Are you thinking of moving to Sittingbourne and find yourself wondering “Is Sittingbourne a nice place to live?” Here, we will answer that question for you. 

Sittingbourne is a town in the Swale district of Kent. It lies just 17miles from Canterbury and 45 miles from London, with main links to London Victoria and St Pancreas, making it an excellent commuting spot. 

It is also a town with a great deal of history, dating back to the Roman and Anglo-Saxon periods. There is evidence that there was a settlement in the area before 2000 BC, with farming and trading tribes living inland to avoid attack. 

But, is Sittingbourne a nice place to live? Within this article, we will answer this question for you so you can make the decision as to whether a move to the area is right for you. 

Housing In Sittingbourne

Moving and living in Sittingbourne and the surrounding area gives you many options when it comes to housing. Whether you are looking for a new build, a Victorian townhouse or a classic family home, Sittingbourne will have an option for you. If you are looking for a more rustic, rural life, Sittingbourne, and the villages surrounding it, have many period-style properties and barn conversions that will fit the bill. 

When it comes to house prices, the average price for a home in Sittingbourne is £308,713. Terraced properties sold, on average, for £260,453, semi-detached properties sold for an average of £323,580 and detached properties sold for £452,838.

If you are wanting to rent a property, the average rent is £1,198 per calendar month, with one bedroom properties being around £961 pcm, two bedroom properties being £1,250 pcm and three bedroom properties being around £1,534 pcm. 

Schools And Education

If you have children or are planning on having children, good schools and education being available in the area will be of high importance when asking “Is Sittingbourne a nice place to live?”

There is a good selection of highly regarded primary schools in the town, such as Meadowfield School and Rodmersham School, which both have Outstanding scores from Ofsted. 

Meadowfield School accepts children from age 4 to 19 so it is also an excellent choice of secondary school, if you move when your children are older. There are also Fulston Manor School, The Sittingbourne School and The Westlands School. Alongside these there are two grammar schools in the town itself  – Highsted Grammar School, which is girls only, and Borden Grammar schools which is boys only. 

Green Spaces

If having access to green spaces and nature is high on your list of priorities when it comes to moving to a new area, Sittingbourne has many beautiful green spaces for you to explore and enjoy. 

Firstly, there is Milton Creek Country Park. It is Sittingbourne’s newest green space, which is a tranquil oasis for wildlife, hidden from the world by a screen of industrial and residential development that hems it on three sides. The park is 128 acres of what was once a landfill site. It now offers a large natural play area, a community events space, as well as an extensive network of paths through areas of different meadow, scrub and aquatic habitats that are home to many hundreds of animal species. It is a real testament to what can happen when humans work alongside nature. 

Along with Milton Creek Country Park, there is also Doddington Place Gardens. Doddington Place is in an area of outstanding natural beauty on the North Downs, surrounded by wooded countryside. The gardens, recognised as being of historical importance by English Heritage, are set in the grounds of a Victorian mansion and cover ten acres. They have been open in aid of the National Gardens Scheme for more than fifty years. 

The gardens are only open on Sundays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Bank Holiday Mondays and you do have to pay. It is only £12 for  adults and £3.00 for children. 

Transport Links And Commuting 

Sittingbourne is well connected to many of the surrounding areas. 

There is the high-speed train from Sittingbourne to London St Pancras which will take you to London in less than an hour. If you are going into  London Victoria, it will take just over an hour. 

The A2, A249, M2 and M20 are all easily accessible, making it simple to reach London as well as the Kent coast. 

Sittingbourne is an excellent place for people wanting to continue to work in major cities but want the peace and quiet that comes from a more rural area. 

Leisure And Recreational Activities

There are plenty of fun things to do in the town and surrounding areas. 

Fitness classes, gym equipment, sports halls, climbing walls, and swimming pools are available at The Swallows Leisure Centre. 

As we have already mentioned, Milton Creek Country Park is the perfect spot for a stroll along the pathways and estuary landscape, where you can appreciate its charming landscape. Along with the meadow, scrub and aquatic habitats for important wildlife where you can enjoy and be amongst nature. There is also  a natural play area so children can have fun too. 

If you enjoy history and railways, Sittingbourne has two heritage railways – the Sittingbourne and Kemsley Light Railway or the Bredgar and Wormshill Light Railway. 

You can also enjoy the surrounding area. By heading over the Kingsferry Bridge, you’ll find the traditional seaside towns, like Isle of Sheppey, with a mix of sandy and shingle beaches.

Is Sittingbourne A Nice Place To Live? 

So, is Sittingbourne a nice place to live? 

We think the answer to this question is yes. Sittingbourne has a variety of homes to choose from, no matter what style of house you prefer or your budget. It has excellent schools, making it excellent for families. If you need to commute into London or the surrounding area for work, it has excellent transport links via train and roads to London and the other surrounding areas. 

If you are a nature lover or want to be surrounded by nature, Sittingbourne has many green spaces for you to enjoy and visit. There is also a great deal to do in Sittingbourne, from a visit to the leisure centre, to a visit to one of the light railways to learn some of the history of the area. 

So, yes, Sittingbourne is a nice place to live.

We hope you have found this article helpful. If you are moving to Sittingbourne and find yourself in need of self storage, we are here to help. We will provide you with safe, secure storage to store any or all of your belongings. To find out more, please give us a call on: 01795 420 247 or click here.