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Original poster

Relocating to KENT

77 replies

Soly · 17/09/2004 09:32

Hi,

I realise that this is likely to be a very subjective topic, but does anyone know the Faversham-ish area of Kent and whether it is a good place to be for children AND adults?
(We need to move but will probably have to commute into London which is why it has to be relatively near).

OP posts:
Marina · 17/09/2004 09:36

Faversham is lovely to visit and has nice architecture and countryside all around. Have not lived there despite liking it a lot because the commuting is really not that good from East Kent, Soly. On the map it does not look far but the trains are still regularly late and disrupted - in to Charing X at any rate. (We live much closer to London on same lines).
However, I think Faversham might also be served out of Victoria, and I get the impression that these SE Trains services are better all round.
Hopefully a Kent Mumsnetter will come along and give you more info about the town itself.

Twinkie · 17/09/2004 09:44

Hi Soly

We live near Marina but I use a different line to her and I have to say I think that the service is very good although I only go as far as Cannon Street or London Bridge.

Not sure who serves faversham but it is worth looking up.

If you asre closer to London too the fares are a huge amount cheaper as both Marina and I are classed as living in greater London and not Kent.

Marina · 17/09/2004 10:07

Sorry Twinkie, I meant the horrible announcements you hear at Cannon Street "we apologise for the late arrive of the 4.45am from Margate"...at 8.10am?! Not every day of course, but it seems to happen a lot!
Agree our own local trains are pretty reliable.

Original poster
Soly · 17/09/2004 10:22

Thanks for the info so far - please keep them coming as this is a VERY important decision we have to make....

OP posts:
Tessiebear · 17/09/2004 11:13

Hi there, I used to live in Sittingbourne which is about 10 mins drive from Faversham. I think Faversham is lovely and my family nearly moved there - property prices quite high compared to the surrounding area though. We now live in Deal about 45 mins away. My DH used to get the train to london every day for about 4 yrs and found it fine (from sittingbourne) Would you consider driving ten mins down the road before the train journey? Faversham is also good because you are close to London but at the same time not so close IYSWIM. You have Canterbury very near which is a lovely city and you are not to far from the coast and crosschannel crossings, EuroTunnel (Folkstone - about half hour away) and Ashford (Eurostar - about 20 mins away) I could go on but am sounding like a Tourist information centre .. if you need any information i can find it out for you or ask a friend who knows - feel free to E-Mail me through MN.

Original poster
Soly · 17/09/2004 11:32

Hi Tessiebear,

That is just the kind of stuff I need to know - thanks so much. (Strangely enough we went to Deal for a couple of weeks in the summer and had a lovely time - I love it down there).

With a couple of kids obviously one of the major considerations for us is schools...we have checked out the internet and Kent seems to have a good record overall.

Can't think of any other MAJOR concerns right now but if anyone else can, please let me know...

OP posts:
Tessiebear · 17/09/2004 11:36

How funny- where abouts in Dael did you stay? Not sure about any specific schools in the area i am afraid. Dont know what age your kids are but there is a good indoor soft playcentre thing called "merrygoround" just up the road in Sittingbourne - Forgot to say you are also near to maidstone which is quite a good town for shopping.

Original poster
Soly · 17/09/2004 12:06

We were a couple of miles up the road from deal - Kingsdown - but visited Deal a few times for shopping.

We stayed in Deal itself a year or so so ago in that hotel that is just about on the beach (The Royal? - I'm rubbish at remembering names of places....).

The kids are both under 6 (just) so it is primary schools at the moment.

There seem to be quite a lot of towns around for shopping which is quite important to me..!

OP posts:
Tessiebear · 17/09/2004 12:09

Most of my family live in kingsdown - were you at the holiday park with the triangular shaped chalets?

Turquoise · 17/09/2004 13:01

Soly

  • Faversham is on the Victoria line, one hour and five minutes. I was brought up in a village three miles from there. This is wierd - there are two relocation threads at the moment, one to where I live now, one to where I come from! And my best friend lives in Deal! What age are your children?
pupuce · 17/09/2004 13:23

Hi Soly

You don't say which train station you need to commute to??? Canon Street? Victoria? Waterloo? Charing Cross?
To give you another part of Kent's perspective...
We live in Tunbridge Wells a 45 to 55 minute train journey (depending if it is non stop or not). You have Tonbridge which has one of the best grammar school for boys in the Country. Tonbridge 40 mins from London. There are loads of very good school in that area.
We are 40 minutes by car from brighton or 30 mins from hastings... so a day at the sea side is quite easy.
BlueWater (shopping mecca!) is 40 mins away from me but only 30 mins from Tonbridge.
Gatwick is 45 mins away, heathrow 60 mins + (this is worst I presume for East Kent).
I love our area as it has a gorgeous country side and whilst it's a reasonnable commute, it doesn't feel at all part of London.
Hope that helps.

Turquoise · 17/09/2004 13:52

Duh - I've just reread the children's ages and taken it in this time.
I don't know much about the primaries in Faversham itself but can eailly find out for you. There are some very good village schools in the surrounding areas - Hernhill, Sheldwich, and particularly Luddenham. Would you be looking at being in Fav itself or surrounds?
It is a lovley area,gorgeous countryside around and the sea only 5 minutes away. Canterbury is being redeveloped at the moment with a big new shopping mall, although Bluewater is only about 40 minutes away now the A2 has been widened.

triplets · 17/09/2004 13:55

Hi Tessiebear,
What a surprise, you may have come across my postings, I live in Deal!!! Would be nice to meet up, do you have children? I was born here and just love the place, spent many a happy hour at the rock pools at Kingsdown this summer!

