Re: Kent: so confused; no one seems to like any of the towns?
 

Quite funny :thumbup:

Re: Kent: so confused; no one seems to like any of the towns?
 

See, this is what puzzled me about your mental stability. Hard to imagine that the exact boundaries of Kent would cause anxiety and anguish in anyone? Certainly is not evident in any poster on this thread.. except you!

Re: Kent: so confused; no one seems to like any of the towns?
 

He is a troll. A TROLL. Stop feeding him, people.

Re: Kent: so confused; no one seems to like any of the towns?
 

blimey what a weirdo is that guy! I feel like I am reading the rantings of a psycho

Re: Kent: so confused; no one seems to like any of the towns?
 

Ok move along folks! Nothing more to see here! :zzz:

Re: Kent: so confused; no one seems to like any of the towns?
 

Bloody hell that guy was just a little bit strange yes. However, I can see why some people behave in this way. They have a unique mindset, that can piece all the puzzle pieces together so as to produce a bigger picture, which most people overlook, an unclouded vision so to speak. Albert Einstein was one of these people. And he was just a little bit odd as well. I wouldn't mind an abstract thinking brain myself, but at what cost ... my sanity?

Re: Kent: so confused; no one seems to like any of the towns?
 

The Special and General Theory of Postcodes.

Re: Kent: so confused; no one seems to like any of the towns?
 

Lol Sally (we have matching hats as well :) ), I don't know, even though they are hostile, I just cannot help feeling sorry for these people :( , I want to help them. Although I do not condone his argument style, doing a little research into his large statement, the non-hostile one, he has quite a convincing argument going, he goes awol after that, but nobody actually challenges any of his original points. Although, at this point I remain impartial, I am going to look into his statements, as factual evidence does convince me more than speculation. And being a Yorkshireman, I have no idea about that part of the country, I pretty much just assume anything South of Birmingham is part of London! Although, I really do not want to attract his wrath myself, I cannot imagine it being too nice an experience being on the receiving end of that. Although, working in Government maybe he does know certain things the General Public do not, like all of those SIS MI6 guys, sometimes the secrets they know can literally turn them insane. I mean look at that poor MI6 guy who died recently how do we know it wasn't MI6 themselves who murdered him? But I do digress and this is a slight exaggeration as well!

Re: Kent: so confused; no one seems to like any of the towns?
 

Are you the nice cop?

Re: Kent: so confused; no one seems to like any of the towns?
 

Exactly. He'd probably concede that not only is Bromley in Kent, but Dulwich is too. At least you know where you are with Bad Cop.

Re: Kent: so confused; no one seems to like any of the towns?
 

I dont disagree with his postcode info at all, its quite enlightening, its the freaky posts that followed that bothered me

This stuff:
Pollyana as I have already explained to BEVS, you cannot just simply remove me; do, and three more of me will appear. I am quite gifted at computer programming and hacking, it is kind of a past-time of mine, I have infected many other websites before yours! I have no friends, and no life. My life is just correcting peoples’ geographical misdemeanors (often in the rudest, most offensive and most horrible ways possible), Postcodes, and internet hacking , these are the only things that make me happy, (oh and seeing other people suffer as mentioned before, but at least two of these have the desired effect anyway ).

frreeaky!

Re: Kent: so confused; no one seems to like any of the towns?
 

Yup, give me Bad Cop every time.

Re: Kent: so confused; no one seems to like any of the towns?
 

I don't want to go through the whole thread.

However, last month we had a brief stopover in Kent; we had driven to England from Switzerland and we took the Eurotunnel. Btw it was our first time of taking a car on the Eurotunnel train, before we became expats we had always taken the ferries or hovercraft before we left the UK to live in the Far East. We were very impressed :thumbup:

Anyway, my spouse had to attend meetings for one day at his employer's offices in Canary Wharf and then we were heading to central England later in the evening. The prices for hotels in the vicinity of the Olympic stadium were outrageous - even for a basic Travelodge - so we decided to spend a night at a Holiday Inn in Bexley, Kent, a short drive from the M20 and M25 motorways.

