Chandlers Walk is open, linking Sevenoaks High Street to the library, museum and gallery in Suffolk Way. See the alley before and after the work.

A new public walkway now links Sevenoaks High Street to Suffolk Way, where the library, museum and art gallery are. Chandlers Walk runs between Wagamama and the old Tesco building, on the line of what Sevenoaks Town Council calls a former “uninviting alleyway enclosed between two high brick walls”. It opened as building work on the Chandlers Place development at 136 High Street nears completion, the council said today.

The town council had campaigned for the link. It says the new route carries on past the library, museum, gallery and Environmental Park to Webbs Alley, which leads to Knole.

The old alleyway: a narrow tarmac path between tall brick walls, with a dark doorway at the far end
The alleyway before the work, between two high brick walls. Photo: supplied by Sevenoaks Town Council

From a dark alley to a planted path

The before and after photographs show the change. The old route was a narrow strip of tarmac hemmed in by brick on both sides. The new one is a wide block-paved path with planted beds, young trees and a lamp post, and the Wagamama sign is visible at the far end.

The council says the work turns “this dark alleyway into a welcoming and versatile public space” that “helps to improve pedestrian access and connectivity between key destinations across the town”.

It has been talking to the developer, Purelake, “since initial plans were discussed”, with the aim of a wide new access and walkway that “encourages the public to move from the High Street” to the cultural venues behind it.

The idea comes from the council’s Neighbourhood Development Plan, which puts weight on a high-quality public realm. The council spotted the chance to improve the alley as part of the Plan’s Cultural Strategy.

Where the name comes from

Chandlers Place stands on land once occupied by J. S. Charlton Ltd., a corn chandler, which gives the development and the walkway their names. The council says the gap between the Charlton shop and Suffolk Place was known as Charlton’s Yard from the mid-1920s, and that Purelake chose the name Chandlers Place “to preserve the heritage” when it turned the site into flats and shops.

Tesco and Oliver Bonas are due to take the ground-floor shop units at Chandlers Place; we covered the retailers’ plans earlier this month.

What the Mayor says

The Mayor of Sevenoaks, Cllr Victoria Granville, said:

“We are so pleased to see this much-anticipated walkway now open to the public. Chandlers Walk brings different parts of the town together, providing a better link between key cultural venues and the High Street. This year, we are focusing on celebrating culture as central to community life in Sevenoaks, so improving access to cultural facilities is a welcome development. Many thanks to the Sevenoaks Town Council team for advocating for this important town centre link through the Cultural Strategy and to Purelake for delivering this excellent walkway.”

What it means for you

If you are heading from the shops to the library, the museum or the gallery in Suffolk Way, Chandlers Walk gives you a direct route from the High Street between Wagamama and the old Tesco building. From Suffolk Way you can carry on to Webbs Alley and Knole.

Parking near the town centre is covered in our parking in Sevenoaks page. More news from the town council is on Sevenoaks Town Council’s website.