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Royal Tunbridge Wells
Town in Kent, England

Royal Tunbridge Wells

Royal Tunbridge Wells is a town in Kent, England, 30 miles southeast of Central London.

Plan a trip to Royal Tunbridge Wells→From London

It lies close to the border with East Sussex on the northern edge of the High Weald, whose sandstone geology is exemplified by the rock formation High Rocks. The town was a spa in the Restoration and a fashionable resort in the mid-1700s under Beau Nash when the Pantiles, and its chalybeate spring, attracted visitors who wished to take the waters. Though its popularity as a spa town waned with the advent of sea bathing, the town still derives much of its income from tourism. The prefix "Royal" was granted to it in 1909 by King Edward VII; it is one of only four towns in England with the title.

Get in

Getting to Royal Tunbridge Wells

Tunbridge Wells can be accessed from the north using the A21 trunk road, which runs as a dual carriageway for most of its length between the M25 and the outskirts of the town. The A21 continues south past Tunbridge Wells to Lamberhurst and Hastings. The single carriageway A26 runs through the town centre, providing a link to Brighton and Lewes to the south, and Tonbridge and the A21 to the north.

See

Worth seeing

  1. 01
    Chalybeate Spring

    Chalybeate Spring is in The Pantiles, London Road.

  2. 02
    Tunbridge Wells Museum and Art Gallery

    From Victorian oil paintings and archaeology to historic fashions and toys.

  3. 03
    Dunorlan Park

    Once a private landscaped garden, this park is well used by locals, having been restored following a Heritage Lottery Fund award of £2.1 million.

  4. 04
    Bayham Old Abbey

    Furnace Lane, Little Bayham, TN3 8LP (5 miles east of Tunbridge Wells),.

  5. 05
    Penshurst Place

    Features an impressive medieval manor house.

  6. 06
    Groombridge Place

    Winner of the Top Garden Attraction in the UK by Good Britain Guide 2000.

Do

Things to do

  1. 01
    The Pantiles

    Great in warm weather when the various pubs and restaurants put out table and chairs and the clientele along here spill out into it giving it a great atmosphere.

  2. 02
    High Rocks

    Take a walk and look at the impressive sandstone outcrops linked by eleven bridges that provide scenic walks in acres of peaceful woodland.

  3. 03
    Spa Valley Railway

    Operates from late March to end of October, and December.

  4. 04
    Salomons Museum

    Very near Tunbridge Wells, Tonbridge is not as upmarket but houses this stunning ancestral home with gardens.

  5. 05
    Fenton's Curling Rink

    It makes a great day's hiking trip especially if you bring a picnic along.

  6. 06
    Assembly Hall Theatre

    Crescent Rd (Town centre, next to the Town Hall),.

Eat

Where to eat

All the major fast food chains are represented, mostly in the town centre, and the Royal Victoria Place shopping mall has a fairly large food court, although it is generally noisy and crowded. Apart from some in Camden Road, most restaurants can be found in the centre, on Mount Pleasant and in the High Street area. There are also many pubs in and around Tunbridge Wells that offer good food.

  1. 01
    Osteria Pizza

    Beautiful pizzas in this Italian restaurant.

  2. 02
    The Hare

    Langton Rd, Langton Green, Tunbridge Wells TN3 0JA, UK (At the corner of the main crossroads in Langton Green), hare@brunningandprice.co.uk.

  3. 03
    The Lodge Coffee House

    Great friendly staff and a great option for lunch or quick coffee (only open during the day).

  4. 04
    Sankeys

    Consistently high quality seafood from the British Isles, as well as some game.

Text adapted from Wikipedia and Wikivoyage, CC BY-SA 4.0. Photograph: Kk70088 (see Commons), Wikimedia Commons.