The town of Tunbridge Wells in west Kent, north of the border with East Sussex was founded around the Chalybeate Spring, which was discovered in 1606 by Dudley, Lord North, a courtier to James I. The high iron content of the water was believed to have healing qualities so the town developed as a spa town, named after the nearby Tonbridge, then known as Tunbridge but which later had its name changed due to confusion which still exists today. The word ‘chalybeate’ is derived from the Latin word for steel meaning ‘containing iron’. Many people promoted the qualities of the spa water, which was said to have health-giving properties. Lord Dudley North’s physician claimed that the waters contained ‘vitriol’ and that they could cure ‘the colic’, ‘the melancholy’ and ‘the vapours’ and that it dried the ‘over-moistened brain’ and killed flat worms in the belly. Princess Victoria, before she became queen, drank the waters every day during her stay in the town in 1834. She and her mother, Duchess of Kent, took daily strolls along the Pantiles. – an area of upper walks created in 1700, named for the tiles used in the paving. In 1793 the tiles were removed, replaced with stone flagging and the region renamed The Parade but in 1887 the original name was restored. In 1909 King Edward VII bestowed the town with its ‘Royal’ title, one of only two towns to this day to have been given such a title, the other being Royal Leamington Spa. This was to officially acknowledge the popularity of the town amongst royalty and the fashionable aristocracy and it became the place to see and be seen. Tunbridge Wells has a prim, middle-class reputation for Georgian elegance and natural beauty and is referenced in diverse literature. It lies in the heart of some of the most scenic stretches of countryside in England, surrounded by the unspoilt beauty of the Weald.
Attraction
Chalybeate Spring
David Salomons House at Salomons
Groombridge Place Gardens & Enchanted Forest
High Rocks
Scotney Castle Garden and Estate
Spa Valley Railway
Tunbridge Wells Museum and Art Gallery
Budget
Travelodge Tunbridge Wells *book online*
Care Home
Ashurst Park Care Home
Birkin Lodge Care Home
Firtree House Nursing Home
Mount Ephraim House
Classes
Dance - First Move
Yoga - Pieter Goedkoop I.Y.T.
Club
Council
Tunbridge Wells Borough Council
Dentist
Aspen Dental Care
Calverley Dental Practice
i-teeth dental care
Doctor
Grosvenor Medical Centre
Kingswood Surgery
Lonsdale Medical Centre
Rowan Tree Surgery
St James Medical Centre
Farmers Market
Tunbridge Wells Farmers Market
Golf Club
Nevill
Tunbridge Wells Golf CLub
Health and Fitness Club
Champneys Town Spa
Esporta Health Club
LA Fitness
Inn
Camden Arms Hotel
Swan Hotel
The Royal Wells Hotel
Market
Mabledon Farm Car Boot
Tunbridge Wells Farmers Market
Tunbridge Wells Market
Pub and Bar
Bar Italia 2000
Brecknock Arms
Foresters Arms
Guinea Butt
Kentish Yeoman
Litten Tree
Mitre
Mount Edgcumbe Hotel
Prince of Wales
Red Lion
Sankeys
The Beacon
White Hart
Restaurant
Bar Italia 2000
Barn Pub and Grill Restaurant
Brecknock Arms
Carluccio's
Chi
Delicious 2
Gracelands Palace
Kitsu Sushi Bar
Montrose Restaurant
Mount Edgcumbe Hotel
One Warwick Park Hotel
Raj Pavilion
Restaurant 86
Sankeys
St Agostino
Thackeray's
The Beacon
School
Beechwood Sacred Heart
Kent College Pembury
Kent College Preparatory School
Tunbridge Wells High School
Self-Catering
Featherdown Farm
Garden of England Cottages
