What’s it like to live in Kent?

We're right by the sea, stones throw from the house in a village not far from a town. Good schools, fantastic countryside and I love being able to swim at leisure.

Socially correct schools? Uh huh.

@FannyBrice

Could also be the Kent and East Sussex railway.

Runs Tenterden to Bodiam

Does Kent still do 11 plus?

They also do a nearest to you but apply to get in route where your DC is assessed academically based on 11 plus. So whilst it's great doe DCs that pass 11 plus, not so great for those that dont. That's the Grammar school system, I befitted from it, my ExH didn't. We went to different schools and he got in with a bad crowd despite being the highest performing in his school.

I'm in a non grammar school county now. My DCs would all have passed, but several of their friends wouldn't have. They all had better opportunities as the schools here (not Kent) are good and inclusive, tailored with extra challenges for those who perform well academically but with same level of teachers for everyone. So the performance charts are reflective of how everyone does not the selected few. Pretty damn good schools in our area. Even the "worst" school in our area outperforms the non grammar ones in my area of mid Kent and many of my friends schools in London. So the rest of them far exceed.

38 Grammar Schools to choose from, if you include Medway which historically was Kent...

State schools that cater for the academically able, meaning parents don't need to go into debt to acquire an appropriate education. Surely this alone makes living in Kent a great investment.
I also don't agree with the hype about how Kent's non Grammar schools are poor or don't allow children to fulfil their potential.

Thus, overall Kent is one of the few counties that sends children to the schools correct for them socially and academically.

I too think you may be unrealistic in getting what you want. your budget is very low. I can't think of anywhere suitable. Especially for Dh to get into central London, no buildings soon, near sea.

Hmmm. Watching with interest.

I grew up in Kent and believe contrary to the opinion on here that the education system in Kent is the best in England !

With the whole hybrid working thing, moving out further is the plan so travelling for longer period of time ( Hampshire Vs Essex) isn't a huge priority for us.

I do still like the vibe in Essex but I think we'll eventually move out to Hampshire as we are there most days out / weekends etc..

Sorry I meant my ExH commuted to London from Hampshire far quicker than from Kent

Really you have to look at M2 traffic in Kent. It's cray. M3 is never that bad.

But if you want to pay high prices to live villages near tun ridge wells then fine, but cost wise it's not dissimilar to south London. (Far nicer area though)

We have a lovely lifestyle here

We moved to Essex as cheaper and still good schools. We are still looking to move to Hampshire in the near future as it fits our lifestyle a bit more (Dh does much fly fishing).

Hampshire is an hour train into Waterloo

I used to live in Kent & my EXH got into London on quicker than he commuted from Kent both by train and car. But it depends on which part of London you need to get to.

I'd agree that Essex is more rural as you get past Romford than Kent is, unless you want to pay and arm and a leg to live by Tunbridge wells or fight your way through a busy M2.

Hampshire rocks! Head to Andover or even down near the coast which is where we commented from for years to west, south west and north west London.

Ah DH and I initially looked at Kent on our house hunts (recent and around 4 years ago) as family live on Kent London border but concluded both times that kent is over priced, a bit run down in parts and busy for what it is, and unless you live close to big towns which is super busy, getting to a station or anywhere may be an issue.

We moved to Essex as cheaper and still good schools. We are still looking to move to Hampshire in the near future as it fits our lifestyle a bit more (Dh does much fly fishing).

I looked extensively in Kent and decided on the Weald. Its an area of AONB so scenic and green and leafy. I agree with the villages mentioned e.g Tenterden/Cranbrook/Goudhurst, Lamberhurst (taking more ideas from this thread!).

Its commutable, not far from Camber Sands, Tunbridge Wells, Brighton, village fetes...swimming pools. There is also the large Bewl Water which has SUP and other activities. Property cheaper than Surrey like for like.

I also looked at the outskirts of Chichester, which isn't in Kent, and the village of Petersfield just over the Sussex border into Hampshire (Hampshire is a cheaper county), both of which met my criteria.

Am I the only one finding it very hypocritical odd that people who are keen on moving into an area bemoan the building of new houses, which is the natural consequence of people moving into an area

Thank you @pinkchampagne1, I've never heard it called that and I've lived here all my life

I've lived in Kent most of my life. I've been in Tunbridge Wells for a long time, it's about an hour on the train into London, lots of nice cafes/restaurants/parks/good schools. However it is busy and trafficky. Lots of walks very nearby though. We are moving into east Sussex this year into a quiet rural area for a change. If your husband is happy to drive into one of the bigger towns to commute, nice villages are Leigh, penshurst.

Some pictures of rural Kent - all different areas of Kent.

FannyBrice, Romney, Hythe & Dymchurch steam train maybe?

I was surprised by how close and not especially rural it felt when I visited Kent. Everything felt quite close to everything else- it didn’t really feel rural, like I do at home (Scotland). The traffic was pretty bad (compare to what I’m used to)- though we were only there for a weekend.

I guess it depends what your definition of rural and quiet is- for me, and I suppose I can’t comment on the whole of Kent, it was not very rural.

Where in kent is the big steam engines? @thecatsabsentcojones and @Icequeen01
I'm in kent and never heard of them

@Icequeen01 haha! We both picked it! I bet I would recognise your face, it’s such a small world round here.

Tunbridge wells is a good place to live and so are the villages nearby. Good commute, good schools. Great food and drink scene. Always good events, especially in summer. Nice countryside in the door step. Commons, parks etc

You should visit and spend the day looking around

You could look at Romney Marsh parts are very rural, near to the coast and not too far to drive to Ashford which has the fast speed commuter trains just over 35 mins to get to central London.

@MadameXanadu sums it up well. When I was a girl I think Kent had the highest per capita income in the UK alongside the highest rates of poverty. Rural poverty witnessed in my girlhood was mindblowing - there were even Kent mines at Nonnington and buses there and from, alongside Pony Club, The Hunt and Young Farmers.

Lots of families sent their bright children to the Grammars and dimmer ones to schools like St Lawrence and St Stephens and there were preps stuffed with army children all over the place. So many people hadn't been to Canterbury, let alone London and the local rural accent in the 60s was more Dorset than Lundun.

Sometimes I hanker for it but not often. The old money is nearly all in London now with aging parents in marine residences in what are now trendy areas.