The hotel was very nice, modern and spotlessly clean (on old Tudor-style pub with a large extension) and we got a free ugrade to an executive room. We strolled to the nearby Bexley 'village' in the evening and had a lovely inexpensive pub meal. There were about 4 or 5 pubs all within a few hundred feet of each other and a chippy, pharmacy, library and a good number of other shops too. The next morning my spouse walked to the station to take the train to Canary Wharf (the station staff were very friendly and helpful) whilst I called in at a traditional 'greasy spoon' cafe for poached egg on toast with a huge mug of tea.

As I was watching the world go by outside the cafe, I noticed a lot of grannies and grandads going into a hall across the street, then spotted a sign saying 'country market' so I called in. It was lovely, the room was gaily decorated in bunting; people selling home made jams, marmalade, cakes, produce from their allotments, crafts, plants and herbs etc. People were sitting down with a cuppa and biscuit and chatting away, it was so nice and so English! I bought a jar of Rhubarb, Ginger and Lemon jam.

Bexley is definitely a good base for commuting into London; the downside is that in peak hours the traffic was very busy. Bexley Heath and the countryside is very close by too. It might be worth taking a look. :)

Re: Kent: so confused; no one seems to like any of the towns?
 

Good call!

Re: Kent: so confused; no one seems to like any of the towns?
 

We are moving back to the UK by the end of the year.We can't decide where to live though I have been researching an hours commute to London.Our 18 year old son will be moving back with us and he is our first priority,hopefully he will be having a gap year before starting Uni next Sept/Oct.I have been looking at Tunbridge Wells, it looks like there will be plenty to do and safe,we have a dog as well who I take for long walks everyday,there is no river unfortunately for walking along.Is it far to get out in the countryside or feeling of countryside without having to drive.
I have been there once years ago but think we only went to The Pantiles,can't remember much else.
As we are a small family who want to take advantage of traveling and weekends away to Europe and other parts of Britain,we won't want a big house or large garden.
Any thoughts or recommendations greatly appreciated.
Cheers:)

Re: Kent: so confused; no one seems to like any of the towns?
 

If you were to live in the Grove Hill Road area of T-Wells it is about 1/4th of a mile to Camden Park and 3/4ths of a mile to further extensive parkland with a lake and which is bounded on the east side by Hall's Hole Road and open country. I've taken that walk and found it easy going in hot summer. The Tunbridge Wells Circular Walk and High Weald Landscape Trail run off the back of this latter parkland and also west to The Grove (see below).

http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/1300975

In the other direction (west of the A26) is extensive Victoria Grove and Mt Ephraim Park (T-Wells Common)

http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/1997580

The commute can be just under an hour depending upon where you are actually working but the fast service into Cannon Street takes 52 mins, Charing Cross 1 hour.

Again, you would be well placed if living somewhere around The Grove district or Grove Hill Road as it is only a couple of hundred yards to the station.

FYI, The Pantiles are about half a mile south of The Grove, 100 yards beyond the bottom end of the High Street.

I would say The Grove is desirable and priced accordingly and there is a good local primary school (Claremont). Another area with good parkland is around Rusthall Common and if parking a car for a commute from Rusthall it seems most leave their car on hills running down to Victoria Grove and then hoof it the last couple of hundred yards or so to the station, which would likely in total add ten to twelve minutes.

Unfortunately the nearest stream walks with public footpaths are between Southborough, Tonbridge & Pembury, three miles further north.

Re: Kent: so confused; no one seems to like any of the towns?
 

Thank you so much, great to get some insider info.
I will have a look at the Grove area and hopefully some properties in our price range will be available.The walks sound great.
Is Southborough reasonably nice and safe,I see it is cheaper,is that because it is not close to a rail station or is it a bit dumpy.I have seen some nice houses there.Also you mentioned Rusthall is that a nice area I have read it is a bit downmarket,only going on comments on websites.
I just want my son to feel safe walking home from nights out and coming home from Uni or work.From what I gather TW seems fairly safe,obvisiously no where is 100% safe I know.
I really appreciate all opinions.We have friends dotted around Kent and family across the Dartford Tunnel in Essex,so will be perfect location.
OH will hopefully get work in The City so Cannon St will be ideal.
Right I am going to check out the walks now.
Thanks Pistolpete2

Re: Kent: so confused; no one seems to like any of the towns?
 

I don't think that Southborough and Rusthall are dumpy but not as salubrious, shall we say, as the parts of T-Wells around the Common and The Grove and on the Frant Road* and they are cheaper because the commute is harder. Houses also tend to be terraced in Rusthall. There are some nice houses on the main drag through S-Boro, up near the cricket ground, towards Tonbridge. The High Brooms area (has its own station) seems a bit dumpy. To me housing up north of Camden Road is a lot less attractive in general.

