Leaving London for....Tonbridge?

ttandlg

ive wanted to escape South East London for a while and now that my eldest daughter finishes secondary school next summer, it seemed an ideal opportunity for her to start her new 6th form or college place in the new place. My husband and i will still be commuting to London Bridge so i have looked at all the lines out of there under an hour away. Initially i liked the idea of a small village on the line between Tonbridge and Maidstone but in reality i dont think it would benefit my eldest daughter who will be 16 at the time of the move. This has got me thinking of Tonbridge. I have no idea what it is like or which are the bits to avoid etc. Im no snob and im coming from a council estate in the worst part of the borough so the only way is up:D
However, i want to move so my kids can travel on public transport without being robbed at knifepoint and to get to know my neighbours which after 32 years in London i have never done. However, i still want my eldest to be able to fit in and have job opportunities in the future.
Any advice or opinions on Tonbridge would be much appreciated

BitterAndTwisted

I've got chums who live in Tonbridge and are raising their children there. One of them was brought up on a farm so I don't know what the town itself is like.

I also had chums who used to live a couple of stops down the line in Staplehurst which is pretty quiet and I thought it was lovely.

GavB79

Tonbridge has a very good image AFAIK, it's certainly expensive compared to Maidstone if you are comparing the two.

Grimbal

OT, but have you thought about the Sevenoaks area too? Sevenoaks itself goes into LB (AFAIK) and the villages surrounding it are lovely - Seal, Kemsing, Otford etc. I used to live in Seal, drive the 5mins to Otford station, and commute into London Victoria in about 40 minutes

ttandlg

I would love to move to a village but my eldest will be 16 next year and i dont think she'd appreciate the quietness. I was initially looking at Headcorn or Staplehurst but in reality i think it would be to her detriment. Maybe when the kids have left :j

ttandlg

Grimbal - i had a drive through there yesterday on way home from Hever and they are lovely places. Sevenoaks is nice but it comes at a price by the looks of it. Being only 26 minutes away from London Bridge increases that premium too.

Plus, ive always had this sterotype of Sevenoaks being full of new money types driving 8 year old Range Rovers :rotfl: but im sure there are plenty of other people too.

king100

Why move down south, have you considered moving elsewhere.

I lived in South London all my life, move North East to East Anglia, Suffolk.

The smell of fresh air is great, and you also have places like Colchester, Ipswich, Chelmsford. And it only take an 1hr and 20 to London.

ttandlg

funnily enough, i did have to think about that question for a while. I suppose my reasons for staying south are

1) My husband and i both work on the south side so i have only looked at areas around train stations that go into the south. Because i start really early in the morning in order to be able to pick my daughter up from school, i need to be within 45 minutes of the school. To include the trek across London would require the need of a childminder etc which goes against everything we are aiming for.

2) i have always lived in South East London and to go north of the river would be like going to another country! Stupid as it sounds

king100

ttandlg wrote: »

funnily enough, i did have to think about that question for a while. I suppose my reasons for staying south are

1) My husband and i both work on the south side so i have only looked at areas around train stations that go into the south. Because i start really early in the morning in order to be able to pick my daughter up from school, i need to be within 45 minutes of the school. To include the trek across London would require the need of a childminder etc which goes against everything we are aiming for.

2) i have always lived in South East London and to go north of the river would be like going to another country! Stupid as it sounds

Totally understand, I had a nose bleed for 1st few months when up.

Do you want out of the M25?

If not around Purley, Caterham is very nice, easy access to M25 and trains to London.

If out East Grinstead and Crawley ok. Maybe Redhill or Reigate, enough of a town but not as congested as London.

ttandlg

No, i want to be outside of the M25. The train lines into South London is something else im trying to avoid. The destinations are nice enough but youve got to go through some pretty rough places to get there! I personally want a village location but my husband and kids are not so keen. Hence the compromise on Tonbridge.

king100

ttandlg wrote: »

No, i want to be outside of the M25. The train lines into South London is something else im trying to avoid. The destinations are nice enough but youve got to go through some pretty rough places to get there! I personally want a village location but my husband and kids are not so keen. Hence the compromise on Tonbridge.

Just remember that when passing through Croydon its best to stay on the train, and not get off.