Original poster
Soly · 17/09/2004 14:32

Hi again,

Tessiebear, We rented a cottage on a road that runs at right angles to the beach - as I said I am rubbish as remembering names of places, etc but there is a pub on the beach at one end of the road and another pub at the other end (and this road goes to Deal).

Actually it is my DH who needs to commute (although, once the kids get a little older, I will probably need to find myself work again) and he will drive sometimes and take the train sometimes, as long as it is reasonably reliable. Cannon Street would be probably be the best for him, although it sounds as if there are often delays (see Marina's earlier posting...). Obviously driving a couple of miles, if necessary, to catch a train is so much easier in the country than in London so that should not be a problem (should it?)

Thanks Turquoise for your info - we are not totally fixed on Faversham itself - we are just looking in that area at this stage. There are so many things to consider (and I'm sure we have not thought of everything yet) when one is relocating to somewhere one hopes to live for the foreseeable future...

OP posts:
Original poster
Soly · 17/09/2004 14:34

Pupuce,

That does help - Kent seems to have so much going for it.

DH seems more keen to live near the coast and, although I like it, I am not as bothered.

OP posts:
gump · 17/09/2004 15:27

Soly,

I am in Herne Bay, so on the same line as the faversham into London (it goes either into charing cross or victoria) we know several people who commute into central london from here and it takes 1hr 15mins. The schools here are supposedly very good but my daughter goes to school in Canterbury (which is a lovely place too!) I have only lived here for 5months so dont really know that much! The bus service from here into canterbury is very good now, easy access buses etc. every 15 mins, plus the train seems to go to alot of places!

Cadbury lives in east Kent too and her husband commutes into London (hope you dont mind me saying cadbury?) maybe she will have some info too

Aero · 17/09/2004 15:41

Cadbury lives near me - not far from Maidstone and my dh also commutes to London. It's only 40 minutes from here. He gets home in the evenings around 7-7.30pm. Not too bad and usually in time to say goodnight to the kids. Have visited Faversham and I think it's a lovely place, but don't really know much about it. The price of commuting is not cheap though, and I guess the further out you move, the dearer it is. We haven't looked back though since leaving London. The kids are in a lovely school and we're all pretty happy here.

Original poster
Soly · 17/09/2004 16:24

It is really encouraging that everyone who has commented on Faversham says it is a lovely place.

I love London but am so looking forward to being somewhere where the air is fresh (comparatively at least) and where driving around is not so stressful or impossible to time.

OP posts:
vict17 · 17/09/2004 16:32

Hi, my sister and her dh + 2 kids lived in Faversham for a few years. They have since moved and said one of their reasons for moving is if their kids didn't pass the 11+ their alternative would have been the Abbey School in Faversham which does not have a good reputation. It is worth investigating the pros and cons of the 11+ system IMO before you move to Kent even if your kids are in primary school, HTH, vict.

suedonim · 17/09/2004 17:14

My bro and his family have lived in Faversham practically forever and I have three grown up nieces and a nephew all living there, so I guess that's a vote of confidence for the place! I went to grammar school there, a long time ago. It is a nice place, somewhere we'd consider moving to if we ever relocated down south again.

Cadbury · 17/09/2004 18:31

HA! Now I know who you are gump! And I thought you had been lying low all week!
Yes, we live in Chatham and dh travels in to Canon Street and sometimes Victoria. Trains not too bad. I don't know Faversham I'm afraid but Medway has nice bits and horrid bits. Looking forward to meeting you if and when you do come to Kent.

poppyh · 17/09/2004 20:01

Hi there,
Im sorry to but in to this conversation,but it sounds familar!
We currently live in Se London and hate the lack of activities for our children.
We want a better lifestyle for them.
We want to move to Whistable as DH will have to drive in to London 3 times a week and we love this place.
Does anyone know anything about Whitstable?

Cadbury · 17/09/2004 20:07

The only thing I recall about Whitsabubble is that I bring home half of it on my wellies every time I go! I have only ever been there in the midst of a rain storm but that is more my bad luck than reality!
The idea of being nearer the coast sound great to me. We moved down to Kent from SW London and although I miss the hussle and bussle every now and again, I'm really glad we did move for the sake of the kids. It's great to be in country side and green open space just a few minutes from our door.

Cam · 17/09/2004 23:57

Sorry Pupuce but when I met you at the 1st mumsnet meet in London (at Vinopolis - been there many times since - thanks Marina!) and we found out you live in T.Wells (THE most boring town in Europe and only up the road from me) you said, when you found out I live in Hastings "Oh how ghastly" and I said have you ever been there and you said "NO" and you are Belgian and your other half is Dutch and especially as my dh was born in Bucks and his father was instrumental in the development of the 1960's travel industry and my dad was in the RAF, you were talking out of your a* (which you havr since denied), excuse me if I say you are talking crap.

Turquoise · 18/09/2004 00:36

I love Whitstable. The cafes, restaurants and junk shops are fab, but it's dead trendy though and the prices are mad, whereas Tankerton or Herne Bay or the surroundings are much better value.

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