*Also check this area out and Eridge Road around Broadwater Down for walks and better quality housing and residential areas.

Re: Kent: so confused; no one seems to like any of the towns?
 

Southborough seemed nice and safe, I only worked there for 3 years (close to the cricket pitch as another poster has mentioned) but my boss, who was very picky, lived there for some time and liked the area.

There are many worse places to live in commutable distance for London for my limited knowledge.

Good luck :)

Re: Kent: so confused; no one seems to like any of the towns?
 

Thank you again for your replies,good to get first hand knowledge.Oh one more question sorry to be a pain,can you recommend some good locals.cheers

Re: Kent: so confused; no one seems to like any of the towns?
 

If by local you are referring to pubs,

Most of the list are particularly good for Harvey's of Lewes or local Larkins of Chiddingstone drinkers and are all, in my view, civilised establishments:

Almost all have their own websites - I don't see The Compasses.

All in T-Wells,

The Grove Tavern - Mt Sion

Royal Wells Hotel** - Mt Ephraim - yes a local! but also has a restaurant

The Beacon - Rusthall - end of a good walk! also has fairly pricey food

The Compasses - Little Mt Sion - a bit characterless with its modernised interior these days but decent food as well as beer.

Sankey's Pub, Seafood Brasserie - Mt Ephraim near Hospital - main bar

Black Pig - Grove Hill - gastropub, but nice drinking area in and outside

In Langton Green*:

The Hare - also good for food.

When I was a teenager we used to frequent (around 1970) the Sussex Arms near the Pantiles and it was fairly wild in the evening in those days but I have not visited since so can't give a view or recommendation.

In Southborough, this used to look pretty rough but, as is typical these days, it appears to have moved up market:

Can't give an opinion on it though.

http://www.thehandandsceptre.co.uk

*For general info, not the OP - Langton Green, which is on the main road heading west out of T-Wells towards Groombridge, East Grinstead and Gatwick is another popular if somewhat expensive (some very expensive) residential area. There is a very good private school (Holmewood House) up to prep age there (start at 4?).

**The Royal Wells also owns the Beau Nash Tavern which is behind it and is also worth a look.

Re: Kent: so confused; no one seems to like any of the towns?
 

Haven't been there but The Bull on the Frant Road beyond the Broadwater Down turn-off looks good and well commended on tripadvisor (FWIW) and the food slate with mains @ 11.95GBP seems fair enough. Beer is Shepherd Neame and most importantly dogs are welcome.

Re: Kent: so confused; no one seems to like any of the towns?
 

I actually looked at the Bull in Frant Rd looks very nice,we have seen a couple of lovely garden flats in Broadwater Down.
The Bull would be the closest,I didn't know dogs are welcome that is another plus point:)

Re: Kent: so confused; no one seems to like any of the towns?
 

I see the plentiful supply of reasonable property in the Broadwater Down and Warwick Park area. :)

The Bull's website seems to be down today but the dogs welcome bit is also on tripadvisor as a peculiarity/rare feature of the Bull in the T-wells area.

Have tried to broaden your search area, based upon your prerequisites and quite frankly, apart possibly from Sevenoaks, where country access is actually a bit tougher, I cannot put forward any other alternative to Tunbridge Wells on the south side of London.

I would say that T-Wells is actually pretty unique, like the other spa towns of Bath (city), Cheltenham and Harrogate, for the lifestyle it offers but with the added plus of good commutability.

Re: Kent: so confused; no one seems to like any of the towns?
 

Not had time to go through the whole thread, but lived in Kent for most of my life (lived in London for 10 years but headed back home most weekends) before we moved to Canada. Not sure why anyone would say Sevenoaks is terrible?! If you need to be close to London, I think it's one of the best towns and areas you could pick.

We lived in Sevenoaks and nearby Otford for about five years. Loved them both. Easy access to London (25 mins by train to London Bridge), close enough to get to the seaside in under an hour, near to Sussex, close enough to the M25 to get away / go shopping (if Bluewater or similar is your kind of thing). I don't have a bad word to say about the area, really.

