Sevenoaks

Craving the rolling hills of rural west Kent but still want an easy commute into London and a busy social scene? This pretty market town is popular for a reason. Part of our Top 300 Places to Live series.

In association with

Knight Frank
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WHY?

With this commuter favourite being only 30 mins from London, surrounded by stunning countryside, good schools galore and a strong community spirit – you can be well-connected here in every sense.

EAT

Number Eight bar and high stools Sevenoaks Kent
Number Eight

Plenty of high street favourites but also a selection of original offerings too – like Turkish eatery Hattusa or smoked meat specialists Brisket and Barrel. If you’re gluten-free or just love cake, we’d suggest heading to Eat ‘n’ Mess, the gorgeous outdoor café serving legendary gluten-free bakes.

And there’s some decent pubs too just a short drive away, like The George & Dragon in Chipstead, rural pub and country-walk combo, The Chaser Inn at Shipbourne or Papermakers Arms in Plaxtol.

For destination fine dining spots, get Number Eight on your radar. In the heart of historic Sevenoaks, sits in a stunning 16th century corner site with a picturesque courtyard terrace. Inside you’ll find sophisticated interiors, classic and refined, with every element of your experience thought through in careful detail. We love this elegant restaurant and it should be top of your list!

Plus there’s Three Sisters set in 450 acres of deer park at Chart Farm. They offer a delicious, locally sourced menu to enjoy in the comfort of your own home or go on a Friday night for their buzzy supper club. We love this unique local dining offering where the provenance and seasonality of the ingredients is key.

If you’re looking for a fantastic experience and a great spot for an evening with friends, there’s Greensand Ridge Distillery. Set in a beamed, Victorian coach house with sweeping views, sip a cocktail while you’re taken on a tour of the distillery. Over two and a half hours, you will even get to distill your own full bottle of gin on a copper pot still. 

SHOP

Flower and Glory – a luxury florist, with gorgeous bits for the home and garden, plus workshops Sevenoaks Kent

There is a good array of high street chains and independent boutiques. We never pass through town without popping into Muddy fave Flower and Glory – a luxury florist, with gorgeous bits for the home and garden, plus workshops. Other indies include everything from The Clever Dresser for fashion to The Fish Shop fishmongers. Hosting sometime soon? Specialising in playful, modern and creative catering, The Happy Grazing Company create bespoke, Luxury Grazing Tables, Platters & Boxes. Bright and beautiful – they provide the perfect, practical solution – no matter the shape or size of your event.

HEALTH & WELLBEING

For wellbeing, Sevenoaks Leisure Centre is the go-to spot for a variety of fitness classes, from high-energy spinning to soothing aqua aerobics, and boasts a well-equipped gym for all your workout needs. If you prefer the great outdoors, the picturesque trails of Knole Park are perfect for invigorating walks or runs amidst stunning scenery.

Also there’s The Health Boost run by friends, Kat (nutritional therapist) and Val (personal trainer) who work 1:1 with clients, writing recipes and creating meal plans for women’s health and menopause. They also run sell-out retreats to support women thrive through all their phases of peri and menopause in a safe supportive group.

COMMUNITY

The town is buzzing with events, like the annual Sevenoaks Summer Festival, which fills the town with theatre performances, live music, and art exhibitions. While the Sevenoaks Wildlife Reserve hosts family-friendly nature walks and workshops. During winter, don’t miss the Christmas Lights Switch-On which is a major highlight, filling the streets with twinkling lights, carol singing, and festive markets where locals sip mulled wine and shop for handmade gifts.

Local village halls are always bustling with activities – from yoga and pilates classes, gardening clubs to the Sevenoaks Players putting on their latest show. Plus there’s Pip founder of Sevenoaks based cookery school, The Cooking Apple. Pip organises regular live events from full cooking demos to ‘kitchen evenings’ where guests can canapé or desserts and enjoy a main course demo. Even relaxing yoga supper & brunch clubs.

NEARBY ATTRACTIONS

Riverhill Himalayan Gardens kids playing with yeti Sevenoaks Kent
Riverhill Himalayan Gardens

We’re big fans of the Sevenoaks Wildlife Reserve which is part of the Kent Wildlife Trust, the county’s leading conservation charity. The reserve’s Jeffery Harrison Visitor Centre on Bradbourne Vale Road is a great place to get your family out enjoying the countryside and there’s often kid-friendly events like seasonal trails to enjoy.

For more family outdoor fun, visit gorgeous Knole Park with its wild deer herd which is right in the town itself and Ightham Mote, the romantic moated manor house, offering tonnes of fun for the younger ones in its natural play area as well as breathtaking walks across the Kent countryside. Or you’ve got brilliant days out with the family like Hever CastlePenshurst Place and Riverhill Himalayan Gardens right on the doorstep.

CULTURE

Book lovers will rejoice at the number of top calibre author talks at the Muddy Award-winning Sevenoaks Bookshop, plus there’s an annual Sevenoaks Literary Festival. Head to The Stag community arts centre for theatre and cinema and nearby St Clear Estate is home to a number of festivals throughout the year.

AVERAGE HOUSE PRICE

The average sold price for a property in Sevenoaks in the last 12 months is £742,278. For detached homes it was £1,103,070, semis £590,458 and terraced were £463,385.

HOT PROPERTY

A fantastic, fully refurbished, four-bedroom thatched cottage nestled in the picturesque Kent village of Ightham. On market with Knight Frank for £1,650,000.

NURSERIES

Nurseries attached to local independent schools include Nursery & Kindergarten at St Michael’s Prep; Nursery & Kindergarten at Sevenoaks Prep; the Nursery at The New Beacon, the Nursery at Walthamstow Hall, the Pre-School at The Granville and the Nursery at Radnor House. Nearby in Tonbridge there’s the Pre-School at The Schools at Somerhill, The Nursery at Hilden Oaks and the Nursery at Hilden Grange School.

Springboard Pre-School (at Holmesdale Cricket Club, Worships Hill), The Lodge Nursery School (in the Sevenoaks United Reformed Church) and Tiggers Nursery School on site of Dunton Green Primary School have all received an Ofsted Inspection Rating of Outstanding. As has the Nursery attached to St Thomas’ Catholic Primary School in South Park, Sevenoaks.

SCHOOLS

Sevenoaks has it’s own annexe of the Weald of Kent Girls Grammar School and also an annexe for Tunbridge Wells Grammar School for Boys. There’s also bus and train links to the other (boy or girl) grammars in the area and brilliant independent schools in the town itself too – including the highly regarded Sevenoaks SchoolWalthamstow Hall, Sevenoaks Prep School and The New Beacon. There’s also popular St Michael’s Prep School in nearby Otford. And there’s Radnor House Sevenoaks which offers both a Prep School and Senior School offering just outside town. Or Tonbridge School, the prestigious boys’ senior school is only 15 mins away.

BEST KEPT SECRET

A rather eclectic mix of local celebs – Instagram sensation and BBC’s You Are What You Wear stylist Kat Farmer, superstar DJ John Digweed, Strictly Come Dancing veteran Anton Du Beke and even Wolf from Gladiators. That’s a dinner party line-up if ever we heard one.

COMMUTE

Sevenoaks station has fast and frequent services to London Charing Cross (via London Bridge and Waterloo East) and Cannon Street in just 22 mins. So commuter catnip. And with the newly improved A21 linking towards London and the M25 to the north and Tonbridge, Tunbridge Wells and the coast to the south you couldn’t be better positioned.

View the full Top 300 Best Places to Live.

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