Solicitor
Robert Hagger & Co
Steadmans
Thomson Snell & Passmore
Wigg & Co
Taxi
Airport Express
Gibbs Taxis
Ian Dolwin
Solo Taxi Service
Streamline
Taylors
Theatre
Assembly Hall Theatre
Trinity Theatre
Vet
Sports Clubs
Bushido - Tunbridge Wells and District Judo Club (Martial Arts)
Byng Hall TTC (Table Tennis)
Linden Park CC (Cricket)
Southborough CC (Cricket)
Tunbridge Wells (Men's Hockey)
Tunbridge Wells (Women's Hockey)
Tunbridge Wells CC (Cricket)
Shops
Waterstones Booksellers Ltd
Flower Basket
Boots
Barnstormers
Rymans
La Senza
Wyevale Garden Centre
Pets Fayre & Aquatic Centre
Mutley & Fifi
Old Macdonalds
Stillfield Ltd
Austin Reed
Whittard of Chelsea
Carrs Corner Chemist
Pg Event Solutions
Arthur Hayes
Baileys
Shoes By M
J D Sports
BodyShop
Royall Fine Art
Fairfax Gallery
Redleaf Gallery
Bluemoon Gallery
Majestic Wine
PC World
Wickes
Holland and Barratt
The Organic Health Shop
H Samuel
Ernest Jones
Aphrodisia Ltd
JoJo Maman Bebe
Mothercare
Med-Spa Clinic
B&Q
Black Cat Music
Goldsmiths
Temper Temper
Edinburgh Woollen Mill
Sussex Stationers
Star Sunglasses UK
Rare & Organic
Crabtree and Evelyn
Timeless Treats
White Stuff
Timeless Treats Cupcakes
Phase Eight
Topman
Topshop
BHS
Office
Revival - Gifts and Home Accessories
Antiques
A A Antiques
Amadeus Antiques
Beau Nash Antiques
Chapel Place Antiques
Downlane Hall Antiques
Glassdrumman Antiques
Langton Green Antiques
Pantiles Antiques
Thompson John
Aaron Antiques
Activities
Bowlplex(Bowling)
Honnington Equestrian Centre(Riding)
Bowles Outdoor Centre(Snow Sports)
Places to Stay near Tunbridge Wells
Russell Hotel (0.50 miles)
With style and comfort coupled with convenience, this hotel set in the very centre of historic Tunbridge Wells is positioned on the edge of the rural common. The hotel was ... More
The Royal Wells Hotel (0.51 miles)
A most comfortable hotel with a commanding position, overlooking Tunbridge Wells Common.
The Royal Wells Hotel owes it's regal title to Queen Victoria, who made frequent visits as a young princess in ... More
The Lancers (0.58 miles)
Hotel du Vin & Bistro (0.58 miles)
Hotel du Vin Tunbridge Wells is set in one of the historic spa town's architectural landmarks, a Grade II-listed sandstone mansion built as a private residence in 1762.We have strived ... More
Smart and Simple Hotel (0.73 miles)
Smart and Simple is the newest Hotel in Tunbridge Wells.
Our 40 rooms have great views of either the common or our gardens.
The hotel is perfectly situated five minutes from the ... More
Travelodge Tunbridge Wells (0.82 miles)
The Travelodge Tunbridge Wells is a comfortable, clean and well priced hotel ideally located just half a mile from the historic and picturesque town centre of Tunbridge Wells. The hotel is also within easy reach ... More | visit website
One Warwick Park Hotel (0.95 miles)
Swan Hotel (1.02 miles)
Check availability and book this hotel online with Active Hotels
Situated within the famous colonnaded Georgian Pantiles, the historic centre of Royal Tunbridge Wells, the Swan Hotel offers stylish, modern accommodation. Dating from the 1600s, the ... More
Spa Hotel (1.17 miles)
A sense of traditional British hospitality blends with a relaxed, modern approach to service and standards, promising a genuinely warm and comfortable welcome.
The Spa Hotel is an elegant country mansion, set ... More
Danehurst House (1.52 miles)
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