Got to get out of London to SE - but where?

[babymutha]

ok.
Sister and I want to up sticks and move our families to the sticks. Her criteria are countryside and space, mine are good public transport or cyclable amenities.
We'd both like to be within an hour of Maidstone, Kent - for grandparents, but not IN Maidstone.
Friendly schools important too - too much to ask? Any ideas?

Tunbridge Wells is a lovely town. We live in a village 20 minutes away (and about half an hour from Maidstone). Good primary schools, and excellent grammar schools but quite tough exams to get in to them. The countryside is beautiful and there are some really pretty villages.

Forgot to add - if you like cycling national pinetum at Bedgebury has loads of cycle trails.

Bedgebury is fab, we live about 50 mins from it which is just a bit too far for going there all the time, but I love it there.
Wherever you look at in Kent will have an 11plus selection system, but some areas are less super-selective than others.
For eg, Tunbridge Wells (though fab ) has grammar schools but tough to get into whereas Medway area is easier.
Edenbridge area not bad, though I am no expert on schools etc in that area.
We are nr Longfield, Kent which is prob not rural enough for your requirements, but I love it having moved here 5 years ago

thanks so much for the info - will start looking!

thanks so much for the info - will start looking!

Sevenoaks is good - great train links to London, fab countryside incl Knole Park NT. The town itself has all the amenities you'd expect and there are some really nice villages surrounding.

Primary schools are good, and secondary its the grammar system or the new Knole Academy, unless you have £££ in which case Sevenoaks School takes some beating.