Talk to me about Sevenoaks and surroundings

[Mankini]

We are currently living in the far south-west and are looking to move back towards civilisation once the last of our children (A-levels this summer) is at Uni.

I grew up in Devon and lived in London for 10 years before returning here with small children in tow. But I really hate the damp, temperate weather, the lack of snow or proper summer heat, and the fact that it takes SO long to get anywhere else in the country - we've just nearby lost daily flights to London, too. I want to be near airports that actually go places, theatres, music venues etc, but also in the countryside. So - we have chanced on Sevenoaks. It's a 25 minute train into London but there are also a load of villages around that look pretty.

So - let me know the upside or downside of living there. House prices here are pretty much on a par with that part of Kent, so that's not an issue. Many thanks.

Lovely. Very sought after area. I have a couple of friends living in villages who commute into London - fast train but often packed.

Sevenoaks is lovely. Traffic can be a nightmare. Check what developments are planned, if there are lot it will change the vibe.

Thanks - we went for a weekend a while ago and had a drive around. Places such as Ide Hill, Igtham and Toys Hill look good. Anywhere leafy and within 10 minutes of Sevenoaks, really. Hopefully they won't get so built up?

I live v. close to Sevenoaks (10 minute drive to Knole).

Honestly, if your budget can take Sevenoaks - I'd look at the areas around it, not simply for the bigger house/garden, but also because as PP said the traffic in Sevenoaks is absolutely diabolical.

The town centre is nice with lots of little and local coffee shops. But I wouldn't go there after 10:00 on a Saturday as it's absolutely chaos. Trains are fast, but busy and after about 7:00 you probably aren't getting a seat. There's not much around Sevenoaks in terms of 'villages' that have much to do, but there's lots of bigger towns in a reasonable distance.

The only real down side, and it may well be specific to me is that I'm from a (very) working class background, and I find the level of entitlement from what appears to be the majority of people in Sevenoaks really uncomfortable. It really is a lovely place to live, but I haven't found the people to be 'real' if that makes sense. I'm much happier ten minutes down the road, in a bigger house, in a 'rougher' area.

I live in Sevenoaks! It’s a lovely, friendly town, easy to make friends especially if you have children. Very beautiful, very safe, great schools…it’s not the most exciting place though - nightlife is rubbish. But you can always go up to London for that! Super expensive though - it’s a bit depressing what you get for your money, although as you said, prices are on a par. Lovely surrounding villages - I like Otford and Shoreham but there are loads.

Thanks all. Definitely going to focus on the surroundings, in that case. I'm used to living in a tourist area where everything is rammed for 3-4 months each year, but it would be good to only have to deal with a chaotic town occasionally, rather than every day. Luckily, DH and I work from home, so there's no need to commute into London. I'll add Otford andShoreham to the list.

Just to balance it out, I’ve lived here for 14 years and would never describe traffic as chaotic! It just gets busy during peak times.

Give Brasted a look too if commuting isn't an issue for you.