Welcome to the Ten-Percent information page for Dover. If you would like to contact us for further information about posts, please either view our vacancy database, or email us at cv@tenpercent.co.uk.

Dover – is it just a Ferry Terminal?

Most people have been to Dover. But how many of us have actually been further than the ferry terminal? In researching this page, it’s amazing what we found out about the area.

Dover is not, contrary to what we hear in the press, full of asylum seekers looking for trouble with the local population. Over the past couple of years the number of people claiming asylum in Dover has dropped from sixty a day, to eight. The dispersal policy means fewer asylum seekers staying in Dover; they are sent on to other areas.

When we think of Dover, it tends to be the white cliffs and maybe the castle, which overshadows the town. The shopping isn’t particularly memorable; better to head off to Canterbury which is only a half hour drive.

The Kent countryside is a combination of chalk downs, river valleys, woods and marshes, providing lots of opportunities for outdoor activities. There’s the North Downs Way which goes all the way from Dover to Farnham in Surrey. Probably a bit much for one weekend, but you might manage a few miles along the route on a Sunday afternoon. The climate is pleasant enough for wine growing; visit the Elham Valley vineyard for a cream tea and some wine tasting.

The temperate climate and chalk soil, watered by the Great Stour and its tributaries, make this corner of England ideal for fruit growing and cherry and apple orchards thrive. The blossom in spring is something to behold!

Whitstable is just under an hours’ drive from Dover and with events such as the Oyster Festival, who can resist it? As the media keep telling us, the new holiday chic is to find a quaint British seaside resort and relive childhood holidays.

Getting to Dover:

London – Train 1.45 hours – Car 79 miles (just under 2 hours)
Birmingham – Train 4.5 hours – Car 200 miles (about 4.25 hours)
Manchester – Train 4.5 hours – Car 280 miles (about 6 hours)
Cardiff – Train 5 hours – Car 235 miles (c.5 hours)

What can I get for my money in the area?

Well, you can still buy a perfectly pleasant one bedroomed flat for around £95 000. Where else can you do that and get a sea view thrown into the bargain? Small three bed semis in Dover itself are pretty uninspiring, but if you don’t want to commute and want to be handy for the town, they cost about £150k. To rent a property here will set you back around £500 per month, although there seems to be rather a lack of rental properties; there’s no university, new or old, to provide a constant source of renters here.

For just over £200k, you will get a good range of choice in properties, although most of these are not in Dover itself. You’ll obviously pay more for sea views and proximity to the Eurotunnel terminal, but prices are still very reasonable.

There’s a small selection of character properties at the higher end of the market. Not as much as in some areas; maybe people don’t move on so much around here.

Education – Schools

If one of your considerations is schools, then the following list of the top schools* in the area may help:

Dover Grammar School for Girls (SEL)
Judd School, The (SEL)
Tonbridge School (IND, SEL)
Benenden School (IND, SEL)
King’s School Canterbury, The (IND, SEL)
Dane Court Grammar School (SEL)
Highsted Grammar School (SEL)
Tonbridge Grammar School (SEL)
Dartford Grammar School (SEL)
Queen Elizabeth’s Grammar School (SEL)
Skinners’ School, The (SEL)
Ashford School (IND, SEL)
Sir Roger Manwood’s School (SEL)
Walthamstow Hall (IND, SEL)
Invicta Grammar School (SEL)

*Top schools in Kent sorted by A level results

**taken from http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/shared/bsp/hi/education/04/school_tables/secondary_schools/

Primary School

St Thomas’ Catholic Primary School, Sevenoaks
Yalding, St Peter and St Paul Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School
Chiddingstone Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School
Bridge and Patrixbourne Church of England Primary School
St Joseph’s Catholic Primary School, Northfleet
Lunsford Primary School
The Discovery School
Hildenborough Church of England Primary School
St Peter’s Catholic Primary School
St Nicholas At Wade Church of England Primary School
Preston Primary School
Adisham Church of England Primary School
Tunstall Church of England (Aided) Primary School
Claremont Primary School
Lady Boswell’s Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School, Sevenoaks

Hotels

Accomodation in the area varies from BandB’s to country house hotels. In Dover, there are some pretty basic ones, but out in the Kentish countryside you can sleep in a four poster bed in luxury!

The content of the careers centre is intended as guidance only. It has been written by Joanne Hirst on behalf of Ten-Percent Legal Recruitment (www.ten-percent.co.uk). If you have any questions that we have not covered above, please contact us by emailing us at cv@tenpercent.co.uk