Samuel Painter, in the 1820s, left London for the Kent village of Shoreham and painted moonlit fields and fruit-heavy orchards he called his Valley of Vision. Two hundred years later, the Darent Valley still lives up to that romantic billing — and remarkably few visitors seem to have noticed, despite it sitting less than an hour from London by train.

The valley follows the River Darent, a 21-mile chalk stream that runs from Westerham down to the Thames. Shoreham itself makes the ideal base: a handful of pastel cottages and lopsided Tudor chimneys crowding the stream, two solid pubs, and a Grade I-listed church. Trains run roughly twice an hour from London Blackfriars, and the neighbouring villages of Otford and Eynsford are only minutes away — so you can genuinely do this as a car-free weekend.

Each village has its own draw. Otford is the one for antiquing, with a sprawling collectors centre, waterside houses, the remains of a 16th-century palace and a listed duck house on the pond. Eynsford packs in the history: the Roman villa at Lullingstone with its surviving painted walls, Lullingstone Castle (a Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn favourite), and a ford ringed by half-timbered houses.

One of the more unexpected stops is the Shoreham Aircraft Museum, a volunteer-run tribute to the aerial combat that played out over this valley in the second world war. Entry is £5, and it comes with cream tea — puddings and doorstop sandwiches made in the owner's own kitchen, served in a tearoom styled on the early 20th century. The owner also builds memorials to lost servicemen from both sides, and his story is part of the visit.

Walkers get a gentle four-mile stretch of the waymarked Darent Valley Path from Shoreham to Eynsford, following the river through woods and rolling hills — pleasant in July and equally good on a frosty winter day, with a four-minute train ride back if your legs object. A 20-minute stroll from Shoreham's churchyard brings you to Castle Farm, one of the UK's biggest lavender growers. The shop sells lavender oils, teas, honey and ice-cream, plus boxes of gypsy tarts, a Kentish classic made with condensed milk and muscovado. In summer you can picnic between the lavender rows or even join the harvest.

Food and drink are a real strength here. The Crown in Shoreham does hearty locally sourced pub classics and welcomes dogs; The Samuel Palmer, in the same village, serves an elevated seasonal tasting menu at £48 a head in a bright, family-friendly dining room. Mount Vineyard adds pizza and a vine-side cafe with pastries. Otford's The Bull has pretty gardens, while Eynsford's The Malt Shovel is the local lunch favourite for generous portions at fair prices.

For somewhere to sleep, White Hill Woods near Shoreham station offers a family log cabin from £150 a night and a shepherd's hut from £100 (two-night minimum), with a heated pool and woodland setting. It books out fast with repeat guests, so plan ahead.

If you want a countryside weekend without the crowds of the Cotswolds — art history, riverside walks, lavender and good pubs all in a compact valley — this is an easy win, especially from London.