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Fleur Sinclair,
owner of the
award-winning
Sevenoaks
Bookshop. Left:
the print shop
They Made This
in BrightonSEVENOAKS, KENT ✪
Best Places to Live without Sevenoaks is like a scone without
jam and cream, Aperol without prosecco or a cockapoo
without a silly name. It just doesn’t feel right. This safe,
dependable Kent town has appeared almost every year for a
decade thanks to its powerful triumvirate of convenient
commutability (trains to London Bridge, Waterloo East,
Cannon Street and Charing Cross all take from less than 35
minutes), top-class schools and abundance of greenery.
Sevenoaks isn’t sexy but it knows it — there’s a running
joke that its high street is full of estate agents, coffee shops,
charity shops and opticians. It is (especially since the
pandemic). But its appeal lies in the fact it is surrounded^
by stunning countryside — it is encircled by the Kent
Downs Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty — but you’re
no more than five minutes from an avocado. Or a Starbucks
or a Gail’s Bakery, both of which opened during the
pandemic to support all the families decamping from the
capital. Indeed, Sevenoaks was the top destination in 2020
for Londoners to move to, according to Hamptons estate
agency. It means you need to sharpen your elbows because
most homes that go on sale are going to best and final offers.
The biggest battles are reserved for the schools: the town
Continued on p8 ➤Best Places to Live 2022
Southeast
The best schools, shops and speedy trains
with an uplifting blast of country living?
Part-time commuter says yes
AVERAGE HOUSE PRICE
£422,000
BRIGHTON A
OK, time to ’fess up. We’ve
always had a bit of a blind spot
about Brighton. Yes, we know
lots of people really like it, but
the planning catastrophe of
the seafront, London-sized
house prices for not living in
London, the whiff of grunge
and that cooler-than-thou
attitude have always sent us
scurrying for the diet
alternatives of Lewes or Hove.
Yet it is perfectly possible to
enjoy Brighton’s attributes
while keeping its irritants at
arm’s length. All you have to
do is turn away from the
English Channel and make a
home in one of the quieter
areas on the landward fringe.
In Fiveways and Preston Park
you really can have the best of
all worlds: country walks and
cutting-edge culture, served
up with a healthy dose of
ozone-rich salty air.
You’ll also find family-
friendly Victorian terraces
with almost enough residents’
parking, local shops (Spar,
sustainable homewares and
enough caffeine to boost the
WFH effort), green spaces and
fun stuff for those days when
you can’t be bothered to bus,
bike or hike it to the centre.
Everything you want can be
found in Brighton, and the
Lanes is still one of the UK’s
most appealing districts for a
meal or a mooch. Preston
Park itself is a regular
award-winner thanks to its
volunteer friends, and hosts
events, including Pride, the
grandest day out in the city’s
social calendar.
Best place to live if... You
want to roll with it in Brighton
but not rock out.
Best address The so-called
golden triangle between
Fiveways and Preston Park.
£519,000*COOKHAM, BERKSHIRE B
Such serenity, so close to the
concrete and chaos of thePETER TARRY FOR THE SUNDAY TIMES; IAN GOODRICK; ANDREW SPARKES/ALAMY*Source: Halifax using Land Registry data
This is an edited version. For the complete guide visit thetimes.co.uk/best-places-to-liveWinner
April 10, 2022 7