Sevenoaks, surrounding villages and flooding.

[RubyViolet]

Looking at houses on the outskirts of Sevenoaks, as far West as Westerham. Can anyone give me tips on good areas. I am hearing about flood risks from the River Darent. Are their any areas to avoid ?
Thanks !

It's a bit of a long document but this has all the flood risk data of Sevenoaks District towns:

www.kent.gov.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0008/71666/Flood-risk-to-communities-in-Sevenoaks.pdf

Page 20 (of the document, 24 of the PDF) has table of number of properties with flood risk in an area. Further down there are more tables with more of a breakdown.

But the main way you will know is getting an environmental search when you buy. That will give you more detail about your specific risk.

The document @blacklilypad has attached is very helpful @RubyViolet. Are you set on villages to the West of Sevenoaks? Price wise and transport wise there are better options as well as less potential flood risks.

I work in Westerham but live in Borough Green and Wrotham. Westerham is extremely pretty (as are Sundridge and Brasted) but all obviously have the river running through them and a lot of properties situated next to the river. I’ve worked in Westerham fourteen years now and while flooding hasn’t been a big issue I seem to remember some flooding about 7-8 years back.

I do really like Westerham etc but what would put me off is the lack of public transport for DC. The 401 runs into Sevenoaks hourly and there is also a bus to Oxted and Biggin Hill but I think that’s about it. School catchment might be a bit of an issue as well.. or at least involve long journeys.

My personal favourites are Shoreham and Otford north of Sevenoaks. Both admittedly have the river running through the centre of town but I don’t know of any flooding (at least in my time here. Neither are cheap villages but then neither is Westerham! Both have their own train stations. From Otford in particular it’s less of a schlep into Sevenoaks than from Westerham (traffic along the road to Westerham in the mornings can be really stop/start). I’d avoid Eynsford, it’s gorgeous but in summer gets absolutely unpleasantly rammed with day trippers from Swanley.

East of Sevenoaks things get cheaper. If you like pretty villages look at Wrotham and (St Mary’s) Platt. Both are river free! Ightham is very pretty - it’s divided in two by the Sevenoaks road, the village centre does have a river running through it (but this doesn’t seem to have bothered Martina Cole or Strictlys Len Goodman who live here) but the other part of the village doesn’t. Platt/Ightham/Wrotham are about 20 minutes by car into Sevenoaks and we have our own train station (Borough Green). School catchment wise, if you are looking at grammars then we’re in catchment for the Tonbridge/Sevenoaks/Maidstone grammars which is better than what you’ll find in Westerham. The Tonbridge and Sevenoaks Indies are easily commutable for DC and we have a good Secondary Modern (Wrotham).

Thanks so much for all this information. The flood info is really useful blacklilypad. There are villages mentioned here that l hadn’t even thought about looking at so will research them all, thanks for the tips whohidallthebiscuits.
We are looking west, we really like Westerham .
We are in the early research stage, weighing up our options.
Sevenoaks fast , cheap train has tilted us towards the area when we had been thinking of Hove/ Lewes area.
Appreciate the tips .

You’re welcome @RubyViolet. As above, I would take into account the commuter traffic on the Sevenoaks /Westerham road at commuter times which will really add onto that fast commute into London. I only go into the Westerham office 4/5 times a month as I work mainly from home but along this stretch the traffic can’t be incredibly slow. If I’m honest, I’d probably look at one of the Sevenoaks villages with their own station as a preference over Westerham. Otford for example is 40 minutes into London (Blackfriars or Victoria) which end to end from leaving the house would be much speedier. You wouldn’t have the parking costs at Sevenoaks station either which will add on a few thousand.

Can be incredibly slow, not can’t!