I see from the last few posts that you're also considering Tunbridge Wells (my wife's from that area so again, know it quite well). Another good choice as an area (and bigger than Sevenoaks, too), but if commuting to London is a consideration then you'll be adding at least another 20-25 minutes to your journey (each way) not to mention quite a steep uplift in the train fares, too. It never felt as quaint to me as Sevenoaks did.

I spent my first 18 years, however, in and around Maidstone. My family still lives there. And all are looking to move. Even the nicer areas aren't what they used to be. It's ok, but before we moved out here we were weighing up whether to buy in Maidstone, move up north or move away to Canada. Maidstone was the bottom option of the three.

Good luck with whatever you end up choosing - despite having moved away, I do love my home county. Well, parts of it, anyway!

Re: Kent: so confused; no one seems to like any of the towns?
 

Thanks for the personal experiences of each area, SJ. Really good to know your reservations about Maidstone, as this will definitely contribute to our approach to each of the areas we visit later this month.

Re: Kent: so confused; no one seems to like any of the towns?
 

Found this in a quote on here back in 2007 which seems to sum up what several thought of the place at the time:

"I'm in a village on the edge of Sevenoaks. While it's nice, you either have loads of money or no money and for those stuck in between it's hard. Town is dying and it's become just pubs, estate agents, roadworks and restaurants with quite a bit of trouble if you're out at closing time. Our local school is awful so we have our children in a private school at the mo."

I too lived in Sevenoaks, for about 12 years, and even worked there for a while which was thoroughly enjoyable:blink:, but property prices are very high anywhere just reasonably close to the station which is the key issue that puts most off, aside from the general feeling of very considerable affluence around which can be intimidating.

Haven't been back for a while but retail now seems just the same as in any comparable town as the family butchers, fishmongers and greengrocers are long gone to be replaced by Waitrose and Tesco?? at Bulls Head as I recall. There's a better choice of restaurants these days though than your bog-standard Italian and Chinese!

If I were looking to return, I would look at somewhere around Brasted or Sundridge and time it nicely to come in on the bus to the station. That way you can have easy access to nice country as well.

Otford would also be good but is a bit tougher roundabout commute into London when the best route is to come back to Sevenoaks before turning back north (43mins if you make the best connection), unless you are headed direct to Victoria (45mins). Annual season is the same as Sevenoaks unless you use the fast direct service (51mins) into St Pancras.

Cheapest currently on the market near Otford Station is this:

http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-...-22340190.html

Re: Kent: so confused; no one seems to like any of the towns?
 

Westerham looks lovely as well does Brasted,will investigate once there.We don't have a big budget as we don't want a huge mortgage around our neck,so for us I think we will get more for our money in TW.Being a bigger place,there is a lot more stock on the market to choose from.Sevenoaks looks lovely but very expensive.Nice to hear your personal experiences,it does sound like this area of Kent is lovely.I briefly toyed with Maidstone but I didn't think the town centre looked half as nice as TW.Cheers.

Re: Kent: so confused; no one seems to like any of the towns?
 

I was in TW over Christmas and wasn't that enthralled by it to be truthful. I guess I was hoping for more. I found Canterbury to be far nicer.

Re: Kent: so confused; no one seems to like any of the towns?
 

Hi Britwhore,did you visit the touristy area ie the Pantiles,we visited years ago and just went to this area,like you wasn't over impressed,but looking on google maps I didn't realise all the other areas,the High St and architecture looks beautiful.I will have to look again in person to get a proper feel if it is the right area for us.I love Guildford but too expensive unfortunately.It's hard trying to know exactly where we want too live from the otherside of the world,but excellent to hear everyone's opinions.cheers.

Re: Kent: so confused; no one seems to like any of the towns?
 

Hi Belles30. we looked at the Pantiles (definitely not impressed) but also walked all around the high street. Had to pop into BBC Radio Kent for an interview (always fun!!) I'm sure away from the high street is nice but purely from a shopping view I thought Canterbury was easier to navigate. Also the traffic getting into and out of the high street was a NIGHTMARE!!!!

We're in the same situation - trying to decide where we want to live from 6000 miles away (I'm in LA) For my work I have to be in London but I have been looking at the commuter belt. As long as I can be in the city within 25/30 minutes I'd be happy with that (as long as it was more than 1 train an hour!!!) We've been looking at the west side though as that's where we used to live. Only problem with that is the cost!!! Richmond and Kingston are just so nice though.......oh well, I guess we'll see where life takes us :)

Good luck!!!

