Three of the best Kent market towns: good-value homes, well-rated schools and doable commutes for London leavers

These well-established commuter towns offer a wide range of school and property options for growing families.
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Ruth Bloomfield28 June 2019

The county’s grammar schools make Kent a mecca for families moving out of London. Add in the green lungs of the Kent Downs and High Weald, the chance to spend weekends by the sea, and high-speed rail services, and this county of oast houses and orchards justifies accepting a commute.

Kent’s market towns are perhaps the most varied of any in the home counties.

There are favourites, such as affluent Sevenoaks, where an average home now costs about £660,000.

But there are also quaint little charmers such as Cranbrook and Wrotham, and more workaday transport hubs at Ashford and Dover.

Kent’s mix of property is varied. Buyers can chose from a Regency townhouse, a quaint clapboard cottage, a barn conversion, a convenient new build — or simply the kind of roomy Victorian semi you could never afford in London.

Tonbridge, Kent: a three-bedroom home in Manor Grove for sale for £725,000

Tonbridge

The best value of Kent’s “big three” commuter towns, an average home in Tonbridge costs £387,000, compared with £437,000 in Tunbridge Wells and £660,000 in Sevenoaks.

In truth, this medieval Medway town with its Norman castle is neither pretty, nor full of character like Tunbridge Wells. It’s a middle-class suburban town but its streets are lined with good-quality, good-value Victorian and Edwardian family houses.

The schools are superlative, particularly if you fancy your kids’ chances in the competitive race for a grammar school place.

And there is lots to do, with its theatre, a couple of sports centres and plenty of sports clubs.

Howard Kingsnorth, director of Barnes Kingsnorth estate agents, believes Tonbridge’s good value is a hangover from its industrial past which traditionally made it a less-desirable option for people coming to Kent.

Today, however, all its old brownfield sites are gone and the price gap is beginning to close.

Fans of period homes should search to the south of the town centre, says Kingsnorth, where a four-bedroom terrace house would cost an average £600,000. Post-war expansion in the north of Tonbridge has resulted in plenty of Forties and Fifties semis, priced at £500,000 to £600,000 for a four-bedroom house.

Being close to the massive Bluewater Shopping Centre has taken a toll on Tonbridge’s comprehensive but uninspiring high street. But to compensate you are right on the doorstep of the High Weald, and while life in Tonbridge won’t mean an escape from Pizza Express and Starbucks, there are also some nice pubs, such as The Punch & Judy and The Beer Seller.

Market forces: there has been a market in the town since 1259 and you can still shop alfresco for clothes, fruit and veg, along with homewares on Saturday mornings.

Commuting: trains from Tonbridge station take about three quarters of an hour to reach either Cannon Street or Charing Cross. An annual season ticket costs £3,444.

Schools: Fabulous. Local grammars The Judd School and Tonbridge Grammar School both hold “outstanding” Ofsted reports.

Cranbrook, Kent: a five-bedroom home for sale for £795,000

Cranbrook

Before you fall in love with the character architecture of Cranbrook you should know it does not have a station and it is not the fastest commute in the county.

Cranbrook is a little gem, however, an intensely charming medieval town in the heart of the Weald, with the oldest buildings dating back almost 600 years.

Sissinghurst Castle, with its ravishing gardens and its vineyards, is up the road, while Cranbrook has a good selection of pubs, cafés and restaurants for such a small town, plus independent galleries alongside useful everyday shops — and parking is free. There is a local brewery and a steam railway to up the cuteness ante, and it’s an easy trip to the rather chichi towns of Tenterden and Tunbridge Wells.

For sporty types there is a local tennis club and rugby club, plus golf clubs and riding schools within easy reach.

Duncan Petrie, head of Savills’ Cranbrook office, says about one in five of his buyers is moving from London. Cranbrook’s prime properties are along its gorgeous high street, and range from tiny cottages to grand houses. Prices here pack a premium — you can expect to pay between £500,000 and £600,000 for a three-bedroom cottage.

If you want space, then a 16th- or 17th-century detached four-bedroom house on the edge of the village, with half an acre of garden, would set you back between £800,000 and £900,000.

Buyers on tighter budgets could pick up a three-bedroom Victorian terrace cottage for between £350,000 and £450,000.

Market forces: there is a monthly farmers’ market, small but yummy, and as well as food you can buy cosmetics, gifts and toys. There is also a Christmas fair and a well-attended May festival.

Commuting: there’s no station in town. Services from Staplehurst, a 15-minute drive or bus ride away, to Charing Cross take 62 minutes. An annual season ticket costs £5,188.

Schools: Cranbrook C of E Primary School has a “good” rating from Ofsted, and the “outstanding” Cranbrook School is one of the most sought-after secondaries in the county. However, if a child fails to make the Cranbrook grade there is a problem, because High Weald Academy “requires improvement” according to the schools watchdog.

Wrotham, Kent: a three-bedroom home for sale for £425,000

Wrotham

With a population of just under 2,000, Wrotham is a fraction of the size of Sevenoaks, seven miles away. But it is technically classed as one of Kent’s market towns, and those seven miles — taking an extra 10 minutes on the train every morning — make a huge difference to buyers.

An average Wrotham property costs £552,000, some £110,000 less than a home in Sevenoaks.

And while Sevenoaks is a classy commuter dormitory, Wrotham — pronounced “Rootam” — has more of a country feel. Its quaint high street has a 13th-century church and a cluster of pubs. It is light on shops with a couple of local basics but there is more choice in neighbouring Borough Green.

Market forces: Wrotham’s historic market has gone but Sevenoaks has a market on Saturdays.

Commuting: Borough Green & Wrotham train station is a mile south of the centre of the village. Services to Victoria take from 50 minutes and an annual season ticket costs £4,160.

Schools: St George’s C of E Primary School gets an “outstanding” rating from the Ofsted education watchdog. Seniors can go to the local Wrotham School, rated “good” or try for a place at grammar school in Sevenoaks.