Royal Tunbridge Wells
The Town
Around 30 miles south-east of London, your property search company will delight in introducing the pleasant, affluent Kent spa town of Royal Tunbridge Wells. King Edward II, Queen Victoria’s successor, added the prefix in 1909. Your real estate buyers agent can tell you this was in part to celebrate his mother’s affection for the town. (Queen Anne was also fond of Tunbridge Wells.)
Tunbridge Wells centre has two distinct districts, as your property buying agent can explain. Turn right at the station to start your property search in the more historic area, or left and up the hill for the district which your real estate buyers agent can confirm is more commercial. Ask your Recoco property finder about the current population: about 56,500.
Transport
Need information about transport links? Your Recoco buying agent can oblige. Roads include the A26 Maidstone to Newhaven, A264 Five Oaks to Pembury, and A267 to Hailsham, with the A21 east of town. Bus services run to Paddock Wood, Sevenoaks, and Tonbridge, with express services to Maidstone and Bromley. Your property buying agent can also confirm other destinations include Eastbourne, Brighton and Hove, and Crawley.
For a property buyer requiring trains to London, Tunbridge Wells Central is at the end of the High Street, with High Brooms station north of the town.
History
There is evidence of settlement from the Iron Age, as buyers agents can tell you. Your Recoco property finder can also outline the town’s spa history, which began when Dudley, Lord North, courtier to James I, chanced upon a chalybeate spring. He told his wealthy London friends how his health improved after drinking the waters, and as your Recoco buying agent can confirm, the town’s popularity gradually increased.
Very little building took place until around 1676, as any Recoco property finder can confirm. Ask your property search company about the town’s 18th-century heyday. Although its star faded slightly as seaside trips became popular, your property buying agent can attest that the town still appeals to tourists.
Education
For those needing details of educational options for their property search, Tunbridge Wells district offers a choice of schools. There are over 40 primary and 18 secondary establishments. Independent schools include Marlborough House, St Ronan’s School, and Kent College, Pembury. Ask your Recoco property buyers about schools in town; Kent still has a selective 11-plus exam. There is no university in town, but Canterbury Christ Church University Salomons Campus, just outside town, offers postgraduate programmes.
Leisure and Events
Along with the spring, a well-known Tunbridge Wells attraction is the pedestrianised Georgian street, the Pantiles. Ask your real estate buyers agent about the name – it’s related to the original square paving. Most buildings are listed. The Corn Exchange on the Pantiles has had various functions, including a theatre.
Enjoy the arts? Ask your Recoco buying agent about the Assembly Hall, now the largest theatre, artistic pursuits at the Trinity Arts Centre, or music at the Forum. Buyers agents can also tell you about the Unfest music festival, which takes place in May most years.
In season, there’s a steam railway, and if you’d rather expend a little more energy, visit High Rocks National Monument, just outside town. Or ask your property search company about unique sporting pursuits - Tunbridge Wells has the only dedicated curling ice rink in England.
Celebrity Connections
Royal Tunbridge Wells has gained something of a celebrity status over the years, known for its air of genteel tranquillity and particular worldview. It’s mentioned by numerous authors, including Arthur Conan Doyle, E.M. Forster, H.G. Wells, Oscar Wilde, Arnold Bennett, Charles Dickens, and Zadie Smith.
Others with links to town include comedian Jo Brand, cricketer David Gower, RSPB founder Eliza Phillips, musician Sid Vicious, and tennis player Virginia Wade.
Foodies’ Corner
Any property buyer will enjoy dining out in Tunbridge Wells - both the Ivy outpost and Thackeray’s promise fine dining. Enjoy tapas and wine? Soprano on the High Street comes recommended (booking advisable, if not essential). Buyers agents can also point out the usual high street names for a quick break from your property search. For the best of both worlds, visit the Barn: pub grub in the bar, or more formal meals upstairs. In the mood for traditional English afternoon tea? Head to One Warwick Park or the Spa.
Fun Fact
In the first half of the 20th century, “Disgusted of Tunbridge Wells” was the nom de plume of a scribe who penned regular letters to the National Press, lamenting the undermining of conservative values, morals, and mores.