Any advice?

[splosher]

Work is relocating me to Kent area , and wondering where is best.

Looking for a quiet life, 4 bedrooms type house and "good" schools for the kids (8 and 6 year old).

Been based in Scotland and then overseas, so don't know the area at all, and these are first steps.

Quite fancy English country village life (cricket on the green, local pub etc), but not sure if that really exists?

Any thoughts / advice would be brilliant...

Cheers

[Pied Piper]

Where abouts in Kent it's quite a large county?

[splosher]

likely to be based in bromley area, and happy to commute by car / train up to about an hour.... as I say, shows that I don't know the area....

[Jaguar steve]

First stop is check out property prices and school league tables.

Most people in Kent will know where the Esturine Chavscum live... and choose somewhere else to buy a house. I'd suggest you start by avoiding any of the estuary and industrial towns on the north coast. Most of the seaside towns are stholes too.

That's a bit of a generalisation I know, but Kent is almost a mirror image of Essex - really lovely and surprisingly rural away from the towns in the middle and on the borders of the other counties but pretty grim around the coast.

[splosher]

Jaguar steve said:

First stop is check out property prices and school league tables.

Most people in Kent will know where the Esturine Chavscum live... and choose somewhere else to buy a house. I'd suggest you start by avoiding any of the estuary and industrial towns on the north coast. Most of the seaside towns are stholes too.

That's a bit of a generalisation I know, but Kent is almost a mirror image of Essex - really lovely and surprisingly rural away from the towns in the middle and on the borders of the other counties but pretty grim around the coast.

Thanks Steve, been playing on Google Earth today, using your advice and getting a feel for some of the potential areas and greener parts.

Thanks again for taking the time

Cheers

Stu

[Jaguar steve]

splosher said:

Jaguar steve said:

First stop is check out property prices and school league tables.

Most people in Kent will know where the Esturine Chavscum live... and choose somewhere else to buy a house. I'd suggest you start by avoiding any of the estuary and industrial towns on the north coast. Most of the seaside towns are stholes too.

That's a bit of a generalisation I know, but Kent is almost a mirror image of Essex - really lovely and surprisingly rural away from the towns in the middle and on the borders of the other counties but pretty grim around the coast.

Thanks Steve, been playing on Google Earth today, using your advice and getting a feel for some of the potential areas and greener parts.

Thanks again for taking the time

Cheers

Stu

South face of the north downs away from the motorways is nice, my sister lives in Hawkhurst - around there is lovely but property prices are There are quite a few scenic driving and cycling tours in Kent. Have a look on the tourist board site to find out where they go - that's a good guide to where is picturesque too.
Like Essex, rural Kent and it's commuter villages are really pretty and populated by civilised people with a strong sense of community - there's good schools and low crime rates - but you wouldn't wish urban and industrial Kent or the London borders (or the same places in Essex for that matter) on your worst enemy.

[M5 Russ]

Come on Kent aint that bad. I live in one of the quieter parts of Maidstone and dont have any problems.
Parts like Bearsted and Loose are very nice but if you wanna go right in the country then it will cost you big money.
Any of the small hamlets between Maidstone and Ashford are very nice of course it all does depend on your budget which I say will need to be between 400k to 500k for a family house in a country location.

We the the M20 and the A2 as direct links to both coastal and London areas plus of course the tunnel and ferries for overseas.

Get the location right and you will love it down here.

[Jaguar steve]

Exactly my point 'tho - get it right and it's lovely. get it wrong and....Oh dear.

[cslgirl]

I was looking around rural Kent - one thing I found out looking at the Ofsted school reports is that there can be a lot of "travellers" in some Kent areas which may or may not bother you.

[The Hood]

splosher said:

Quite fancy English country village life (cricket on the green, local pub etc), but not sure if that really exists?

One place you might want to look at is a place called Leigh, just north of Tonbridge ............. yes they have a village green where they play cricket on and have done for years, there are a couple of village pubs and a couple of shops (literally).
Not too sure on the school side of things although there is a school right by the green aswell and some decent schools in Tonbridge.

It is very close to the A21 so easy commuting and has a train station (only a very small one though)

Glyn.

[Uncle Fester]

Are you planning to drive into Bromley for 9am? The traffic on the A21 can be nasty once you get inside the M25. If you have the option to work flexitime then it’s not too sad at other times.

[tannucats]

Hi. I run a boarding cattery in Meopham and have lived in the area all my life. If you are planning a long stay in this area, I would strongly recommend that you get the schools right before you start looking at property. We have some very good state schools and private and some with dreadful reputations. The A2 from Gravesend into London is a nightmare daily in the rush hour time, also the Dartford Bridge/tunnel. The M25 is a continual nightmare. We have to allow 2 hours + in rush hour travel to do 50 minutes outside.

We are close to the North Downs so rural can be 20 minutes away and so peaceful and tranquil and very pretty. Good luck

[Furyblade_Lee]

Westerham out through to Otford areas are very nice, and Bromley is very easy from there too. Relatively crime free , with lots of Village pubs and greens hidden away. I am personally planning my move to Limpsfield Chart (technically just inside Surrey) , between Westerham, Kent, and Edenbridge, Kent. Village Cricket green, local pub and church, and on the edge of stunning woodland / forest great for walking / mountain biking. The houses are dear though.....

[leginigel]

ESSEX see you soon!

[V8mate]

Eynsford

[ncs]

Posted from the other forum....

Im in Bromley (Bickley) & parts of it are lovely but can be expensive, we love it here & the schools are generally very good.

But if you want more rural surroundings it might be worth going for Keston, Knockholt, Otford etc which are all in easy commuting distance of Bromley. Theres some great roads in the area for you to enjoy too

Drop me a pm if I can be of any help.

Nick

[scotal]

V8mate said:

Eynsford

The river does attract some unsavoury types during good weather though.

[Mattt]

A friend lives in one of the small villages around Meopham, it seems a nice place - some nice pubs around

I was going to move down there, but then work sent me abroad.

[V8mate]

scotal said:

V8mate said:

Eynsford

The river does attract some unsavoury types during good weather though.

Yeah, I know. But I only stop for lunch and then I'm on my way

(I rebuilt the cover building and visitor centre for English Heritage's Lullingstone Roman Villa just along the road from Eynsford village last year)

[scotal]

V8mate said:

I rebuilt the cover building and visitor centre for English Heritage's Lullingstone Roman Villa just along the road from Eynsford village last year)

I didn't know that. Cool. How did you get in to that line of work then?