What’s it like to live in Kent?

[almostautumn]

Sorry, big generalization I know, but…

DH and I are planning to leave London to reduce our large mortgage. We’ve agreed on Kent as a compromise, as he wants to be within 1-1.5 hours of London and I want to live rurally and nearer the coast.

What worries me though is that Kent maybe isn’t rural enough and is overcrowded compared to somewhere like Wales or Yorkshire for example.

I want to live somewhere very peaceful and quiet with beautiful countryside, where I’m not surrounded by hoards of people everywhere I go. A place where I can go for walks and not see another soul (well, maybe a few other people would be okay!) A place where I can drive to places and park and the roads aren’t jam packed.

A small rural town would be fine, as long as it’s quiet and not too busy. DH is on board with all this as long as like I say, he can get to London fairly easily.

Does Kent sound like it would suit us or is it not that rural?

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

@almostautumn

Thanks *@CarrotTops*.

Where can I find a beautiful rural location that is near the ses, which isn’t overcrowded, rammed with cars and tourists or earmarked for lots of new building, with good schools and a pleasant local town that isn’t too busy with good amenities?

Perhaps such a place doesn’t exist!

North Wales

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..

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

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.

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.

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.

@FannyBrice

Could also be the Kent and East Sussex railway.

Runs Tenterden to Bodiam

Socially correct schools? Uh huh.

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.

What about near Grantham, there's a fast train to london and it's cheaper than Kent. The vale of Belvoir has loads of rural pretty villages. You'd need to check out the fiver details as I don't know trains, costs, how to get to station etc

Move to York… 2 hours by train to London. Beautiful city but do close to the Yorkshire countryside. I know so many people that have moved up here from London that love it but still with the connections to the capital!

I too think you may be unrealistic in getting what you want. your budget is very low.

@Oblomov21 our budget is £450k - hardly “very low” I’ve seen plenty of properties on Rightmove that look lovely and are within our budget.

@MadameXanadu thanks for your very helpful post.

@FannyBrice Kent and East Sussex Railway, they are the full size ones, the Romney Marsh ones are the titchy cute ones. Go from Tenterden.

Socially correct schools? Uh huh.

Quite. The idea that the 11+ is some kind of open, democratic way of selecting children's fate is laughable. Those that can afford it will spend £1000s on private schools and coaching to make sure their child gets to go the the socially correct school.

Quite. The idea that the 11+ is some kind of open, democratic way of selecting children's fate is laughable. Those that can afford it will spend £1000s on private schools and coaching to make sure their child gets to go the the socially correct school.

Does anyone have a child who passed the 11+ who didn’t do these things? It’s certainly rather worrying.

@almostautumn I know plenty of parents whose children passed just doing books and practice papers at home, but I live in East Kent where there is less competition for places, and the grammars run their own entrance exams, so the children do two assessment days. It's good, because if you don't pass one you have a second chance. In Sevenoaks/Tunbridge Wells etc it's very different, and there are super selectives.

The higher the parental income, the more likely they are to tutor. You can't get away with doing nothing at all, some of the elements of the 11+ (the reasoning sections) aren't part of the curriculum and it would be horrible for a child to be confronted with that for the first time on test day.

I know of a do-er upper going for 450k, offers accepted, less than 5mins from margate beach, next to the high street if anyone is interested. They are looking for a private sale, cash if possible.

5 beds and basement flat or 8 beds, 2.5 baths. The basement is perfect to turn in to an open plan living/dining room & kitchen with bifold doors if that's your thing.

It's also been a HMO in the past and still has the fire alarm system and sinks in some of the rooms if air b&b was a consideration.

PM me if interested.

@almostautumn

Quite. The idea that the 11+ is some kind of open, democratic way of selecting children's fate is laughable. Those that can afford it will spend £1000s on private schools and coaching to make sure their child gets to go the the socially correct school.

Does anyone have a child who passed the 11+ who didn’t do these things? It’s certainly rather worrying.

My DS went to our local village primary school and still got into a grammar school as did some of his friends. It's not true to say all the kids will have gone to private schools and had tutoring!

@peewitsandy

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 lived in mid Kent and grew up there. The schools you go to after failing 11plus are nowhere near as good as the grammar schools We didn't need tutoring to get into grammar. But there were parents that paid for it.

Where I live isn't grammar school system. It's catchment but you can also apply to schools out of catchment if they have places. And you can move schools. The quality of schools here is excellent and they are inclusive. Good students do well and students that struggle do better due to quality of teaching.
Oh the traffic commuting to London... as I said depending on which side you work at, London is very commutable from other counties. Just look up train times, do your research. £450k will buy you a heck of a house in south Hampshire. Just he clever about the area and do your research. You could also get a nice house in rochester (Medway towns, Kent) for that btw.

I will pre-warn you if you settle in Medway towns, Dartford area or some parts of mid Kent (Maidstone is nice) the local accent is a killer. Took me years to lose the rough edges of it after I left ... "Knah whah ah meeean?" It's an East End overspill area, from back in the 50s and 60s and retains a lot of that spirit and culture.

Seriously look at AA route times driving on M2, it regularly gets heavy traffic long delays into and out of London. You'd have to do M2 if you go east Kent. Not so much west Kent which is generally posher. There are beautiful villages and Kent is known as the garden of England. But I moved to a different county to be in countryside whilst also easy access (10 mins) from cities and towns.

Anyone suggesting you look at Isle of Sheppey really doesn't know the local geography or traffic. And the sinking mud patches as it's the Medway estuary until you go much further along the coast . You have to hit Broadstairs or further to get Sandy beaches.

Thank you @Newnormal99 and @thecatsabsentcojones , not the one near me then
I hope you find your dream home @almostautumn , don't worry about the Kent Test, it's just another option. Loads of people don't let their children sit it as the Grammars are just not the right fit for their child. Lots of other great schools out there

The villages around Tunbridge Wells on the Sussex side are absolutely divine. Expensive, but beautiful and very rural, but still within a driving distance of a Space NK. Ideal really!

£450,000 is a pretty low budget for West Kent/east Sussex (if you want to live anywhere half nice). To live in a nice village would definitely be more than that.