Nursing in Ashford: Studying, working, and living guide
Find out about nursing in Ashford - where nurses can find jobs, the hospitals they might work in, colleges & universities to study in, plus living information.
Ashford is a town in the county of Kent, England.
It is located on the River Great Stour on the southern edge of the North Downs.
Ashford was once known as The Old town of Ashford for its market and stock market for pastoral farms in the 13th century.
Ashford could be an ideal place for prospective nurses to live, study and work in.
From cost of living and travel through to culture and nightlife, here is an end-to-end guide for Nurses wanting to study or work in Ashford.
Where do Nurses work in Ashford?
There are numerous places that registered Nurses can work in such as hospitals, health and wellbeing centres, nursing homes, and hospices all across Ashford.
William Harvey Hospital
One Ashford Hospital (Private)
St Stephens Health Centre
KIMS Hospital (Private)
All these institutions are major employers and there are thousands of ready-to-fill vacancies for nurses throughout Ashford for anyone wishing to live and work here.
Ashford NHS 111 Contact Centre - IC24
Find nursing jobs in Ashford at Ashford NHS 111 Contact Centre, operated by IC24. On these facility pages by IC24 you can find career information & jobs for nurses, home managers and care assistants in Ashford(depending on whether they are running vacancies at the time of publishing).
Where do aspiring Nurses study in Ashford?
There are many educational places that aspiring Nurses can study at.
EKC Ashford College offers high quality education with a range of health and wellbeing related courses such as Nursing, Midwifery and Healthcare courses. They have start dates for September.
However, would-be nurses should consider applying to Canterbury Christ Church University which offers multiple nursing courses such as Adult Nursing, Child Nursing, Healthcare Practice, Mental Health Nursing, Nursing Associate and Neonatal Intensive Care. Canterbury Christ Church University is just a 25 minute trip by train or 40 minutes by car.
Find our nursing university guide here.
The average monthly rental in Ashford is around £1100 per month.
Where do Nurses live in Ashford?
Nurses live all over Ashford and the surrounding areas.
Some of the best places to live in Ashford are:
Wye.
Considered one of the best areas near Ashford. This would be a good place for a nurse who enjoys outdoor activities. There are also many excellent local schools in the area.
Biddenden.
Appeals to all types of people due to its broad selection of local schools and plentiful local amenities.
Tenterden.
An attractive town and popular visitor destination offering history and architecture.
Canterbury (30 minutes from Ashford).
Popular with nurses due to its endless amenities and home to Canterbury Christ Church University.
What are the living costs for Nurses in Ashford?
Ashford is an affordable town with a lower cost of living compared to other towns and cities across the United Kingdom.
Here is a general guide to some of the different costs of living in Ashford.
The average price for a home in Ashford is currently £353,000, which is above the national average of £293,000 – according to Rightmove.
The average rental price for a property in Ashford is £1100 per month. But if you are looking to rent a room in a shared house, the average cost is just over £600 depending on the precise area in Ashford.
Council tax costs vary across the United Kingdom but in Ashford many people reside in a Band B property or similar which means paying £1668.21 a year, which works out to just under £139.02 per a month.
Bills like shopping and utilities are priced along the same lines to the rest of the UK.
Is travel easy in Ashford?
Travel is very accessible in Ashford no matter where you need to travel.
Ashford has excellent motorway links via the M20. London to Ashford takes just over 1 hour and 30 minutes.
Ashford is easily accessible by train due to the state-of-the-art modern interchange of Ashford International which allows easy access to towns and cities across the region and for onward further travel. London to Ashford can be accessed in just over 30 minutes.
Many parts of Ashford are easily reached by foot, bike, or bus.
The nearest airport is London Gatwick Airport which provides flights all over the UK, as well as to Europe and the US.
There are multiple travel options in Ashford no matter where you need to go to and from.
What to do in Ashford: walks, culture, nightlife and eating out
There are numerous places to visit in Ashford from daytime attractions to evening entertainment and events depending on your interests and where you want to spend your free time.
Culture and attractions
A popular place is Godinton House and Gardens located in a beauty spot close to Ashford Town Centre. There are guided house tours which run on Friday and Saturday afternoons plus 12 acres of tranquil gardens to explore.
Another great family day out is the Hawking Centre for enthusiasts of falconry and birds of prey located in Eastwell Manor. Offering a wide selection of birds as well as beautiful gardens and woodlands to explore.
Ashford International Model Railway Educational Centre offers a one-of-a-kind direct experience through its guided tours.
Do not forget to stop off at the Ashford Designer Outlet for a wide range of shopping bargains.
Look out for High Weald and Kent Downs for charming green spaces to explore and walk around while close to the town centre Victoria Park is a newly restored 17-acre site featuring a riverside walk.
There are many art galleries and museums in Ashford to visit including Ashford Borough Museum which tells the story of the town.
There are also many entertainment venues across Ashford such as Revelation Ashford providing a wide range of music and entertainment activities and events throughout the year.
Nightlife and eating out
Ashford has many places to enjoy a good night out with a wide range of good quality bars and restaurants to eat and drink in.
Highlights include:
County Hotel. A popular Wetherspoons pub to visit in the evenings for food and drinks.
Biddenden Vineyards. Known for its good selection of local wines.
Boys Hall Restaurant, using fresh local and seasonal produce to supplement its vast selection of wines.
Amici Restaurant. A local popular Italian mediterranean restaurant.
What are the school options in Ashford?
There are many schools in Ashford for your children’s education. Choosing a school is down to personal preference and the best future interests for your children and your family.
Ashford has 45 Primary schools, 16 Secondary schools and 2 private independent schools.
There are lots of Ofsted Outstanding and Good rated schools in Ashford and surrounding areas.
Population and demographics in Ashford
Here are some of the stand-out population and demographic facts for Ashford.
Ashford has a population of 133,200.
Ashford’s population density is 594 people per square kilometre.
The population has increased by 2,200 in the past year.
Students make up for 40% of Ashford’s population.
3.4 % of Ashford's population is unemployed – higher than the UK average.
In summary: is Ashford a good place to be a Nurse?
There are many popular areas to live in Ashford.
Each offering a variety of attractions and amenities.
Living costs are a little cheaper than other major towns and cities and there is lots of work on offer.
Whatever your requirements, travel to and from Ashford is simple due to its integrated transport links.
Average salary for a nurse in Ashford is £36,000 per year.
So, your salary as a registered Nurse goes much further in Ashford.
Here are a couple of examples:
As a newly qualified Nurse on an NHS Band 5 salary, if you rented a house, you would still have just over £1100 left in your pocket each month for everything else. Your disposable income in the Southeast would barely reach half of this figure, for example.
As a Band 6 Nurse, you would easily be able to borrow enough money to buy a joint mortgage for an average-priced flat in Ashford. In fact, in many parts your salary would cover the cost of buying a house.
As a nursing student or Nurse in Ashford, you will have an excellent quality of life with lots of things to do.
