London to Folkestone, any experience of moving there...

[AuraofDora]

that you can share with me?

DH is mad keen, and well, I've only been for an afternoon so don't feel qualified to make a decision.
My main queries are -
the commute, it would only be me still working in London, does this sort of daily travel grind you down? I know the HS train is only an hour but it means being uber organised and leaving work on time all the time to have some family time
the mix of people, is it mixed and is it chilled?
Schools look fine - any horrors to avoid?
and just how did you feel?
I would be sad to go, there is much here I love about London. Also scared that the family will have new life there whilst i trundle to London everyday to pay the bills and just become a weekender
DH feels it has a lot to offer, Creative Quarter, fantastic countryside and seaside, lively town etc and we should get in at the bottom.

Any thoughts, comments - have you done this, do you rate it, or do you yearn to come 'home'?

Folkestone is a great place to live! We moved here 5 years ago. We used to to come for weekends and the place really grows on you. We lived previously in muswell hill, we now have a lovely five bedroom house. We both commute to Liverpool street in HS1, you get a seat and quite on
The commute beats the tube any day, it costs 5k but it's worth it. We have seen the changes here albeit slowly. There are some great restaurants that we can walk to from our house, you can park easily there and there are no traffic jams. We love being two blocks away from the sea, there is lots to do and the people are great. The town centre is a bit rubbish and there are some Chavs but no more than any where else. For shopping canterbury or Stratford, easy to get to. Just look at all the community groups here. People (mostly the dfls) promote the place loads with good reason! I hope this helps you to decide, Ashford is awful, sandgate and Hythe lovely.

I have nc'ed as this post gives away quite a bit of info about me...

In case anyone finds its useful, we moved from London to Folkestone (lived in Folkestone for 3 years) and absolutely loved it. DH commuted into London for work while I was a SAHM. I wish we were still living there! A year ago we relocated for DH's work and now live in a very pretty village in the countryside up north, but we still miss Folkestone.

We wanted to live by the sea and in a safe place for our two children to grow up. To put it into perspective, we lived in a nice area of London and DH earns 150K a year (yes I know we are extremely fortunate), so it wasn't just the good houses prices that attracted us to Folkestone! We also looked at Whitstable, Herne Bay, Tunbridge Wells, Rochester, Broadstairs, Ramsgate, Ashford, Faversham and Canterbury. We felt you didn't get so much for your money in Tunbridge Wells; Whitstable, Herne Bay, Broadstairs and Ramsgate were too long a commute; Ashford (quite a modern town with lots of new build), Rochester and Faversham just weren't for us. Canterbury and Folkestone were the front runners. Canterbury can have a lot of traffic, but it is a lovely town and has good shops. Folkestone has bigger period houses (i.e. for the same budget) and is by the sea. It really depends what you are looking for.

Folkestone is definitely not Brighton! It is much smaller. The Creative Quarter is small, but has grown a lot since we first moved to Folkestone, so the initiatives are working but it is a long process. There is also the annual Folkestone Book Festival, plus the Folkestone Triennial:
www.folkestonetouristinformation.co.uk/Folkestone-Tourist-Information/Folkestone-Events-2014.html
www.folkestonetriennial.org.uk/
There's a small arts centre and theatre at Folkestone Quarterhouse:
www.quarterhouse.co.uk/whats-on/

Folkestone has some lovely period houses if that's the sort of thing you are into (this is what we wanted). There are a number of good primaries and there is a grammar school system. Whether you personally like Folkestone depends on what sort of things you like - we love the outdoors and beaches, going out to eat / for coffee, seeing what's going on in the Creative Quarter, etc. Anywhere looks grey on a cloudy overcast day. Buy when the sun is out, Folkestone looks lovely and the sea looks beautiful and you realise how lucky you are to live in such a fantastic place.

We moved to a much, much bigger house than we had in London, with an enormous garden and just 5 minutes to the beach. Weekends were fun, as were summer evenings. But in the winter it will be dark before the train even reaches Folkestone. Winter weekends are fine though - just wrap up warm in a good coat and you will still have fun in the winter sunshine. Our photos from Folkestone bring back such good memories of the great times we had there with the children.

The commute is a downside, but overall our quality of life was much better and DH used the 55 minutes on the train to get work done. There are some beautiful areas in Folkestone, especially around the West End and the centre of Folkestone. Of course there are some scruffier areas too, just like most other towns. However, when London friends visited us in Folkestone, every one of them absolutely loved the area where we were living and were absolutely amazed what your money can get you in Folkestone with the big draw of being by the sea too.