Re: Kent: so confused; no one seems to like any of the towns?
 

Good luck to you as well,yes Richmond and Kingston are gorgeous but to expensive for us.We used to live in Wimbledon which was way too expensive but was nice.
The main reason I have TW high on our preferred list is one our son is 18 and would like to be where there is a bustling area and our family is under an hour away.We also are considering Hertford and Ware in Hertfordshire,properties there get snapped up very quickly, also i like Oxted and Godstone and Dorking again very dear.Hubby needs to be no more than an hour to the City.
How did you get on with your interview?
Oh nearly forgot, I visited Canterbury once,though I liked it a lot it was so packed with tourists and being University town loads of students,also I think it takes over an hour to City,I may be wrong on that.(may look again)

Actually our first choice to move too when we decided that we def will return 3 years ago was Farnam,really really loved it,but so expensive and just too far from family in Essex.But who knows where we will end up.Getting excited,scared,overwhelmed all at once as DH leaves in 2 months and we follow in December.( if we ever sell our house).

Re: Kent: so confused; no one seems to like any of the towns?
 

Im from Essex which obviously is far superior to Kent..however for London Hertfordshire is great esp from St Albans around to Berkshire.

Re: Kent: so confused; no one seems to like any of the towns?
 

Haha I see where you got your username from! :) What is it about Essex that makes you think it's superior to Kent?

Re: Kent: so confused; no one seems to like any of the towns?
 

Canterbury is very busy but I think that's why I like it! I also like the energy of a University town. The fast train from Canterbury West to St Pancras is 52 minutes which ironically is exactly how long it takes on the train from TW to London if I remember rightly!!

Re: Kent: so confused; no one seems to like any of the towns?
 

Yep the fast train is under an hour but twice as expensive,after I wrote that about University town I didn't mean to sound like I don't like students cos I do son being one:).Just think the countryside was so much prettier further South.mmm lots to ponder over,fors and against everywhere,makes it even more confusing:(
Essex has some lovely places and have looked at some on the google maps.Also looked at St.Albans liked it as well.

Re: Kent: so confused; no one seems to like any of the towns?
 

Yeah it's super expensive :( I've just spent the morning looking at a bunch of places online as well. It's frustrating but secretly fun!! HAHAHA!!!!!

Good luck!

Re: Kent: so confused; no one seems to like any of the towns?
 

:),:lol:

Re: Kent: so confused; no one seems to like any of the towns?
 

I went for holidays in Dungeness once (I think thats Kent) was one of the strangest places I have been in a while, there was a decent beach and it wasn't too busy but I think that is because there is a nuclear reactor nearby so maybe people were a little bit scared of the radiation etc. but it was a nice quiet coastal down, could be worth a look!

Re: Kent: so confused; no one seems to like any of the towns?
 

Haven’t read the whole thread, just bits and pieces and your original post.

As for places. Dover is a bit commercial but there are some nice areas away from the port. Broadstairs is supposed to be quite upmarket, so much so, that they like to distinguish themselves from nearby Margate! I have heard good things about Canterbury, quiet, nice old town steeped in history. Faversham is ok but seems a little bit remote. Ashford is also supposed to be upmarket and has a big designer retail outlet, so good for shopping! Sittingbourne is not so good I have heard from a relative that moved down there that it is full of people that can only be described as “chavs”, same with Maidstone. Although, the suburbs of Maidstone are nice, Bearsted and Leeds, which also has that beautiful castle. The Medway towns I would personally avoid, Gillingham, Chatham etc. the locals are very similar to Sittingbourne people and I would not fancy walking around there after dark! Gravesend is ok but is noisy along the docks. Tonbridge, Tonbridge Wells and Sevenoaks are very upmarket and expensive London commuter towns. Dartford is kind of half good and half bad, a lot of people move there to escape London, but it is next to Bluewater, which is one of the largest shopping centres in Europe.

As for Outer South East London places. Chislehurst and Petts Wood are very leafy and green suburbs, but they are quite expensive. As for Bromley, Bexley, Erith, Eltham etc. they are just typical suburban London. Normally very busy, with lots of traffic on the roads, although they are good for shopping, restaurants, nightlife etc. especially Bromley; and all have good, cheap, quick access to The City, West End etc.

I hope this gives an insight into these places, good luck :) !