Istead Rise is a large village community just south of Gravesend in Kent. Residents who live in this quaint village are subject to the double blessings of a quintessentially rural lifestyle, without the typical limitations on mobility. Only 23 miles from central London on the A2, or a sweet 16 minutes to St Pancreas on any high-speed commuter train - strong transport links make Istead Rise the perfect neighbourhood for any commuter seeking to get out of the rat race. What’s more, proximity to Ebbsfleet International Railway means that a weekend trip to the continent is just on the doorstep of those lucky enough to live here! Located on the greenbelt, the village is fiercely protected and thus offers some of the finest and freshest air to those remaining within the boundary of Greater London. And if all of that wasn’t enough, Istead Rise also offers a surprisingly good Indian curry at Kohinoor Restaurant!

The area surrounding Istead Rise has long been occupied by life, going back as far as the Saxon times where it was known as a spot for hanging sheep thieves; however, it took its current village shape and title in the 1860s, when it became a strong pig-farming community. The village was thus very insular, agricultural and self-sufficient. It wasn’t until the latter half of the 20th century that the community of Istead Rise, as we know it today, emerged: the population grew ten times in size in half a century – sadly the people living here are no longer rearing pigs, but instead make up a strong hub of commuter families.

Istead Rise was the home of one Sybil Endsleigh in the 1930s. Sybil was alleged to be the aesthetic inspiration for sexy pin-up cartoon ladies ‘Jane’ and ‘Sally’, from the Daily Mail and News of the World respectively. The blonde bombshell cartoon, inspired by Sybil, boosted morale by taking off her clothes, and kept our troops warm in the trenches!

Many of the complaints that locals have about the centre of this neighbourhood are concerned with the frequent car accidents that occur along the A2, accompanied by the congestion and pollution. Furthermore, for those unacquainted with the rural lifestyle, the lack of immediate amenities can come as a slight shock and fundamental nuisance. Lastly, as with every area increasingly engulfed by the greedy purple tentacles of the insatiable metropolis, house prices become more and more unaffordable every day.

Believe it or not, the neighbourhood is set for some large changes within the near future. Most significant is Ebbsfleet Garden City, which will be springing up in nearby Ebbsfleet – a new community of over 15,000 homes (30% of the homes will be affordable housing) and public facilities, which promises to vastly boost local employment and the economy, with an estimated 32,000 new jobs created for residents by 2035. While the project is still young and only a few homes and spaces have been developed, it’s set to reshape the area in the next decade.

Whilst the local council have promised that the areas situated within the greenbelt (for example Istead Rise) will only be considered for development once other key brown spaces are full, the potential for spillover may cause changes in population, atmosphere, and housing availability. In fact, locals have already begun campaigning against controversial proposals set on Green Belt land. Gravesham Council in 2020 began exploring the possibility on developing new homes on green sites, which could deliver a whopping 3,700 homes on protected areas. Locals and community organisations criticised the proposals as they claim that brownfield sites that could be developed were not included in the list by the council.