Moving to Staplehurst, Kent

[biglittledreams]

Hello all

Has anyone recently moved to Staplehurst, Kent or surrounding villages? We are thinking of moving from London to Staplehurst, we have a 2 yo daughter and I'd like to hear others' experiences of living in the area

thanks

Hi! We moved from London to Headcorn 9 months ago. We have a 2 year old daughter too! We're really glad we made the move but I still feel like we're settling in. I've made a couple of friends who I met through playgroups but we haven't really developed much of a social circle. We need to work on that!

Other than that, living here is fantastic. It's a much slower pace of life than London and people are more friendly and helpful. There is so much to do with kids around here - farms, playgrounds, soft play. And we're only 40 minutes from the beach.

Not sure if thats of any help but let me know if you have anymore questions!

x

We are thinking of exactly the same move (London to Staplehurst) in November time. We have a 2 yr old daughter and another on the way. I don't have any family/friends in the area, so it is a bit random, but we are drawn by property prices, schools, commute, countryside etc etc. I'd also appreciate any info anyone has about family life down there. Thanks!

I would suggest Marden rather than Staplehurst. I've lived in both and Marden is much more rural, more picturesque, more villagey (and if you commute, is one stop closer in to London!) Both Marden and Staplehurst have similar shops and amenities but Staplehurst is strung out along a busy road (the A229) and when I lived there, I found it incredibly depressing having to walk along the main road with trucks thundering past to get anywhere (shops, library, church, pre-schools etc). Marden on the other hand is on a fairly quiet B-road, where you can safely let your DC scoot along the pavement (no way could you do that on the A229!).

There's probably not much to call it between the two village schools; both are well respected locally and have recently got new headteachers who hope to turn their respective schools to 'outstanding'. Our DC is at Marden school and we are very happy.

Calling Legotoe

We are about to move to Marden with a 3yo DS. Would be really great to be able to get some more info on the area and school.

If you are able to get in touch, I would love to hear from a local, esp. such a positive one.

Have PM'd you Smashing!

Hi,
I'm in Goudhurst, so just up the road with a 4 year old.
Of the two villages Marden gets my vote, such a lovely village (the best Indian for miles lol) there is plenty going on, (the hockey club is a big step back in time but there is loads going on there if you are sporty) access to London the coast etc is great, you are in the middle of Maidstone, tunbridge wells and Ashford so good for shopping and the mainline station has a decent service
The countryside around Marden is lovely, there is lots to do around here
Reports on the school are great, the teachers seem happy (Staplehurst has had some problems and perhaps has a bit more to deal with, it is also substantially bigger
Happy to be a guide, I love living here

Hello,
We are looking to move from Bexleyheath to Marden. We have a 3, 5 & 8 year old..is there much to do for children there? Appreciate any info on the place.

Hi Bennybooo,

I live in Marden with a 6, 2 and 3 month old, there are loads of activities to do :)
There is something on for the small ones every day in the village. The older ones can go to after school clubs.
Have you made the move yet?

Can someone advise please if there are any empty seats on morning train 7-8am to London

Yes definitely, you can pretty much get seats at any time rush hour as long as you get on before Tonbridge, so never any probs Staplehurst and Marden.

Staplehurst school recently had a 'Good' Ofsted report!

I like Marden, its the village before Staplehurst on the train, we live in Staplehurst. Marden has a nice cosy feel. I prefer Headcorn slightly in that it has more shops. The really nice villages are not served by trains (Cranbrook, Tenterden) but are accessible by car.
In the end we picked it because houses at the time felt more affordable and it was a quicker drive into Maidstone on a main road, which if you want to get to hospital etc or there is heavy rain and you want to avoid the country roads is helpful.
Staplehurst has everything you need (butcher, coffee shop, great place for brunch at Staplehurst Nurseries & Frankies Farm shop, Indian restaurant, feels safe, has good community feel and is good for commuting, we have no problems getting a seat on any train. It starts to get busy around Tonbridge and very difficult around Sevenoaks to get a seat, but by then its only 20-25 mins in.

I am moving to the area in the next few months (hopefully). We (my family) and I have looked at 19 houses and lost one. We set our sights on the Cranbrook school catchment until this weekend. We mistakenly looked at a property in the Maidstone and Invicta Grammar area and have swapped allegiance. In moving to Kent we hoped for more outdoor space and I hoped for a studio. The house we are thinking of buying has no studio but a small garden. How easy is it to find outbuildings to buy? I have made a rushed search for artists studios online but found nothing. The property is in Marden just off Stalplehurst road. Any local information about artists, toddler groups, things to do is greatly appreciated.

