ROCHESTER
WHORNES PLACE, CUXTON
Price: £850,000
A magical home with a unique blend of old and new qualities. This property is grade II listed and steeped in history. It even has a coat of arms inscribed above the front door. However, it has been renvovated to the highest standards of modern luxury. The walled garden is more reminiscent of a Provencal gîte than a Tudor estate, with its garden lodge, terrace shaded by a cedar canopy and deck area inset with a large sunken spa bath. Contact: Geering & Colyer on 01227 477009 or go to www.geeringandcolyer.co.uk.
FINDHORN, HIGHAM
Price: £600,000
This majestic wedding cake of a property is currently split into three residences, but has the potential to be transformed into an impressive eight bedroom family home. An elevated conservatory runs the length of the rear of the house, looking out onto one and a half acres of garden. Gads Hill School, a well-regarded independent day school, is directly opposite. Contact: Geering & Colyer on 01227 477009 or go to www.geeringandcolyer.co.uk.
HIGH STREET
Price: £110,000
A top floor, two bedroom flat in the centre of Rochester, perfect for the first-time buyer who wants to be in the thick of things. Along with generously proportioned accomodation and a surprisingly swish kitchen, there is enviable access to an abundance of pubs, restaurants and shops, plus fabulous views over the town. Contact: Mann Countrywide on 01634 812697 or go to www.manncountrywide.co.uk.
NEED TO KNOW | AREA INSIGHT
Commuting: Trains from Rochester railway station will whisk you to Victoria in 45 minutes and St. Pancras in 39 minutes.
Education: There is an unusually high number of good grammar schools in the area, including the Rochester Grammar School for girls and Sir Joseph Williamson’s Mathematical School for boys. The private sector is equally well catered for, with Rochester Independent College and King’s School, which is nestled in the Rochester Cathedral’s precincts.
Crime: Rates are in line with national averages.
Bars and restaurants: Rochester’s quaint Victorian high street is studded with a diverse selection of gastronomic delights, from cream teas at Mrs. Bumble’s Tea Rooms to divine French cuisine at the Atrium Restaurant, voted one of Britain’s top ten hidden gems by foodie website Toptable. Atmospheric bar the George Vaults is the place to go for cocktails and dancing.
Leisure: Choc-a-bloc with museums and heritage sites, namely the Cathedral and Castle. Bookworms will be charmed by the nearby Dickens World, an indoor theme park celebrating Rochester’s most famous literary export.