Cranbrook area, Kent - commuting to London

[HazelnutCookies]

Hi all
We have recently started looking at the Cranbrook area in Kent, there are some gorgeous houses and seems a lovely area, we want a village feel rather than town (as much as we like TW, Sevenoaks etc) however DH has to commute daily to Bank - do you think this commute is just nuts to do every day. He has to be in around 8.30am and leaves around 6.30-7.30pm. I also work but currently WFH, but looking like I may have to go in (also Bank) 1 or max 2 days when restrictions ease. We are craving countryside and love Kent (beautiful area plus good schools and grammar system) but just wondering if it is just a bit too much to take on. If anyone else has experience of this commute I would really appreciate it!

Hi op, it’s a bit of a ‘how long is a piece of string’ question and largely depends of what sort of commute you have already. Where are you moving from?

I live near Cranbrook. It’s around 10-15 minutes drive to Staplehurst station (nice new Sainsbury’s just opened up next door), you can go direct to London Bridge and then up to Bank on the tube.

It’s not a massively onerous commute but my main piece of advice (if you’re concerned) would be to consider moving somewhere within walking distance of a station. It removes huge amounts of stress in the morning about missing the train, traffic, finding a parking spot etc.

DH and I commuted from Kent for a couple of years with a drive to the station and it was rubbish. We move to where we are now specifically so we could cut out the drive and it made a huge difference.

This is a lovely part of the world (I’m obv biased!) but unfortunately no one can tell you if it’s too much as only you can decide! Assuming you will need to be managing school run etc as well as that something to consider.

Feel free to pm me if you have any questions

I used to live in Cranbrook - PP is right about train stations and commuting. Can easily add another hour on top of train journey just driving to station and back in traffic.

I loved living there, but wouldn't if I had to commute.

I used to live in staplehurst which had the advantage of a mainline station in the village, so no car journey to begin and end the day, and no parking costs or "getting a space" worries.
The commute to London was very doable, but again, the jobs I had were walking distance (2.5 miles max) of Charing Cross, London Bridge or Cannon Street stations. That all made a difference, not only to my commute time and stress, but also to feeling a bit more in control.
Cranbrook is a very pretty place though.

Headcorn is the next station on. We are 6 minute drive. We don't commute every day but plenty do.

It's lovely round here! We moved from Central London last year.

If you go into London Bridge you just walk over the river to Bank...

However nice Cranbrook is the lack of the train station and commuting would make me reject it - even for several days a week. Think of dark winter mornings, defrosting the car first, then setting off, parking at the station - all before even getting on the train.

Headcorn with its mainline train station would be my first look, though I do realise the nature of the lovely little town is rapidly changing with all of the new builds.

Have you also looked at West Malling - not Kings Hill - but West Malling proper? Far more expensive than Cranbrook as just outside the M25 but surrounded by nice countryside and very good access to road, rail, Gatwick etc.

I live just outside marden on that train line not far from cranbrook. We drive a couple miles to the station in Marden, one further up from staplehurst. It’s totally fine. Early mornings you will always get a parking spot, a seat and it’s a pretty reliable line. The traffic could really not be described as crazy either. It’s a wonderful area to live.

@MrsApplepants

@StepBackPlease

@MindatWork we currently live in zone 5 on the central line, Essex/London borders, so it’s a little like leafy suburbia but with Towie overtones. We are spoilt as around 30 mins to Liverpool Street, no wait for a train, walk to station. Do you think it would be too much of a shock to the system to change commutes for such a long one on a daily basis? I’m keen for a “proper” village so I liked Cranbrook and surrounding villages for the gorgeous countryside but importantly the schooling - Cranbrook itself and also the other grammars. I’ve been recommended Goudhurst, do you have any thoughts on that? I totally agree a walk to the station would be ideal but I think it would rule out a village.

@MrsApplepants do you think it’s a doable commute to bank on a daily basis with a short drive to Marden? Any thoughts on Goudhurst?

@friendlycat I haven’t looked at West Malling, I will investigate! Really helpful suggestions thank you

@FuzzyPuffling @medlarmeddler thanks both so much for your suggestions, I will have a look near both those stations. I did have a quick look at Staplehurst and it seemed to have gorgeous houses!

