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Experience Royal Tunbridge Wells in Kent, the only historic spa town in the South East of England, equidistant from London and the coast.

Royal Tunbridge Wells lies at the heart of an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, unspoilt ancient countryside famously known as the Garden of England.

    ^{Credit: David Hodgkinson}

Set amongst a rich heritage of orchards, hop farms (and hop picking), vineyards, market towns, iron production and cloth weaving, the wider region of Tunbridge Wells possesses a fascinating depth of heritage and history.

With most of the region designated as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and dotted with ancient churches and oast houses, there is plenty of opportunity to soak up the English rural scenery which inspired greats such as Thackeray, EM Forster, Chagall and Tattershall Dodd I.

^{Credit: David Hodgkinson}

The birth of Tunbridge Wells was over 400 years ago when a natural spring welled up from the ground. And it was named “The Tunbridge Wells” (the wells near Tonbridge).

In the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, ‘The Wells’ became a favoured destination for fashionable society needing accommodation and places of entertainment such as coffee houses, gaming-rooms and an assembly room for dances and balls. Thus the town began to grow.

Sir Christopher Wren sent his chief plasterer Henry Doogood to create the magnificent ceiling in the Parish Church of King Charles the Martyr. It was here that Princess Victoria attended church services with her mother, the Duchess of Kent. When in the country, Princess Victoria (later Queen) stayed at what is now Hotel du Vin overlooking Calverley Grounds.

In 1909 Edward VII honoured the town with the Royal prefix as testament to his mother’s (Queen Victoria) love of the town.

Did you know? The origin of the nom de plume “Disgusted of Tunbridge Wells” is a local newspaper editor desperate to reverse the decline of the publication. In the 1950s a certain Nigel Chapman instructed his staff to write letters to the paper with the famous sign off and thus it has stuck, for better or worse!

Immersive activities in the Tunbridge Wells region

Get your Digital Detox programmed in with these activities for improving your wellbeing:

• Cycling on- and off-road, leisure or sportive, the choice is yours. Easily hire a bike from Countrybike via their app;
• Long tramps, put your best boot forward and admire ancient woodlands not changed for hundreds of years like the Tunbridge Wells Circular Walk: delight in the pretty rolling landscape of over 27.5 miles with traditional pub stop offs en-route and sites of historic interest such as Turner’s Keyes Mill;
• Find out about the Scandals of the Spa through a group guided tour from a blue badge guide. Book via the Tourist Information Centre;
• Rock climbing or rock admiring, Tunbridge Wells has several unique sandstone rock formations designated as Sites of Scientific Interest;
• Curling at Fenton's Curling Rink;
• Art classes – the longstanding artist’s shop M Saltmarsh has a list of art courses to suit any level or media as well as their own ‘Wine and Paint’ sessions. Pottery and other creative crafts can also be undertaken in Hawkhurst at Slap n Dash on the same site as the Fishing Lakes (good disabled access);
• Cookery / baking courses – perfect in the abundance of the Garden of England;
• Foraging for your dinner at the Small Holding Farm & Kitchen in Goudhurst;
• Cocktail courses at One Warwick Park Hotel;
• Meet the brewer at microbrewery Cellarhead Brewing Company and various events during Food and Drink month in September across the town of Royal Tunbridge Wells;
• Learn to drive a steam train at the vintage Spa Valley Railway in town;

^{Spa Valley Railway | Credit: John Nye}

• Clay pigeon shooting;
• Junior driver lessons for 5-17 year olds in Crescent Road Car Park, Royal Tunbridge Wells;
• Escape rooms at The Hop Farm in Paddock Wood and Clue Cracker Jail Break at The Shuffle House in Royal Tunbridge Wells;
• Classical residential piano courses in prettiest village of Goudhurst at Finchcocks manor house;
• Sailing, kayaking, the big inflatable aqua challenge at Bewl Water, largest open water in South East;
• Enjoying luxurious spa breaks;

^{Credit: David Hodgkinson}

• Annual festivals in 2020, theatre and live music across the region:
  • Jazz on the Pantiles all summer long (free);
  • Cricket Festival at the Nevill Cricket Ground (making a cameo in the Bollywood film 83!)
  • Local & Live – free music festival every August Bank Holiday;
  • Puppetry festival – biennial series of events in Autumn;
  • Food & Drink festival – every September - free;
  • Ice skating and Bavarian curling at the Christmas ice rink;
  • Unfest – in the old public toilets! The Forum, an independent music venue recognised by NME;
  • Tom Kerridge’s Pub in the Park;
  • Alfresco family music festival;
  • Bedgebury Forest Live with famous acts such as Paloma Faith and Keane;
  • Tulip Festival & Dahlia Festival at Pashley Manor Garden;
  • Spring Diesel Gala, CAMRA Real ale & cider festival at Spa Valley Railway (with a Victorian shed and buffet car);
  • RTW International Music Festival;
  • Lamberhurst classical music festivals;
  • Black Deer Music Festival – Country and Americana;
  • Cranbrook Apple Carnival – free quirky country market town escapades!