A few more thoughts.....

There is lots to do for children: a good sports centre and dry ski slope, the Folkestone Coastal Park (with a brilliant kids area with a pirate ship etc), Brockhill Country Park, Stanley Road Recreation Park (by Cheriton High Street), Kidz Planet softplay, lots of playgroups / stay and plays for pre-schoolers, a small sandy beach when the tide is out (called Sunny Sands Beach) and a really big pebble beach (called Mermaid Beach) that runs all the way to Sandgate, the Leas Promenade and the 'Zig Zag Path', a nice library, etc. Places nearby are Lathe Barn Farm, Kearsney Abbey (a big park), Port Lympne Zoo and Howletts Zoo, etc - a lot of these places let you buy a 'yearly ticket' so you can have unlimited entrance for one fee.

Not so good points:

• Not the biggest range of shops, e.g. no John Lewis or Marks & Spencer. However I personally didn't find this a problem as it is so easy to shop online these days. You can also pick up John Lewis orders from the Waitrose in Hythe. There are bigger shopping centres also in Ashford and Canterbury. The train to London also stops at Stratford International (for Westfield Shopping Centre). Shops in Folkstone include WH Smith, Boots, Superdrug, Starbucks, Argos, Next, TK Maxx, a small Debenhams, Poundland, Wilkinsons, Waterstones, Primark, Bodyshop, Clarks Shoes, Asda, Sainsburys, 99p Shop, The Works bookshop, Oxfam bookshop, Iceland, Costa Coffee, New Look, an art/framing place, plus various independents, banks, charity shops etc. Just off the high street is "The Old High Street" with a small number of artist studios, independent shops, coffee shops and eateries. Just off the main high street are a few side streets with useful shops like a haberdashery shop, an Italian ice cream shop and a second hand toy shop which my children love. It takes a while to find all the good places as the roads are little higgedly-piggedly.

• It is a town undergoing a slow regeneration, so expect some shabbiness. The area next to the Folkestone Coastal Park is just a big depressing car park right now - it used to be a fairground I think many years ago. There are plans to re-develop it and a lot of investment for regeneration comes from the Roger De Haan Trust (set up by the Folkestone-based Saga billionaire, who also bought Folkestone Harbour to redevelop):

www.folkestoneseafront.com/. www.rdhct.org.uk/news/ However, as the town is still being redeveloped in areas like this, I guess houses prices reflect that.

• The one way system in the town centre is very confusing. Once you know it, its simple and I wish I had made an effort to learn my way around it sooner.

• Most locals are friendly and laid back. However, there is a minority of moaners who continually complain about the lack of shops and crime - although after living in London (and we were in a nice area of London), you realise that things are much safer in Folkestone!

• The high-speed train to London stops at Folkestome Central Station and Folkestone West Station. If you want to live in Hythe or Sandgate, factor in parking costs at the station too and extra time for the drive.

There is also a 'Relocation, Relocation' episode with Kirstie and Phil in Folkestone and they revisit a couple who moved from West London to Folkestone. It is often repeated on Channel 4 / More4 / E4: Series 6, episode 14:
www.channel4.com/programmes/relocation-relocation/episode-guide/series-6/

I read these comments about Folkestone both positive and negative with interest. My wife and I have given the town the biggest vote of confidence by buying a flat there in a gorgeous looking Edwardian building in Folkestone's west end, generally regarded as the more upmarket part.

Yes, I received warnings from locals about grotty parts of the town and even in the west end there are some neglected buildings but what interested us was the massive potential the town has and what the future holds, particularly in relation to redevelopment.

Sure there are some negatives but that applies to many towns. I have heard frequently from locals moans about the shopping centre. However, when you come from area of London in the East End where a once decent high street has been taken over by numerous betting shops, pawnbrokers and pound shops, Folkestone's shopping centre looks like a paradise. At present if you're looking for upmarket designer shops then Folkestone doesn't yet have them. But it does some interesting and quirky art and crafts shops in and around the creative quarter. In all the shops I have found staff friendly unlike in London.

In fact generally folk in Folkestone have been friendly with the exception of one or two idiots out in the evening who have been drinking. You get this everywhere.