@HazelnutCookies Haha, Goudhurst and Marden are the villages I live between so I know them well. Goudhurst is lovely, but pricey as in cranbrook catchment and many houses have stunning views as it’s atop a hill. The village itself suffers bad traffic issues and gets gridlocked whenever a lorry gets stuck by the church but it’s a lovely place with a lovely primary school and fab doctors surgery. Tunbridge Wells rather than Maidstone council and quite different to staplehurst. As for the commute, DH has commuted to either Canary Wharf or the City for 8 years now (except during covid) some trains go to canon st which also helps with a commute to Bank, although they all stop at London Bridge. He finds it totally fine. Why not book a room at the Goudhurst inn for a couple nights to try it all out

@HazelnutCookies Sissinghurst is also pretty nice and sounds like it could suit you too, just along from Cranbrook, we have friends and there it’s very traditional village.

Could you split the funds to have a crash pad in town and a smaller house in Kent maybe ?

Kent also. Cranbrook is lovely, can well understand the appeal. There are equally pretty places a bit further North though which from a commuting point of view might make more sense? Also as a thought, I understand the appeal of our grammars but the reality is that only 25% of DC get into them. If any of your DC fail the 11+ then good Secondary back ups in Kent can be really patchy. I don’t know the schools well enough in Cranbrook to know what your options would be in that scenario but I’d definitely investigate that. It is problematic in other areas - West Malling which has been suggested is gorgeous (I’d agree with avoiding Kings Hill) but the local Secondary (The Malling School) is awful. Living in West Malling DC have the option of Maidstone and Tonbridge grammars but failing getting into those it’s a scramble to get into a further out Secondary.

Other areas with an easier commute I’d look at are:

Wrotham, Ightham & Platt. All pretty, all old villagey. Easy access to pretty countryside. Commute in from next door (to all) Borough Green is 48 minutes. In location for the Sevenoaks, Maidstone and Tonbridge grammars. Decent Secondary in catchment at Wrotham.

Otford, Shoreham and Eynsford. All gorgeous if a bit pricier than Wrotham etc. Have their own train stations with a shorter commute time than Cranbrook. Countryside around each is lovely. I’ve no idea about schools but they’d be in catchment for the grammars in Sevenoaks I’d imagine.

@SJaneS49 thanks so much for the info it’s really so helpful - one of the main things we need to sort out before we move is a plan for schooling so it’s really helpful to have some other areas to look at. 25% into grammar actually sounds pretty good to me vs Essex where we live now which has fewer grammars and therefore a much tougher ratio but agree definitely need some good backup options in case of not getting in. I’m an ex grammar girl and loved it so hoping same for my DC. Backup would probably be down the private route. Apart from Sevenoaks and Tonbridge would there be any other private schools to consider that perform particularly well?

I know a couple of people who live in Goudhurst and both say it is extremely snobbish.

Wherever you decide, check the environment agency website for flood risk.

@HazelnutCookies, there are lots of private schools in the area, some catering for high achievers and others the more ‘average’ student. Where I live (outer Sevenoaks) the most popular are Sevenoaks school and ‘Wally’ (Walthamstow) Hall (all girls) & Radnor House (mixed) but there are a variety of others in the area. Realistically, a child who didn’t pass the 11+ might not also pass the tough entrance testing for Sevenoaks or Tonbridge. Down in Cranbrook on the East Sussex borders, Claremont in East Sussex would also be an option. I would seriously look at how your DC would get to school, for example Sevenoaks is some drive from Cranbrook, Tonbridge is a nightmare in traffic in the morning (my DD is at a school there).

Sorry if I’m throwing up potential problems but probably best to work this all out in advance rather than in situ just to avoid issues further down the line! We moved to Kent 7 years and ago and I absolutely am 100% glad we did!

Do look at Otford and Shoreham if you’ve a really ‘decent’ budget. Both Otford and Shoreham are on the Blackfriars line which would make a commute to Bank easy. Both are in the Derwent Valley with gorgeous countryside around. Shoreham has a river running through the centre which kids paddle in as well as a Vineyard. Otford & Shoreham are both outer Sevenoaks so not far from the Sevenoaks Privates as well as Grammars (Weald for girls, Tunbridge Wells Grammar for Boys). I’m pretty sure both would be in area (and they are trainable) to the 4 grammars in Maidstone.