looking to move to kent/cambridge - any nice villages to consider

[happyfeet2015]

we are thinking of home schooling too so would be good to have a good home ed community and it must be commutable to London. We would like period property.

we would consider other areas other than kent if affordable.

Oh, I'll be watching this thread as we are home edders too and dh was talking about moving to Cambridge. We are abroad right now.

Maybe more replies if you give an estimate of your budget/requirements. Some villages you could get a 4 bed period property for £300K. Others it would cost you £700K min.

good thinking. our budget is between £500-£600k

A friend used to live in Swaffham Prior in Cambridgeshire which was lovely. Also, villages around there. Nice village schools (although you want to homeschool) and friendly communities.

There's lots of nice villages around and Maidstone has three train stations. Places like Lamberhirst and gouldhurst are lovely. Places like Tenterden, Biddenden etc are also nice. There also the villages around Tunbridge Wells and Tonbridge. Actually lot of Kent villages are lovely.

Which part of London do you need to commute to?

Cambridge has a fab home ed community - really great - tons on offer for every age - really lovely people.

I lived in Gt Chesterford for a few years - walkable to a station into London and only 8 miles south of Cambridge.

I think that Uttlesford (Saffron Walden area) is reported to have the most listed houses of any district in the country so you should find something nice (and old).

Thanks everyone. Husband travels into charring cross. Will check out cambridge

Cambridge rubbish for Charing Cross.

Is the Thameslink still going Guess - more than 10 years since I left London but doesn't that go from kings x to charing x still?

Lavender Thameslink doesn't go to Charing cross it goes from kings cross St Pancras - Farringdon - City thaneslink - Blackfriars. To get to Charing cross you would probably be best going on Piccadilly line to Leicester sq and walking the rest x

Clueless here obvs , I used catch a train to Bank and enjoy the walk most days (not to CX I might add!).

You can go direct to Charing cross from Kent
But the fast trains usually go to St Pancras

Cambridge trains go into Liverpool St or Kings Cross. Never gone to Charing Cross. The Bedford/St Albans/Harpenden Thameslink used to cross London from Kings Cross to South London stations (can't remember which ones..think was Blackfriars). I would look in a train map...take Charing Cross and work outwards. Though sorry that is probably stating the obvious.

I know that they go to Kings Cross and Liverpool St - used both for years - preferred the Kings Cross line from Royston, vs Liverpool St from Audley End even though the AE train went straight into the City.

Clearly clueless about Charing X OP as I thought that Thameslink went there but I only ever worked in the City so never used it. Can't even remember whether Charing X is north of the river tbh .

The fast train from Royston only takes 45 mins so adding a bit on at the other end doesn't make it too bad!

If you want to commute to CX from a pretty village, you need to be looking at the line that goes via Tonbridge and Ashford. Have a look at the Southeastern trains website.