    
    ^{Cranbrook Flying Barrows at the Cranbrook Apple Carnival}

Best of the attractions in Tunbridge Wells are:

• The Seven Wonders of the Weald (a discount pass for 7 places to visit) including Hole Park (famed for Bluebells) and 2 National Trust properties (fairy-tale Scotney Castle and the world famous Sissinghurst Castle Gardens) which celebrates its 125th anniversary in 2020. Staying in Tunbridge Wells means you have easy access to at least 5 NT properties!
• Pashley Manor Gardens, famed for tulips, dahlias and garden sculpture; and
• Penshurst Place, well known as a fabulously maintained Tudor palace, manicured gardens and filming location for Wolf Hall and The Other Boleyn Girl amongst others.

  
  ^{Credit:David Hodgkinson}

Weddings in Tunbridge Wells

The choice of wedding venues is not so much prolific as stunning and full of quintessential English romance. Those mentioned above are of course on the list but there are also the exquisite historic town hotels, country manor hotels and woodland or lake settings too. With plenty of spas, bars, bridal boutiques and handsome homeware stores everything can be catered for the special day in Tunbridge Wells.

^{The Pantiles Bride, Tunbridge Wells. Credit: David Hodgkinson}

The Latest Tourism News from Tunbridge Wells

• Watch out for the Royal Tunbridge Wells Audio Walking App (Tales of Tunbridge Wells) to launch for the summer season of 2020;
• A brand new Premier Inn is due to open in Spring 2020 in the town centre by the railway station for more choice of budget breaks in Tunbridge Wells;
• Plenty of accommodation for visitors to The 149th Open (a leisurely 2 hour train ride or 1.5 hours drive) and local golf courses to channel the likes of Rory McIlroy and Tiger Woods;
• The hotly anticipated Bollywood film release of ‘83’ will launch in April 2020. The plot is based on a biographical story of one famous cricket player, Kapil Dev, who scored a huge 175 not out in 1983 at the Nevill Cricket Ground in Tunbridge Wells. An Indian audience is expected to be very enthusiastic and 2020 coincides with the 150th anniversary of Kent County Cricket too!

^{(c) TWBC Nevill Cricket Ground}

• High Weald Walking Festival September – Get Outside in the mellow month of September and enjoy the change in the seasons amongst these annual rural rambles. Get a feel for the wildlife, and flora, in the temperate south of England accompanied by a human guide.  NB. Please check beforehand that dogs are permitted;
• Newly relocated Richard Burnett’s Heritage Collection of Harpsichords (formerly at Finchcocks in Goudhurst).  The most stunning antique harpsichords decorated most beautifully. Still playable so keep an eye out for the rare concerts and tours, in an intimate venue on the outskirts of the town of Tunbridge Wells;
• A new foodie foray is Central Market, adjacent to the shopping mall, Royal Victoria Place. An undercover outdoor experience sheltered with marquee style canopies, fairy lights and patio heaters around wooden tables and benches. A variety of food is available from artisan chocolate to bowls of bliss and gourmet burgers;
• New dog friendly shopping centres in town: Royal Victoria Place undercover mall and The Pantiles. Browse the dog friendly page for more places to go with the pooch.

^{Credit: Richard Burnett Harpsichord Collection}

General facts and figures about Tunbridge Wells:

• Value of tourism to local economy: £277,796,000 in 2017 (2018, Cambridge Model of Economic Impact of Tourism);
• 4.65m trips made in 2017 to Tunbridge Wells, this is an increase of 5.7% compared to 2015. 0.3million trips were overnight stays with an average length of stay of 3.8 nights.  246,000 were domestic visitors and 65,000 were from overseas;
• £223 million was spent by tourists during their visit to the area in 2017;
• Of total trip expenditure the main areas of spend were as follows: 10% spend on accommodation, 37% spend on shopping and 31% spend on food and drink;
• Accommodation:  21 hotels (including country inns) and 1 motel;
• Other types of accommodation available: Bed and Breakfast; Self-Catering; Camping;

Easily accessible by train from Hastings or London Charing Cross and London Canon Street in under an hour, Royal Tunbridge Wells is only 40 miles from London.

Credit link to photos for publication is www.visittunbridgewells.com – free to copy any photos as long as credit is given to the source (www.visittunbridgewells.com ) and the photographer if the name is published. See the Image Library for more information and please do contact us on email: touristinformationcentre@tunbridgewells.gov.uk

Further Research

Facts and Figures for the Kent Visitor Economy from Visit Kent Business.

District Fact Files available from Visit Kent

Any further media enquiries can be made to the Communications team by email or telephone 01892 526121 and ask for the Press Officer.