Meopham
MEOPHAM The cricket green at Meopham grabs all the attention, being overlooked by a marvellous wooden windmill, now the headquarters of the parish council. It was built in 1801, reputedly from ships’ timbers. The village is long and straggly with a main street dotted with 16th- and 17th-century houses mixed with new. There are six churches, four pubs, three primary schools and a secondary school, as well as a post office, fish-and-chip shop and hardware store. The farmers’ market is held once a month in Meopham Fitness and Tennis Centre. You would pay £200,000 for a two-bedroom cottage; £250,000 to £295,000 for a three-bedroom semi.
Good for: first good stretch of countyside, handy for the M20 and M25.