Can't decide which town is better to move to - Seven Oaks, Tonbridge or Tunbridge Wells?

[GoldenButternut]

Hi all,
We are a London family seriously considering escaping the smog in London and making the move to the beautiful Kent Wealds area, but can?t decide between Seven Oaks, Tonbridge or Tunbridge Wells and their surrounding villages. IYO what would be the best area for assess to good primary and secondary schools? How is the public transport for getting around town (is it essential to have a car?), Where could the children go for extra-curricular activities such as ballet, tap and piano? What is there to for family fun days out?
Thanks for reading, be thrilled at some feedback :)

hi, I know this is an old post, but we are looking at these three towns, could you please share some up to date info regarding primary and secondary schools, transport to London and housing, we will be moving this December. Thanks

Hi, I’m moving from Welling in Kent to Seal in Sevenoaks, we are about to embark on the conveyency journey and I have so many questions to anyone with advice on the area or making a move like this before:
I’ve just realised that we are very close to lots of social housing on Childsbridge Lane in Seal (I think). Can anybody comment on the area and know if there are any issues or anti social behaviour?
Anyone have any knowledge of Seal CofE primary? It has some great reviews but I’d love to hear from any one in the area. Also, how about Trinity? I see they’ve done really well but again any comments? Sounds like it’s new so hasn’t got much of a rep (good or bad) and how does it compare to Knole Academy?
Any other help, advice or general info would be great as you can tell I’m feeling slightly nervous and wobbly by the prospect of making the move x

Hi Mums, I m moving turnbridge wells on 16 May, I will be coming from abroad with a 2.5yr Old, need recommendation about which is best location to rent a house ,plz consider I will need to use public transport.
Also any reviews about Busy bee nursery turnbridge wells! Thanks a lot.

Hi,
I know this is an old thread but I am in a similar situation as my daughter started school in Tonbridge and we are looking to move to the area. I do not like what I see in Tonbridge so have been looking at villages around. Tonbridge high street looks tatty and unwelcoming and so much road works-very unimpressive imo.

I went to see some houses in TW but the traffic really put me off although I loved the town centre. Is it always like this in TW? I went during rush hour after work. Areas I am considering are HIidenborough, Five Oak green, Paddock wood. I have heard that paddock wood is rough but it is a good location for me as I need to head south on M20 for work. I prefer to stay close to a train station with links to London as I might change work and may need to get to London. From TW, I was thinking of Pembury and Southborough. Is High Brooms a rough area? Pembury seems nice as it is close to A21 as well.

Some of my friends have suggested Marden and Staplehurst. Are these any good, particularly for teenage girls to grow up-I mean activities and so forth. My daughter will have to commute to Tonbridge and this also depresses me as I am probably one of those over protective mums and I'd rather we live close to school and I commute than the other way round. However, if the areas are nice, then I don't mind a compromise.

We love outdoors and looking for a countryside property but not too far from amenities and an area with community feel so we dont feel left out. My daughters do horse riding and love country walks and we have a dog too!

Any advice will be much appreciated.

Hi! We too are thinking of making the move to Sevenoaks as our daughter is likely to get a place at Tonbridge Grammar School due to her Kent Test score. How is your daughter finding TOGS and where did you end up? Thanks for any advice. Cat

@CroydonCat

Hi! We too are thinking of making the move to Sevenoaks as our daughter is likely to get a place at Tonbridge Grammar School due to her Kent Test score. How is your daughter finding TOGS and where did you end up? Thanks for any advice. Cat

Hi, She loves TOGS and I am so glad I made the choice. The second one also got good scores to get into TOGS this year, so will be with your DD. We bought in Hadlow in the end-North Tonbridge. Quite nice area and not far from the river and some fishing lakes. Easy ride to the school.

@CroydonCat

Hi! We too are thinking of making the move to Sevenoaks as our daughter is likely to get a place at Tonbridge Grammar School due to her Kent Test score. How is your daughter finding TOGS and where did you end up? Thanks for any advice. Cat

Congrats to you - and your DD! - on her performance in the Kent Test. I presume you're targeting one of the OOC/Governors' places at TOGS?

Our DD has done well in the Kent Test too and has a score that would have safely secured her an OOC place last year, but am a bit apprehensive as this year scores seem to be higher than typical years and cutoffs are likely to be higher too

We will also be moving from Croydon so assuming all goes well, there's a big move coming up in the summer

Hi,
May I know your coment towards Maidstone and Royal Tunbridge Wells in terms of secondary school, crime and job opportunities?

Tks

@MagC - Tunbridge Wells and Maidstone are two completely different propositions! To start with, house price wise you’d get a lot more for your money in Maidstone. However Tunbridge Wells (TW) is a lot more attractive and with a completely different demographic. It attracts a very middle class cohort moving down from London. Shopping wise it’s a lot better than Maidstone (although recently thanks to Covid both towns have had shop closures) and on the eating out and socialising side has a much broader offering. Yes there are a few relatively rough areas (and really TW rough isn’t central London rough) but TW rough is not Maidstone rough.

I’m fond of Maidstone, it’s got some lovely old (not always well maintained buildings) but the feel of it is a lot different. Exiting the train station in the centre of town, the fact it’s less affluent is obvious in seconds just going on the number of homeless people on the street and quite obvious signs of dealing. The population ethnically is a lot more mixed than other areas in Kent (which is a good thing). Visually it’s a real mish mash of architectural styles. There aren’t many good places to eat out and the town centre at night can be pretty rowdy and I wouldn’t want my DD hanging out in Maidstone at nighttime when she is older.

It’s Kent, it’s a grammar county so therefore schooling is always a bit problematic. Both TW and Maidstone have good boys and girls grammars. Both have good Faith schools (Bennett’s in TW & St Simon Stock in Maidstone) - however you need to be a practising Christian (and a Catholic at that for St Simon Stock) as both are massively oversubscribed. Only 25% of our children pass the Kent Test so you cannot guarantee a grammar place. Skinners Academy in TW is a decent Secondary but when we looked at State Secondaries in Maidstone a couple of years ago we were really underwhelmed.

There are nice areas in Maidstone, some of the surrounding villages are beautiful and you’d get a far bigger house there too. But for me if it was one or the other, it would definitely be Tunbridge Wells.

This thread is from 2014!

Yes I know @bookworm14, I was replying to MagC’s query from last week!

In my opinion, you definitely need a car. We moved from north London a few years ago and really struggled without a car. Public transport is almost non existent (compared to London) and supermarkets, schools etc are all spread around. It was very frustrating.

Tonbridge prices are still reasonable for 3/4 bed semis. When you look at 4 bed detacheds, they are suddenly in the same price range as TW/Sevenoaks villages !

We moved into TN last year, and the property prices have been rising - not helped by limited supply. Looks like this is going to persist for quite localised reasons despite the interest rate hike and the end of the stamp duty holiday.

Apart from increased demand from families moving for grammars, saw some reports that Kent, and in particular, TN, is popular with overseas buyers from HK who are considering leaving HK for the UK

Hi @AyesMum was wondering how your move went and where u moved..as were looking to move from purley near Croydon to possible tonbridge or Tunbridge Wells area... worries about schools and how its for kids activities etc. My kids have some lovely afterschiols now but worry if anything available there will be.

@SJaneS49

Tks a lot!