent and beyond access into the central part of London. To this day it still relies on the commuter economy for a large part of its income but Dartford in fact began as a quaint market town.

The River Darent first provided Dartford with its livelihood and it seems that various peoples of the Iron, Bronze, and even Stone age inhabited the lush area for a long time before Dartford was granted a city charter. By this time Dartford and its road to London was already growing in popularity and various religious pilgrims used Dartford as a headquarters. The Knights Templar was the first group to establish a base in the city and the enormous and beautiful manor that they erected can still be seen to this day. In these days there was much strife between the growing nations of Europe and many kings went through Dartford on their way to wage battle against other kings. Henry V stayed in Dartford for a while during his battles with France and he was carried back to Dartford after being killed. In the middle 1400s it was Henry VI who relied on Dartford during his struggles with the Duke of York and it was in Dartford that the Duke eventually surrendered.

It wasn't long after this that Dartford began to see the first machinations of industry within its city walls. The manufacturing of paper was what finally brought Dartford into prominence and it was the famed John Spilman who created the city's first paper mill. Dartford grew in fame rather quickly after that and it began to rule the local area in terms of industrial economy. The River Weald provided some of the most bountiful iron ores at the time and Dartford benefited from it greatly but it was in the rather obscure field of mustard-making that truly became Dartford's shining beacon of prosperity. The Saunders and Harrison mustard company was built in the early 1800s and within a couple decades it was widely considered to be the largest and most profitable in the entire country.

Even to this day Dartford provides some of the most powerful economical sectors in the country. The Mazda car company has one of its largest factories in Dartford and the city still offers one of the best transportation systems around. Dartford may be overshadowed by its larger neighbors but nobody can deny the fact that Dartford has a personality and an identity that is all its own.

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The Dartford Tourist Board gives comparable information to this page. If you require more information about Dartford, you may be able to obtain it from the Dartford Tourist Board.

We hope you find suitable Dartford accommodation. You can book cheap hotels, guest houses or Dartford bed and breakfasts from the list above. Enjoy your stay in Dartford hotels.