However, consider this, when looking at whether to live in Folkestone. You have a gorgeous Cliff Top promenade with great views. A lovely coastal park with potential for walk without the need for a car. (My flat is a few minutes from this) and long swathes of beach albeit stony. There are also some hidden gems like the Kingsnorth Gardens. If you fancy a nice tea, the Grand Hotel on the Leas is elegant with old world charm and there are many nice restaurants in town and just outside. Also not far away there are nice villages, a steam train, Dover Castle and the Battle of Britain museum. All this for a fraction of the cost you would pay in London.

With an announcement having just been made of expansion of the motorway leading in the Channel Tunnel and the tunnel facilities themselves, this can only lead to more jobs and greater prosperity in the area which can only be good for the town. I recently saw a development of 3/4 bed new buildings. The signs are there....

Hi all, was surprised to see this thread it was me! Shame all the positive posts came so late we moved to cheaper part of London as me and DC just not sure.
Will definitely be considering it DH is convinced its right thing to do but my Mum was very ill and I couldn't think properly about much else. A kind MNer even PMed me was so touched by that actually but just in the wrong place to make such a big decision.
At least we can check it out more leisurely now though don't relish another move.
Have enjoyed reading these posts too thanks all

Hi all,

I found this thread really useful and am glad to see that some of you seem rather positive about Folkestone. We went there for the first time about 7 years ago and liked it back then. We have now been back for several days (once overnight) and feel it's definitely improving and quite nice in many places already (apart from the town centre, which still seems a little depressing if you discount the area around the creative quarter) - but hey, even that might get better over time.

So, we have decided to take the big step and started house-hunting over the past few days and I must say the houses are amazing (in comparison to London that is). We currently live in SW London in a small two-bed maisonette and are expecting our second child. We love the area with all its parks and nice parts like Putney, Kingston, Wimbledon, but wouldn't be able to ever afford the sort of house we would like to live in (or any house really) so are looking for alternatives and Folkestone seems like a good one.

I would continue to commute into London 3-4 times a week but given that the station is a 5 minute walk from where we are looking to buy and my work is close to Kings Cross (Liverpool Street) I believe the commute wouldn't be any longer than it takes me from here (1.5 hours relying on public transport only) and be more comfortable (currently bus and district line which is not fun).

My husband might commute as well or try and find work around there.

We are looking in the Cheriton area and have found a house we like, fingers crossed. At the moment still feeling quite scared but also excited.

A few questions for those of you who have already done the step:

Is it quite easy to meet other families? Are people open, also to foreigners? (I am German, my husband British/Brazilian). So far we have only had good impressions (people very friendly), but obviously it is a small town and we have never lived outside of London (where we are just one bi-cultural coupe of sooo many).

Is it easy to meet other families and if so where for example? I am pregnant with number 2 so hope that I might meet some mums in baby/toddler groups if there are any?

We would require an in-year school place (reception) for our daughter (4.5 years) - has anyone experience with that? Schools don't seem that oversubscribed, and Cheriton apparently has several good primaries (apart from the one closest to house we are looking into, of course, which is rated 3 )... But would hope to get her into another one even if a bit further away.

It'll be a big step for us and we are both scared as we know no one there, but also quite excited as we would get lots of space and a quieter, more relaxed pace of life hopefully. We are both originally from smaller towns and feel we had our London share. Having moved between three countries 6 times over past 14 years we are also quite capable of adapting we believe...).

Would be happy about any more input people might have. Thanks!!

Why don't you post in the Folkestone MAM (meet a mum) Facebook group? I can't link as I'm on my phone, but if you search you will probably find it. I think quite a few on there live in Cheriton, and there will be some people who know about in year admissions - something I don't have a clue about.

People are very friendly here, and I easily made friends when I moved here. It was even easier when I had a baby. Realistically, in terms of things going on people tend to count Hythe and Folkestone as one - I have friends all along the Hythe/Seabrook/Sandgate/Folkestone strip.

The quality of life here is amazing, and there's a real sense of positivity and change. It's a triennial year so that's particularly noticeable at the moment.

One thing about the cost of commuting - I don't know what your DH does, but opportunities for employment locally are a bit limited to public sector and a few larger employers, the biggest of which are Saga. He may have to commute to Ashford, Maidstone or Canterbury to get a job if he wants to stay relatively local, and there are costs involved in that. Two season tickets to London would also be expensive. It might be worth him really checking out the employment situation now and factoring that in to any plans.