I can't believe it's been so long since i looked up this thread. We are getting closer to actually being in Marden/Staplehurst and i am finally letting myself get excited. We are scheduled to visit schools in about 10 days. We will be living close to Staplehurst road and have used the rightmove school checker to get a list of local schools. Are there any recommendations for primary schools that have a good SENDCO policy/track record? My daughter will be going into year 6 next year and we want to make sure she is well supported for SATs and 11+. We are hoping for Maidstone Grammar (if she passes) or at a stretch a scholarship to Valley Park if she doesn't. We just don't know enough about local schools so any information or advice would be very welcome. We are scheduled to visit Maidstone Grammar for Girls before my 12 year old does the test on June 25th and Staplehurst primary school. TBH i am not sure what other Primary schools i can look at. I was thinking maybe Marden School as it is close. thanks in advance

Enyaheadress my eldest is in Marden Primary. They have recently had Ofsted and are a Good school :) do pm me if you have any questions or want to meet up for a cuppa :)

Hi I am possibly moving to Marden. What is Chantry Road area like? Also what secon dary school do children from the village house to please? It's just myself and my two sons 7 & 10. Any info really appreciated. Good or bad. Thanks xx

Hi. We are possibly moving to Marden and I'm so nervous that we are making a mistake. We are moving purely for a house and train station so I'm hoping the community and school are also worth the upheaval. Can someone please reassure me that the community is child friendly and that there are things to do in the village and surrounding areas? Thanks.

Reddogwords, we currently live in Marden and it's super child friendly, I'm currently the chair of the village baby and toddler group :) although we have just shut for summer :)
The school is super lovely too

I am looking for a possible move from High Wycombe in Buckinghamshire to Staplehurst or Marden. Can anyone advise on local area. My main points are commute in to London as that is where I work and can I get a seat in rush hour? Also primary and secondary schools in this area? What's rush hour traffic like- is it a nightmare as High Wycombe is terrible hence the move. A 3 mile journey from home to school takes on average 30-40 minutes in the morning !! Ideally, would love to walk to a station and children walk to school. How far is it to any coastal towns? Is there plenty to do for children and us adults ( we are in our late 40's) lol. All posts greatly received.

I live in Marden, nicer than Staplehurst. You can always get a seat on the train at peak times, plenty of seats, train not full until Sevenoaks. If you want a parking space in the station car park though, it's best to get there before 7.45 or earlier if raining. The station is right in the village so if you live in the centre you wouldn't need to drive there. Marden primary is quite well regarded, we have gone private but not because the local school isnt good enough. If you don't mind going out of Marden a bit towards Goudhurst you can get in the catchment for Cranbrook school, very good selective senior school. Marden village itself isn't in the catchment, I'm not sure what senior school it is in catchment for. Lots of pretty Cottages and houses in the area either way. We love it here.

Hello...my family and i are being approached to look at Pastoring a Church in Staplehurst...We live in Shropshire...Just wondered how life is in Kent and particularly Staplehurst....My wife is currently a Medical Secretary at a local Government Hospital and we have a daughter who is 16, who has just began college..and a son who is 18..on a gap year before going to University. Any comments???

Hi

We are a family of four with a 6 and 8 year old and 2 cats ! We are thinking of moving from High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire to Kent for hopefully a slower pace of life (i.e. traffic in High Wycombe is horrendous).

Can anyone tell me about Tonbridge, Pembury, Paddock Wood, Tunbridge Wells. Would love to live in a village location but understand that there is nothing for children to do and have been told that Tonbridge has it all. Is this correct?

Would love any information of the above about location, housing, traffic issues and parking issues, primary and secondary schools and good catchment areas, train stations, things to do, supermarkets etc.

We would love to live in walking distance of the train station as I commute into London every day and would ideally like a walk to school.

Look forward to hearing from anyone with any positives or negatives. Such an important move to make so want it to be right.

Thanks.

Allison

I need information regarding Marden or Staplehurst. We are looking at properties there moving from Chafford hundred, Essex. I have a 3 and 9 year old, so targeting primary and secondary school. I need information regarding the type of people i.e if it’s young professional, culturally acceptable and welcoming people etc. Any help will appreciated please, as I need honest opinions. Thanks in advance

Hello Deltaforce1
We are also looking to move to Marden from Chafford and wanted to make sure we are making the right choice. What’s the new builds in the area like if anyone can help with information that would be great

We are selling our 3 bed 1900’s character cottage fully refurbished if anyone is interested. We are 5 mins from Marden. Out in beautiful countryside. We are also down the road from the picturesque village of Horsmonden. Our house is on with Firefly estate agents. Postcode TN12
If anyone is interested drop me an email at arthurfowler1980 @ Gmail dot com

Hi all, if there are any locals still about @legotoe @Bluetinkerbell @Ginot @Dunwhingin @nougatsquirrel ? Could I ask about flooding in the area? I’ve fallen in love with a cottage just up the road from collier street but my husband’s read that the area is regularly affected by flooding. Any reassurance would be hugely appreciated x