Pub gardens near Sevenoaks, checked in August 2026: which have a lake view, which will not reserve an outside table, and two that no longer exist.

Two of the pub gardens near Sevenoaks that still turn up on “best beer gardens in Kent” lists cannot be sat in. The Padwell Arms at Stone Street, famous for a south-facing terrace over the orchards, closed in September 2018 and was reported demolished in April 2021 (CAMRA). The Fox & Hounds at Toys Hill, a landmark pub in National Trust woodland near Chartwell, closed in July 2019 and is listed for sale as residential (CAMRA).

So this list was built the slow way. Every pub below was checked against its own website in August 2026: still trading, and with the hours, kitchen times and dog rules taken from the pub rather than a review site. Ten of them, sorted by what the outside space is actually good for.

Pub gardens near Sevenoaks compared

Pub gardens in and around Sevenoaks in August 2026: outside space, what it suits and dog rules, each taken from the pub's own site
PubWhereOutside spaceBest forDogs
Bricklayers ArmsChipsteadGarden and green facing the sailing lakeA view with a pintYes, inside and in the garden
The Kings HeadBessels GreenExtensive garden with all-weather diningAn unreliable forecastNot stated, ring ahead
The Bucks HeadGodden GreenGarden, five minutes from a Knole gateThe end of a Knole walk"Very dog friendly"
The White HartSevenoaks, Tonbridge RoadTerrace, no outside table reservableWalking in on specOn leads, bar and garden
George & DragonChipsteadEstablished gardenDinner outsideDownstairs tables only
The BullOtfordGarden off the High StreetBreakfast outside from 9amOwn dog menu
The Chaser InnShipbourneCourtyard and garden by the commonA long, slow SaturdayNot stated, ring ahead
The Castle InnChiddingstoneCourtyard garden, live music in summerA postcard villageNot stated, ring ahead
The PloughIvy HatchGarden with a pizza counterFeeding children outsideNot stated, ring ahead
The GreyhoundCharcottGarden at a family-run free houseGluten-free eatersTick box on the booking form

The one with the view: Bricklayers Arms, Chipstead

Three terraced cottages at 39 to 41 Chevening Road, sat opposite Chipstead sailing lake at the end of the Darent Valley Walk, with what Harvey’s calls “splendid views over Longford Lake in the summer”. It is a Harvey’s house, and the brewery’s own listing says dogs are welcome both inside and in the beer garden (Harvey’s Brewery). The pub’s site sells the setting plainly enough: “a summer cider on the green” (Bricklayers Arms).

The catch is the kitchen. It runs split service on most days and shuts early:

  • Monday: bar noon to 6pm, food noon to 3pm only
  • Tuesday to Friday: bar noon to 10pm, food noon to 2.30pm and 5.30pm to 8.30pm
  • Saturday: bar noon to 11pm, food noon to 3pm and 5pm to 8pm
  • Sunday: bar noon to 8pm, food noon to 5pm

Turn up at 4pm on a Saturday and you can drink by the lake, but you cannot eat until five.

The one for a bad forecast: The Kings Head, Bessels Green

The Kings Head at 2 Westerham Road describes an “extensive garden featuring all weather dining”, which is the useful phrase on this whole page (The Kings Head). Most gardens here are open to the sky. This one is set up to be used when the sky is not cooperating, which in Kent covers a good part of the season.

It is open noon to 11.30pm seven days. Kitchen times are not published on the site, so ring 01732 452081 before driving over for a late meal.

The two after a walk

The Bucks Head, Godden Green is the one to aim for if you leave Knole Park by the eastern gate. Its own site puts the park at a five-minute walk and calls the pub “very dog friendly” (The Bucks Head). Check the day before you set out, because it is now closed Monday and Tuesday. The rest of the week the bar runs 11am to 11pm Wednesday to Saturday and noon to 10pm on Sunday, with food noon to 2.30pm and 6pm to 9pm midweek, straight through noon to 9pm on Saturday, and noon to 4pm on Sunday.

The White Hart on Tonbridge Road is effectively opposite the main Sevenoaks entrance to Knole. It carries the one rule worth knowing before you walk over with six people: “we don’t reserve any of our outside tables so if you enjoy a little alfresco dining these are on a first come first served basis” (Brunning & Price). On a warm Saturday the terrace goes early. Dogs “of the well-behaved and on-the-leash variety” are welcome in the bar and the garden.

Both sit beside the park covered in our Knole Park guide, which has the parking charges and the waymarked routes.

The village gardens

George & Dragon, Chipstead calls its outside space an “established and tranquil garden”, and runs the kitchen later than most: noon to 2.15pm and 6pm to 9.15pm Monday to Friday, straight through to 9.15pm on Saturday, and noon to 5.30pm on Sunday. Dogs are welcome but must be at a downstairs table (George & Dragon).