Finally - in terms of a comfy commute the high speed can't be beaten. You'll get a seat at Folkestone West, there are plugs under the seat for your laptop /phone and the air conditioning works. It has spoiled all other trains for me.

Thanks for the response, callmecordelia. I will certainly check out the Facebook group, good to know there is one . Glad to hear you had a great experience when you moved to Folkestone and that you enjoy living there. We are really excited so fingers crossed it'll all work out.

My husband works in IT and we are aware that there isn't much locally (even not in Ashford and Canterbury) but if this is what he would continue doing commuting would work salary wise.

Train sounds great and I am sure it will beat the 50 minutes on the district line I currently do...

Hi everyone,

I feel a bit of a fraud because I'm not a mum! I am a single 40-something female, work as a psychotherapist (many of my clients/patients are mums) and signed up to this forum because many of my friends are mums and I know that you mums are a wealth of knowledge .

I live in East London and am craving a move out of London, by the sea, where I can wake up to seagulls every AM. I have really noisy neighbours and can't remember the last time I felt relaxed in my own flat .

I have read with interest the mixed reviews of Folkestone. I've never been but it was one of the places recommended to me.

My main concern is the commute: I drive everywhere and have free parking at work (in East London/Canary Wharf). I'd feel foolish not to take my car given I have free parking at work, and happen to love driving, but a) will the drive start to feel all too much after a month? and b) would the cost of the high speed train (into Stratford) cost much more than petrol, albeit it might be faster and safer (in case I feel sleepy at the wheel). I can effectively see my clients in 3 days so I don't have to be in London more than 3 days; ideally, I'd like to set up a small practice in Folkestone (or wherever I move to) but then I question "do people who live by the sea really need therapy"? I see the sea as therapy in itself:).

Given I am on my own, I could do with some practical help in assessing whether the move will be financially beneficial for me: I own my London flat, I'd be looking to rent it out and renting a place in Folksestone. I could get £1300/month on mine (minus the managing agent's fee and my £280/month mortgage payments...thanks to my fixed rate/bank of England rate, etc. I know that I could get a decent 2-bedroom flat (my minimum requirement) for £750+ in Folkestone....that would only leave me with approx. £220/month of travel expenses (I currently have a 15 mins. drive to work with free parking-deal)!

I want to figure out the cheapest way to do the commute......I've come to realise that whilst properties would be cheaper in Folkestone, the travel costs will make up for it.

Any thoughts or suggestions from you amazing mums would be most appreciated.....

My brother lives in Ashford and while it's not exciting or cutting edge it has fast trains, cheaper houses and is about 20-30 mins to drive to Folkestone for the lovely coast park etc.

I love visiting Folkestone when we visit them but the actual area away from the sea front looks pretty grim tbh.

Thanks very much hiccup:). To be honest, I'd rather be closer to the sea (than a 20-30 mins. drive), otherwise, I think I'd be looking to live a little closer to London (East London, where I work). The main drive (motivation) for my move to the sea, is for the sea. Otherwise, I would definitely consider other quiet areas, but preferably with less of a commute, if you know what I mean. I really appreciate your suggestion though...I am open to all and any suggestions at this point!

BW....

I'm not a mum either Psychotherapist, I empathise with the fraud feelings! But this site is a fantastic general resource. :)

From the sounds of things you would enjoy it here. I'd strongly recommend Sandgate or living up on the Leas. I think on that budget you could find a flat with a sea view easily enough.

Only you can really answer the commute issue. It's a hefty drive, but I guess it might be manageable three times a week. My partner catches the train and professes to be fine with it. He's more than happy to trade it for evening walks along the seaside and of course weekends here. It's really a surprisingly underrated place. This is our first summer here and it continues to surprise me beyond my earlier expectations.

Yes there are grim spots in town, and generally the town is what my neighbours back in Bucks would call a "mixed" community. It's going through a regeneration phase, but it's going to take a lot more time and money to make it desirable for the likes of my old neighbours. But I have found the people unremittingly friendly and the lifestyle a big step forwards. Walking along the beach on a clear, calm day, with the water light blue and France in sight and not that many people about it feels pretty amazing value!

Thanks very much Seasmize,

It helps to know I'm not the only one:).

Your message is much appreciated; I don't know the area well at all and if I do decide to make a day trip soon, I'll visit Sandgate and/or the Leas.

Thanks again for your reply and recommendations.

Best wishes....

Hi, I'm also not a mum but came across thread when googling Folkestone. Would like t provide feedback for single women thinking of leaving London for folkestone.

