New-build family homes in Kent: new apartments and houses for sale close to top schools, open countryside — and a local winery
Grammar schools and a speedy commute keep Kent in the good books of family home buyers.
The allure of the beautiful Kentish Weald is an additional attraction in the Covid-19 era.
By size, Kent is England’s least populated county. It is also one of the most diverse, with raw and refined areas - countryside and coastal - plus a former industrial swathe around Ebbsfleet, a designated new "garden city" with a 17-minute train link to St Pancras.
Tenterden, so-called Jewel of the Weald, is best-known for its award-winning Chapel Down winery and gin distillery, plus a delightful private steam train service through an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty to moated, 14th-century Bodiam Castle in East Sussex.
Overlooking the River Rother Valley, the town has a large conservation area of ancient buildings dating back to its wool manufacturing heyday. A weekly market offers fresh farm produce.
A short walk from the tree-lined high street is Church View, a scheme of new apartments and houses featuring traditional Kentish architecture, but with contemporary interiors.
Prices from £225,000. Call developer Dandara on 01580 854066.
The commute to London is 40 minutes from Ashford, a 15-minute car ride away from Tenterden.
In nearby Biddenden, a hamlet of 45 barn-style homes bordering farmland has been unveiled by developer Millwood Designer Homes, which often uses reclaimed materials to achieve an authentic look.
"The homes take their character from traditional barn forms and incorporate black weatherboarding and large glazed openings," says architect Jon Neville.
Called The Maltings, prices start at £430,000. Call 01843 880843.