The Bull, Otford is the earliest opener with a garden. The bar starts at 9am on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, with breakfast served 9am to 11am on Friday and Saturday, then food from noon to 8.30pm Monday to Thursday, 9pm Friday and Saturday and 8pm on Sunday. It has a dog menu, including a Cumberland feast and peanut butter flapjacks (The Bull).

The Chaser Inn, Shipbourne has a courtyard and a garden, and sits a minute from St Giles’ Church on the village common, which is the reason to bring children (The Chaser Inn). The pub opens at 9am every day and the kitchen runs to 9pm most days and 9.30pm on Friday and Saturday.

The Castle Inn, Chiddingstone stands in the National Trust’s Tudor village and uses its garden for live music in the summer. It is open noon to 10pm Monday to Wednesday, noon to 10.30pm on Thursday and Sunday and noon to 11pm on Friday and Saturday. Food is noon to 3.30pm and 6pm to 8.15pm most days, evenings only on a Tuesday, and noon to 4pm on Sunday (The Castle Inn).

The Plough, Ivy Hatch on High Cross Road has a pizza counter, Pizza Eats, serving from the garden (The Plough). That is the practical answer to a table of hungry children outside. The site publishes no opening hours, so book on 01732 914143.

The Greyhound, Charcott is a family-run free house near Leigh. Its booking form has a tick box for bringing a dog, which tells you the policy (The Greyhound). It is the one to pick if someone in the party is gluten free.

When the kitchen actually stops

The gardens are open long after the food has finished, and the gap catches people out. This is Saturday, the day most people go, taken from each pub’s own site.

Chart of Saturday kitchen hours at seven pub gardens near Sevenoaks: the Chaser Inn noon to 9.30pm, the White Hart noon to 9.30pm, George and Dragon at Chipstead noon to 9.15pm, the Bucks Head noon to 9pm, the Bull at Otford noon to 9pm, the Castle Inn noon to 3.30pm then 6pm to 8.15pm, and the Bricklayers Arms noon to 3pm then 5pm to 8pm
Saturday kitchen hours at seven of the pub gardens above. The two with a break in the bar are the ones to check before a late afternoon drive.

Four of the seven serve straight through. The Castle Inn and the Bricklayers Arms both shut the kitchen in the middle of the afternoon, so a 4pm arrival gets a drink and nothing else.

Getting there and parking

Six of these are a drive. The four town-side options, the White Hart, the Kings Head, the Bricklayers Arms and the Bucks Head, are the ones you can reach without much of a journey, and the charges and time limits for the town car parks are set out in our guide to parking in Sevenoaks. If you are trying to avoid paying at all, our page on free parking in Sevenoaks covers which bays are free on a Sunday.

For a walk first and a garden afterwards, our family walks near Sevenoaks guide has the routes, and dog friendly Sevenoaks covers where dogs are welcome beyond the pub.

Frequently asked questions

Which pub garden near Sevenoaks has the best view? The Bricklayers Arms at Chipstead, which sits opposite the sailing lake at the end of the Darent Valley Walk (Bricklayers Arms). Harvey’s, which supplies it, describes “splendid views over Longford Lake in the summer” (Harvey’s Brewery).

Can you book a table in a pub garden in Sevenoaks? Not at the White Hart, which states that outside tables are first come, first served and cannot be reserved (Brunning & Price). Elsewhere you can usually book a table and ask for outside, but the pub will not always guarantee it. The Greyhound at Charcott and the Plough at Ivy Hatch both take bookings by phone or form.

Which pub gardens near Sevenoaks take dogs? The Bull at Otford has its own dog menu, the White Hart takes dogs on leads in the bar and garden, the Bucks Head calls itself very dog friendly, and Harvey’s lists the Bricklayers Arms as welcoming dogs in the beer garden. The George & Dragon at Chipstead takes dogs but only at downstairs tables.

Is there a pub garden in Sevenoaks town centre itself? Not a large one. The White Hart’s terrace on Tonbridge Road is the closest thing, and it is a ten-minute walk from the High Street. The town’s other central pubs have small yards rather than gardens, so the proper gardens are all at Bessels Green, Chipstead, Godden Green and beyond.

Which pub garden is best with young children? The Plough at Ivy Hatch, because the pizza counter serves out to the garden and shortens the wait. The Chaser Inn at Shipbourne is the other one, since it sits beside the village common and the church, so children have somewhere to go between courses.

What happened to the Padwell Arms and the Fox & Hounds? The Padwell Arms at Stone Street closed in September 2018 and was reported demolished in April 2021 after a planning application for housing. The Fox & Hounds at Toys Hill closed in July 2019 with change of use granted and is now offered for sale as residential (CAMRA; CAMRA).

Sources

Hours, kitchen times and dog policies were taken from each pub’s own website and checked on 18 August 2026. Kitchens change their hours seasonally and gardens close in bad weather, so ring ahead if you are driving out to a village.