Ashford, Kent (or anywhere else really)

[Help2moveplz]

Hi everyone,
We are looking to move from North London (tiny houses, high rent, high independent school fees,...).
We were recommended Spring Grove Primary School in Kent by someone. It looks good. And if we live in Ashford it will be great for our commute ( to kings cross/Warren Street). However we know nothing about the area. The online reviews don't seem nice. The house prices seem unbelievingly low though. Our budget is max 700k for a 3 bedroom place so we could somwhere else as well if it's a better area. But don't want to increase on the commute time. Will really appreciate your honest reviews on the place.
We are new to the country so haven't set a foot there.
Thanks.

SJ - I agree the area around Maidstone East isn’t the best, but it doesn’t reflect Maidstone as a whole. Went for a walk around Mote park at the weekend, loads of dog walkers, families with young children on scooters etc. In fact, no different to Dunorlan park in Tunbridge Wells, and verulam park in posh St Albans (Hertfordshire).

People takes drugs in every town ime even in Sevenoaks 😁

Thanks a lot everyone. This is really helpful and I have lot more to research on. It is very overwhelming since we don't know the place at all. But thanks to you all now I have some places to look at.
@Standrewsschool, we had been looking at Herfordshire but someone recommended the school I had mentioned, that is why we started looking in Kent. Our child has certain specific needs for which the school was highly recommended.

Hi. I’m from Folkestone, grew up there and only left last year. I don’t recommend it. I also know Ashford and I don’t really recommend there either. The villages outside are lovely if that’s what you would like.
I am now living in Canterbury (Came here often growing up for days out etc) which is beautiful. There are parks here and plenty of wooded areas to take children for walks etc. It has a direct train route into London for an easy commute. I recommend checking Canterbury out. It’s also not far from seaside towns if you like the beach in the summer.
Can’t comment on schools yet as my DD is nearly 2 and hasn’t even started nursery yet.

@SJaneS48 why do you take your daughter to Maidstone if it’s like what you described?

Even if you do want the specific school there are honestly much nicer places than Ashford. You could still live in a nicer place nearby with that budget and use that school if that’s what you want. Honestly Ashford really is not that nice with all of the choice on offer within a relatively small radius that would still be workable for the school you want.

? @JoJoSM2. It’s has higher number of rough sleepers than you’d see in the area generally and nor would I want her hanging out in the park near the station with her mates but it’s not Afghanistan.

Grew up in Sevenoaks, went to school in Tonbridge, lived in TW as an adult. If it were me, TW would edge it, with Sevenoaks a close second.

Like @dingledongle says, wouldn't base your decision on the drugs though! There's ALWAYS been a hefty haze of drugs usage in Sevenoaks and T Wells, and even 25 years ago Tonbridge station was known to be the best place in the area for getting your hands on whatever took your fancy (I didn't, I hasten to add!)

There are a few villages on the outskirts of of Ashford that might suit. Spring Grove is on the edge of Wye, which is a lovely village with a few shops, playgrounds, and woodland countryside. Charing is similar but has a larger high street. Both have their own train stations / buses and are in grammar school catchment areas. Commute to St Pancras/Kings Cross is just under an hour from either (I almost always get a seat on the high speed train)

They call it Trashford for a reason.

With your budget and criteria I’d definitely be looking more SE London and agree with Bromley, Beckenham, Chislehurst, Sevenoaks

Not been to Bromley in years but what's the shopping area like now?

I have no idea a lot schools or transport links but what about Kingston way?

Following

We moved to a village between Ashford and Canterbury 3 years ago. We really don’t go into Ashford unless it’s to a supermarket, but the surrounding villages are lovely and you do get a decent choice of non selective or grammar depending on your preference. We use Canterbury or Maidstone for nights out and shopping. Husband was commuting pre lock down and found it an excellent service.

Bromley has the Intu shopping centre which was called the glades. Huge marks, boots, debenham and clothes shops. There is a 3 floor Primark and Lidl now. Bromley North area is mainly pedestrianise now. For food there is waitrose, sainsbury and tesco xpress but a big tesco in homesdale rd. The cinema has been done up and beckenham pool is a great gym leisure centre.

I don’t think Ashford is great! There’s nowhere nice to live walking distance to the station so you have to drive. Lots of nice villages (if you like village living!), Challock seems to have loads of building at the moment (everyone we know who lives there loves it)
As I understand it that they’ve timed some of the local trains from Wye and Chilham (and other villages) to meet HS1 at Ashford so less waiting around.

We ended up in Faversham, but DH is the City not St Pancreas so works better for us.

Isn't Ashford where they're building the giant brexit lorry park?

@bluRose18 waving from canterbury too!

@WrapTrap waves 👋🏻😁

We've not been hearing good things about Spring Grove School.

There has been alot of staff coming and going . Sounds like a very dysfunctional place.

Ashford is mostly a transport hub with lots of budget hotels? It might sound good to your DH but not ideal for family life. As others have said lots of other options around.

@FizzyPink

They call it Trashford for a reason.

With your budget and criteria I’d definitely be looking more SE London and agree with Bromley, Beckenham, Chislehurst, Sevenoaks

These areas are lovely but expensive

Not sure why a previous poster thinks Canterbury prices are on parr with Folkestone and cheaper than Ashford, it's one of the more expensive areas in East Kent. However with the budget mentioned you would have a lot of freedom. I'd aim for one of the villages on the train line between Canterbury and Ashford, and then change to the high speed at Ashford. Lots of commuters in Canterbury live around the Canterbury West area, which is called St Dunstan's.

I agree with pp and would pick Hertfordshire or Essex in your position, personally.

You could look at towns on the Kings X or Liverpool St line, as you can change at Tottenham Hale on L St line onto Victoria line.

Bishops Stortford has good schools for all ages, and is a similar size to Ashford.

Royston might be worth a look also. Primary schools are good. Great for commuting. Secondaries maybe less good in the town but some good Village colleges nearby (Melbourne is good, and has its own station).

I wouldn't really want to move to a grammar school area with a child if I had the choice, and was moving anyway.

Tunbridge Wells or Sevenoaks would fit your criteria - both on a mainline to Charing Cross, and have excellent state and private options. Avoid Tonbridge if you’re using state primaries, as a fair few parts of the town are best avoided and you’d need to know the area to know which ones (I’m a primary teacher just over the border in East Sussex, so not from Tonbridge but have worked within Kent schools in the past).

The Kent and Sussex coasts are, for the most part, pretty down at heel. Some town centres have been invested in and gentrified, but the surroundings are normally pretty dire.