We love Aylesford village. How can you not? It has a great community spirit, some really interesting historic properties and many places to eat and drink! Our favourite eatery has to be The Hengist; a recently refurbished restaurant, bar and brasserie with a lovely al-fresco terrace. The Chequers is a more traditional pub which serves food and has a wonderful riverside terrace. You can also enjoy a light bite inside or outside at The Village Pantry or perhaps a pint and a bite to eat in The Bush, public house. There are lovely riverside walks, walks through the neighbouring farmland and just on the edge of the village is The Friars; an ancient religious house open to the public with a cafe, farmers market and peaceful gardens. There is a small primary school in the centre of the village and further primary school just outside the village, both of which were rated as good in the latest Ofsted report as well as a secondary school in the wider Aylesford area. You are spoilt for choice when it comes to shopping, with an M & S foodstore, Sainsburys and an Aldi just up the road. Commuters are well served with London services (changing at Strood) from Aylesford station and you’ve got access to both the M2 and M20 nearby. If this isn’t enough then the County Town of Maidstone is just 4 miles away and has a multitude of retail, educational and recreational facilities....
There is a real sense of community in Burham village. You can still see horses riding on the roads from the local stables and many walkers enjoying walks in the Kent Downs area of outstanding beauty. We would recommend the newly refurbished Butchers Block for a meal and glass of fine wine or for a more relaxed atmosphere try The Windmill, with its bargain Sunday roasts and secluded beer garden. Little ones will hopefully benefit from the small village primary school which was rated Good by Ofsted in 2018 and enjoy their free time relaxing in the large recreation ground and park in the centre of the village. Commuters will be able to access the M2 and M20 at the top and bottom of nearby Blue Bell Hill. If you feel you need the hustle and bustle of town life then bus services run to Rochester, Chatham, and Maidstone.
The village of Ditton has an infant and a primary school, a large recreation ground and community centre, and other local amenities such as a post office, village store, and a parade of independent shops. It has a 28-acre sports club offering football for all ages plus an under 19’s academy, hockey, squash, a gym, and even a sauna and sports bar for the less energetic. Commuters can drive for around half an hour (17 miles) to Ebbsfleet International Station where they can board frequent high-speed trains to London St Pancras in as little as 17 minutes.
If you like Countryside walks then we feel Eccles could be an ideal village for you. Enjoy the countryside as you walk past Neolithic stones at Kits Coty or past the recently planted Chapel Down vineyards. At the end of your walk stop in on the dog-friendly village pub; The Red Bull! Just outside the village is The Friars; an ancient religious house open to the public with a cafe, farmers market, and peaceful gardens. If you have little ones and like the idea of a small village school then St Marks primary school is ideally situated, only has around 130 pupils and was rated Good in the latest Ofsted inspection. Local conveniences also include a village shop with postal facilities and doctors' surgery with dispensing chemist. For those who need to commute, you have access to the M2 at the top of nearby Blue Bell Hill or the M20 at the bottom. There are also buses to Rochester, Chatham, and Maidstone if you want to venture back into the hustle and bustle of town life!
Holborough Lakes is a purpose-built lakeside development between Snodland and Halling. The community boasts facilities such as a residents gym, creche, community centre, primary school (rated Good in all areas by Ofsted in 2018) and even a water sports and dive centre. Transport links are excellent being around 4 miles from the M2 motorway and 3 miles from the M20 motorway. London commuters can drive 20 minutes (12.5 miles) to Ebbsfleet International with high-speed trains whizzing you to London St Pancras in as little as 17 minutes, or for a car free journey you can walk just under a mile to Snodland station that also boasts high-speed trains to St Pancras from 45 minutes.
If you want a fit and active lifestyle then Larkfield surely has everything you need. Its large modern leisure centre has a well-equipped gym, spa, leisure pool with rapids and slides, 25m lane swimming pool, and numerous fitness classes. However, if you like more fresh air when exercising then perhaps a jog around the 250 acre Leybourne Lakes Country Park whilst watching the scuba divers, stand-up paddleboarders and kayakers in the water will be more your thing. Families will love this large, well-established village with its Tesco superstore, Morrisons supermarket, medical centre, and numerous pubs, restaurants, and smaller independent shops. For schooling the younger ones, Lunsford Park and Brookfield Junior school were both rated as Good in 2017 so you can be assured they will get a good start in life here. Commuters will certainly enjoy easy access to junction 4 of the M20 or rail services to London St Pancras in under 1 hour from New Hythe station.
Peters Village has been designed to be a true village, with its own community facilities. When completed, it will have its own shops, medical centre, school, and village hall with changing rooms to serve the area’s playing fields. Peters Village has a characterful location on the east bank of Kent’s major river, the Medway. Riverside properties are fronted by a landmark promenade and the site then rises steadily away from the water, to offer increasingly wide and commanding views over the Medway Valley. Those moving to Peters Village also become neighbours to some special flora and fauna: rarities such as the Great Crested Newt, several bat species, the Adonis Blue butterfly, various orchids, and the Marsh Mallow Moth – it is one of just two UK sites where this moth is found. Part of the land is a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) and managed by a partnership between site developer Trenport, the Government-backed Natural England, and Kent Wildlife Trust.
Snodland is a small bustling town with a number of shops at its centre. There is a great community spirit with a local market, an annual carnival as well as a community centre, cricket and football teams. The town has a secondary school and primary schools. There are also many public footpaths across neighbouring farmland and woodland. The area boasts access to the 250 acre Leybourne Lakes Country Park with numerous sports on offer, such as Scuba diving, windsurfing and kayaking. Commuters will enjoy the journey times to London St Pancras from Snodland station on High-Speed trains in as little as 45 minutes. The town is also situated between junction 2 of the M2 and junction 4 of the M20 giving access to London and the coast.
St Andrews Park is a lakeside development built by Redrow Homes between Halling and Cuxton. The development is fortunate to be next to St Andrews Lakes watersports centre with its 70-acre azure blue water, hosting everything from scuba diving and stand up paddleboarding to open water swimming and an inflatable obstacle course. Nearby Halling benefits from having a post office, convenience store, community centre, doctors surgery, Ofsted primary school (rated Good in 2015) and train station with journey times to London St Pancras in as little as 46 minutes. There is good access to both the M20 and M2 motorways and the nearby Medway Valley complex offers a multiplex cinema, gym and a variety of restaurants.
If you want to be close to the Medway towns, including the historic city of Rochester but want a bit more peace and quiet then we feel Wouldham village could be the place for you. For outdoor lovers, there are walks along The North Downs Way or along the River Medway and you can reward yourself after a long walk at The Medway Inn with a Sunday roast and pint of real ale or for something a little spicier in the adjoining Ruby’s Indian restaurant. The Watermans Inn is great for a cold pint in the beer garden on a hot summers’ day or in winter, snuggle up next to its Inglenook fireplace, and enjoy a real ale with some of their great pub grub. The local primary school has been re-built and relocated and was rated by Ofsted as Good in the 2013 inspection and 2017 interim report. It currently has around 200 pupils but will grow and looks to go from strength to strength from here. Commuters can access the M2 and M20 motorways via nearby Blue Bell Hill or get the train from Halling Station which is just a 10-minute cycle away (1.8 miles) with trains to St Pancras International as quick as 46 minutes including a change.