I'd lived in London for over a decade, but had been visiting Folkestone since my mid twenties, as my partner at the time was from Folkestone. I had a fairly decent social life in a London, but had fallen in love with a Folkestone and the idea of life by the sea. I moved here several years ago but continued to commute to a London. I am sad to report that my own move to a Folkestone wasn't a success for me. Other than close friend who has since moved to Cyprus, I have failed to build a social life here. The move killed my London social life to a degree, and I wound up lonely and isolated in a Folkestone to the point of severe depression. You could argue that I am the problem, but I never had issues making friends in the North, or in a London, and have friends of 20 years from that era (who have since mostly left a London to raise families etc).

The creative area is interesting but it has it's share of shallow small town personalities... as well as genuine friendly people. However, I can't wait to leave Folkestone cause my life has gone downhill since the move here.

You might have better luck,band I wish you all the best. It just didn't work for me.

Sorry for above typos, my iPad plus auto correction...

Hi Shelly,

Thank you so much for sharing your very personal journey with me, and the others. I am sorry to hear your move out of London wasn't for the better and I actually can understand why. I think it's very hard to move out of London as a single person; if you're coupled, or even if you are single with child, you have someone else for company. But moving out of London (a busy busy city) to a much quieter one, can be a very difficult move, and some people don't adjust to it.

Like you, many of my friends from university have left and gone back to their respective countries (USA, Greece) etc. and so I have 3-4 good friends in the UK-all spread out. To be honest, what I do know is that it can sometimes take me as long to get up to my friend in North London, as it does to get to my friend in Essex....in other words, though it may feel closer in our minds...sometimes it takes as much effort to meet up with friends in London as it does to hop on a train or get in the car and visit a friend a bit further afield.

I hope you feel better when you move....as you say, the depression may be for other reasons too (and not solely re-where you live) but I know from experience that if you are unhappy where you live, it can definitely affect one's mood.

I wish you all the best and do keep me updated as to where you finally move to.

BW...

Thanks Indians....any personal experience of an area really helps and I take on board your feedback and views re-Folkestone.

BW...

Dear all,

I have been reading this thread since September after my partner and I had a first look at Folkestone last summer after reading a very interesting article in the press. We have been maybe more than 10times since and have decided to buy our flat in the West end of Folkestone close to the Leas. Our move is going to be week end first and than we will decide. What I would like to say is we have been very surprise how it has change even the last 10 months. There seems to be a wave of Londoners like us leaving the capital for a better quality of life for our family. We live south London close to Brixton and some streets are ok some others are no go area and I think Folkestone is going the right way at the moment. This post was very useful.

FGDR, I would be interested to know in what way you think it has changed over past 10 months? I only have the comparison from 6 years or so ago to now and it has definitely improved a lot, hence our move now, but still keen to find out more...

It does feel a bit like it's changed over the past year, especially around Sandgate.

Folkestone has it's grim moments but so does London and (spoiler alert) so does Brighton!!! I should know as I have lived in all three. Like London and Brighton it also has it's magnificent moments too. I currently live in Folkestone and up until had my little girl last year I would have happily moved back to Brighton but since having her I have grown to love my walks along the Lees and the coastal park, sitting on the beach playing with the stones, hanging out around the harbour etc. The High Street is poor but the Creative Quarter has interesting and quirky shops and the are enough good cafes, cake shops and restaurants to keep you going unless you are planning to go out every night. I think the place has a real buzz about it now but you have to have your eyes and ears open to see it as it is early days. It depends if you can feel it or if you prefer the more obvious and mainstream appeal of Whitstable (which I personally think has nothing on Folkestone) or Canterbury (which I think in a bit boring once you've been once or twice and which doesn't have a sea side). The house prices are still reasonable but I can't comment on the schools yet as I haven't had to look in to that yet.

Oh and by the way Ashford is not the cutting edge place some people are claiming, if ever there was a grim place to live that would be near the top of my list, it's a dull dull dull commuter town.

Folkestone has been up and coming for twenty years.

When house prices fall (that's coming) they will fall much faster in Folkestone, it's always the last town in the South East for prices to rise but one of the first fallers.

I find Folkestone depressing, I coukdn't possibly live there. It was probably lovely in 1910. But now it's full of cheap rented flats, down at heel chain stores and has too many residents with that air of desperation.

And the Old High Street (the creative quarter?) is pleasant enough but it's not bursting with creative energy.