A poppet valve comprising: at least one valve body comprising at least one valve seat; at least one poppet which is slidable on a poppet rod between a valve open position and a valve closed position, the poppet sealingly engaging the valve seal along one or more sealing lines (152a, 152b) at the valve closed position and the poppet being spaced from the valve seat at the valve open position; a blasing mechanism for biasing the poppet towards the valve open or valve closed position; and a solenoid for actuating the poppet against the bias of the biasing mechanism, the solenoid being coupled to the valve body; wherein the poppet rod comprises a first end and a second end opposite the first end, the first end being rigidly mounted to the valve body such that it extends substantially perpendicularly from the valve body relative to a plane defined by at least one of said sealing line(s) (152a, 152b), the second end of the poppet rod not being rigidly mounted such that the perpendicularity of the rod Is measurable prior to coupling the solenoid to the valve seat and the perpendicularity of the poppet rod is substantially unaffected by coupling and/or decoupling of the solenoid to and/or from the valve seat, wherein the poppet comprises a sleeve and the poppet rod extends through at least part of the sleeve, characterised in that a sliding movement of the poppet guided by the poppet rod Is damped by a first damping mechanism between the poppet rod and the sleeve configured to be slidable on the poppet rod, wherein the first damping mechanism comprises a piston operable to reciprocate within a cavity comprising one or more damping channels (550, 551, 552, 553) such that, when the piston reciprocates within the cavity, hydraulic fluid is drawn into or expelled from the cavity via one or more of the one or more damping channels (550, 551, 552, 553) to damp the sliding movement of the poppet, and said one or more damping channels (550, 551, 552, 563) include first holes (552, 553) provided at the sleeve, and said first holes (552,553) are uncovered when the poppet Is at an intermediate stage between the valve open position and the valve closed position, and said first hole (552, 553) is covered when the poppet Is in the valve open position or the valve closed position. at least one valve body comprising at least one valve seat; at least one poppet which is slidable on a poppet rod between a valve open position and a valve closed position, the poppet sealingly engaging the valve seal along one or more sealing lines (152a, 152b) at the valve closed position and the poppet being spaced from the valve seat at the valve open position; a blasing mechanism for biasing the poppet towards the valve open or valve closed position; and a solenoid for actuating the poppet against the bias of the biasing mechanism, the solenoid being coupled to the valve body; wherein the poppet rod comprises a first end and a second end opposite the first end, the first end being rigidly mounted to the valve body such that it extends substantially perpendicularly from the valve body relative to a plane defined by at least one of said sealing line(s) (152a, 152b), the second end of the poppet rod not being rigidly mounted such that the perpendicularity of the rod Is measurable prior to coupling the solenoid to the valve seat and the perpendicularity of the poppet rod is substantially unaffected by coupling and/or decoupling of the solenoid to and/or from the valve seat, wherein the poppet comprises a sleeve and the poppet rod extends through at least part of the sleeve, characterised in that a sliding movement of the poppet guided by the poppet rod Is damped by a first damping mechanism between the poppet rod and the sleeve configured to be slidable on the poppet rod, wherein the first damping mechanism comprises a piston operable to reciprocate within a cavity comprising one or more damping channels (550, 551, 552, 553) such that, when the piston reciprocates within the cavity, hydraulic fluid is drawn into or expelled from the cavity via one or more of the one or more damping channels (550, 551, 552, 553) to damp the sliding movement of the poppet, and said one or more damping channels (550, 551, 552, 563) include first holes (552, 553) provided at the sleeve, and said first holes (552,553) are uncovered when the poppet Is at an intermediate stage between the valve open position and the valve closed position, and said first hole (552, 553) is covered when the poppet Is in the valve open position or the valve closed position.