Neptune- Otford Solar System Model

Walk down the high street in Otford and you'll stumble across something properly unusual - a full-scale model of the solar system laid out across the village. Neptune is the focal point, sitting near the recreation ground, but the real charm is in hunting down all nine planets (yes, including Pluto) scattered about the place.

It's a free walk, which means you can spend as much or as little time on it as you fancy. History buffs will appreciate that this is genuinely educational - the distances and relative sizes are properly to scale, so you get a proper sense of just how vast the solar system actually is. Kids who like a bit of a treasure-hunt element will enjoy ticking off each planet as they find them around the village.

The walk takes about an hour if you're thorough, maybe half that if you just want the highlights. Best done on a clear day when the sun's out - bit pointless on a rainy afternoon, if I'm honest. There's no visitor centre or facilities tied to it, so you're relying on local pubs and shops for refreshment.

It works well as a diversion if you're based at Thriftwood Country Park nearby, about five miles south. Otford itself is close to Sevenoaks, so it's an easy addition to a wider Kent trip. Not a day-long attraction by any means, but a clever bit of community engagement that beats another museum visit on a sunny afternoon.