Wye

WYE is possibly the most sought-after village in the Ashford area. Not only does it have the station, but it also has the remarkable Bridge Street in which many of the medieval houses are reached by stone steps. Their purpose originally was to raise the buildings above the stream that once ran down the middle. The Great Stour still flows through the village and is overlooked by the Tickled Trout pub. Houses here sell at a premium as the countryside around is so beautiful and the area feels tucked away. A three-bedroom period home with a courtyard garden in the village centre could cost £295,000.

The village has shops enough for anything you are likely to need. There are also two banks, a garage, primary school and restaurant. A farmer’s market is held twice a month. London University’s Imperial College has a site at Wye Park and the students introduce an unusually young, cosmopolitan element. The college stages an annual rag week and celebrates Bonfire Night with a torchlight procession to the Crown, a chalk image cut into the Downs. There are good walks along the North Downs Way, which passes through the village, and in the Wye Nature Reserve. The latter contains a deep wooded hollow known as the Devil’s Kneading Trough.