Relocating to Canterbury

[LucyA2008]

Hi everyone,
We are looking to relocate to Canterbury and would like a bit of advice on areas and roads to look at and ones to avoid 🙈 We have heard the New/Old Dover roads are nice?? We would like to be near the town but not where all the students are. We are also interested in villages but I was wondering how locals feel about outsiders moving into villages and how parents are with children starting mid school years?
Thank you so much for any help and advice.
Lucy

Moved from SE London to a village outside Canterbury 3 years ago. DC were still pre-school at the time but it's been very friendly and since DC1 started in the village school we've met loads more people in the village. Very happy.

Know Canterbury reasonably well. Yes the old and new Dover Roads and around are generally nice. We really liked a house on St Augustine's Road but in the end wanted the bigger change from London than going to another city.

As you've probably already seen, properties in New and Old Dover Road are (I think)the highest in the city and are mainly older and larger properties.
The students tend to be along Sturry Road, Hales Place, and Wincheap...the cheaper parts of town.
Places you might want to look at are Rough Common, Harbledown and Blean and even the top end of Whitstable Road opposite the Uni (larger family homes which are not student housing).
There are some lovely villages, Chartham, Bridge etc but unfortunately a lot of land is being developed and new housing estates are everywhere without the necessary infrastructure in place.
To be honest (and I've lived in the city on and off for the last 40 years) Canterbury wouldn't make it onto my list of places to live. The city centre like most others is filled with empty shops, nail salons and coffee shops. Even the area by the cathedral is lacking any real charm. There's a fair bit of hostility towards the city Council due to the belief they are spending money needlessly trying to make 'improvements' that people don't want and as a result getting rid of the market that's been going for many many years.
But apart from that......

Have a look at Kent Online to get a better picture of the issues before you decide to move.

I'd look at the surrounding villages and just outside Canterbury personally. I like Elham, Rough common and Bridge

Thank you for your replies :)

DappledThings
We are a family planning on moving to Canterbury from London. I’ll just like to ask do you regret it, is it a simple move and do you miss the facilities and ease of moving around in London?

to be honest, the schools in Canterbury may be better, but I’m worried about having very little to do compared to London.

thank you in advance for your help.