Which areas to avoid around North Kent?

UK007BullDog

I am looking to buy a family home around Dartford, Chiselhurst and Swanley areas. Which areas should I avoid? My kids are out of school so I dont need to consider that.

I just want a nice quiet place with some space where I can retire in peace.

Which areas would you recommend? Any tips or knowledge greatly appreciated.

milkydrink

I could be wrong but I don't think the medway area in general is much cop & that includes Dartford.

Chiselhurst is REALLY nice.

Don't know much about Swanley.

But I could be wrong about the Medway towns (I was in Chatham/gillingham/strood yesterday, my husband takes his car there for a service - his friend recommended the garage to him) & I don't think it looks that great.

But hell I live in Surrey not even the same county, so I'm not an expert.

South East Surrey is really nice:D , near enough to Crawley for shopping, near Gatwick, near M25 & M23 and loads of rural areas. Nice little villages only a few miles from "everything" but feeling nice & countryfied:D .

Good luck with your move

UK007BullDog

Well, I need a place from where I can get to London Bridge, Canary Wharf North East London (work places for the family) quite quickly and dont mind a train journey of up to 60 min.

I have friends who live in Caterham and Purley and that is very nice too but I dont tink I can ever afford buying there.

Any villages out there close to good train stations? I am not from this area as I have roots in Nottingham but my other half is a Londoner....

supermumno1

Chislehurst, Bickley and Petts Wood are all lovely especially with families but are quite expensive. Bexley is lovely and a bit cheaper. Swanley is a bit variable but has some nice places, likewise Orpington too. If you dont mind being a little bit more away from the major town areas then look to Longfield or Hartley for better value for money.

Feel free to PM me if you see a property you are interested in and want to know more about where it is located. I live in Bexley, grew up in Chislehurst so I know the area pretty well.

milkydrink

Caterham is nice too.

Purley is far too close to London (too much traffic).

I think anything on the Gatwick line has a good service to London, & it goes to Victoria & London Bridge.

As far as I know, none of the villages are served by train stations, our bus finishes about 7pm during the week, earlier on Saturday & doesn't run at all on Sunday!!! So you need a car, do you drive as well or only use the train?

Have you thought of Essex if you want to be near NE London.

I was under the impression that Chislehurst was REALLY expensive, a lot more so than Caterham.

But if you're after quite rural & nice, be careful of the Medway towns.

Horley is quite nice, it's my nearest big town. It's on the Gatwick line. There is one estate called the Court Lodge, thats not got a great name, thats kinda north west side of Horley. Next stop on that line is Salfords & that has some nice roads off the A23. After that you're into Earlswood, then Redhill & it starts getting busy.
Reigate is nice, so is Dorking. But I don't know about trains.
Great to be near Crawley for shopping & cinemas ECT, but wouldn't want to live too close, too big.

UK007BullDog

I am just in the process of looking and target is to move is spring 08.

We do drive but share one car at the moment, which is parked up and only used at weekends. The main thing is a trainline close enough to drive to and where one can then jump on the train. We could get a second car as my OH works late, but would seem such a waste of parking costs and my son needs to get to work very early so he might have to drive in closer to London and then get on a train.

Hmmm.... so maybe I need to stick to the larger areas.

But thanks for the info so far. That will help me norrow it down and maybe I should pick up train guides for the areas I am looking at. Yes Essex would be good too but I rather let my son do the long commute, I am getting too old for it.

Alan_M_2

Purley just isn't what it used to be - I moved from there to Caterham (Caterham is nice - but an end of branch line station so you can get quicker services further out), then last year moved out to Bletchingley. Which is close to Redhill, on the occasions I have meetings in town Redhill is a 30 - 40 minute journey on an express.

Horsham and Dorking are nice and will get you into London Bridge within your 60 minute time.

Any closer to the M25 and you're getting into silly money I'm afraid.

Areas of Horley and Crawley are not bad either.

MickKnipfler

Longfield/Meopham is nice but a little farthur out

Debt_Free_Chick

UK007BullDog wrote:

I just want a nice quiet place with some space where I can retire in peace

hhhmmmmm how quiet? We lived in Chislehurst and it's lovely - for what is effectively SE London. Despite what EAs tell you, it's not in Kent as such - it's in the London Borough of Bromley. Not simply being snobby here, but trying to work out where you really want to be.

Whilst it was lovely - almost a village feel, with great pubs (esp The Tiger's Head), I wouldn't exactly call it "quiet". It's choked with traffic especially at the weekend.

UK007BullDog wrote:

Well, I need a place from where I can get to London Bridge, Canary Wharf North East London (work places for the family) quite quickly and dont mind a train journey of up to 60 min.

If you want "really quiet" you could be much further out - but not sure what you want? Staplehurst is right on the 1hr commute limit to London Bridge - but then you'd need to get the Jubilee Line to CW. Oh - don't forget, you could commute in to Cannon Street instead, walk to Bank and then take the DLR You don't need to live in Staplehurst itself, as there are lovely surrounding villages too.

Tonbridge is also on the limit of your commute (but there are some fast trains which get in quicker) and, again, there are some lovely surrounding villages.

Medway is earmarked for development, which could make for plenty of prices at "affordable" prices, but I find the area busy and too "London-like" - but that may be what you're looking for?

danm

as mentioned before. Essex would be good for these comutes

Shenfield to Liverpool Street line. Fast trains to stratford, then jubilee line for LB and Canary Wharf, (or DLR for CW)

Anywhere at the end of the central line (Epping, Loughton, Theydon...NOT Debden) - very nice areas...again, change at stratford

jangor_2

I live in Petts Wood and have to say it is really lovely. However I live near the woods and as I doggy walk, this is an added bonus for me. It is near the mainline station, buses, shops, open areas etc. My son used to work in Canary Wharf and from leaving home think it took him about an hour.