(often called simply '''Tunbridge Wells''') is a .
The borough has a population of 104,030
(2001 census ).
The town is twinned with
Wiesbaden in
Germany . In 2006 it is celebrating it's 400th Anniversary.
The town was founded around the ''
Chalybeate Spring'' - the high iron content of the waters were believed to have medicinal qualities - discovered in 1606 by
Lord North , a courtier to
James I , and developed as a
Spa Town . It was named after the nearby town of
Tonbridge , which was at the time spelt "Tunbridge". The similar names and alternative spellings have been a source of confusion ever since, especially to uninformed people travelling on the
London -
Hastings Railway line. The
Spring can still be visited in the
Pantiles area of the town, surrounded by
Regency Architecture .
The prefix dates to 1909, when
King Edward VII officially recognised the popularity of the town amongst royalty and aristocracy by bestowing the town with its official "Royal" title. To this day, Royal Tunbridge Wells is one of only two towns in England to be granted this, the other being
Royal Leamington Spa .
The town centre is separated, roughly, into two sections. The north is the more recent part of the town containing the Royal Victoria Place Shopping centre (owned by
Westfield ) as well as the pedestrian area and many retail shopping outlets. This part of the town does, however, contain some pieces of noted architecture.
The north part of the town is also home to the Assembly Halls and the Trinity
Theatre , which offers live
Comedy ,
Drama and
Musicals . The old cinema is soon to be demolished and replaced by a nightclub, shops and bars.
Here the newly refurbished "Clock" area can be found, at the end of Lime Hill Road. The
Millennium Clock in this square, designed by a local
Sculptor , has been a controversial addition to the town.
The southern part of the centre is the older part of the town, containing at its heart the "Village" area. It is here that The
Pantiles can be found, which contain the
Spa which made the town so famous. This area is popular with tourists and residents alike, and live music is usually played in the old bandstand through the summer period.
Also on the southern side of the town is the Spa Valley Railway which operates Heritage trains from Tunbridge Wells West Station to nearby High Rocks and Groombridge.
Tunbridge Wells is traditionally associated with the prim middle classes, especially in the locution "Disgusted of Tunbridge Wells". This phrase was apocryphally used to sign a letter to The Times and/or Daily Telegraph some time in the 1920s, and has remained in circulation because of its perceived aptness in describing the inhabitants of the town. Tunbridge Wells is often assumed to be a bastion of the middle classes and comfortably bourgeois. However, it also has areas of deprivation that suffer from a range of social problems, although according to the
Indices Of Deprivation 2004 no area is within the 20% most deprived in the areas within England and the Local Authority as a whole is within the 20% least deprived, (the recognised measure of deprivation).
References to Tunbridge Wells abound in literature as diverse as film "On Her Majesty's Secret Service"
Diana Rigg says to James that she looks forward to living as Mr. & Mrs. James Bond of Acacia Avenue, Tunbridge Wells.
Tunbridge Wells came into
Cricket ing spotlight during the
1983 Cricket World Cup , when
Kapil Dev scored 175 not out off 138 balls for
India against
Zimbabwe on
July 6 ,
1983 . This was the record for the highest score in a one-day international
Tunbridge Wells is and has almost always been from inception, a
Conservative Westminster constituency. However, some of the Council Wards are strong Liberal Democrat or Labour. The present political composition of the Council is:
- Conservatives 36
- Liberal Democrats 11
- Labour 1
Tunbridge Wells is made up of the following council Wards:
- Beneden & Cranbrook
- Brenchley & Horsmonden
- Broadwater
- Capel
- Culverden
- Frittenden & Sissinghurst
- Goudhurst & Lamberhurst
- Hawkhurst & Sandhurst
- Paddock Wood East
- Paddock Wood West
- Pantiles & St Marks
- Park
- Pembury
- Rusthall
- St James
- St Johns
- Sherwood
- Southborough and High Brooms
- Southborough North
- Spelhurst & Bidborough
The town is twinned with
Wiesbaden in
Germany . In 1960, through an advertisement in the National Press, contact was made between ex-German Paratroopers in
Wiesbaden , and four English ex-Servicemen in Tunbridge Wells. Through this contact the friendship that now exists between the two towns sprang up, and also through this the Tunbridge Wells Twinning and Friendship Association was formed.
The town has a number of hotels, including The Spa, The Royal Wells, The Wellington and the Swan. The most famous might be the Hotel du Vin, formerly Calverley Hotel, which dates back to
Decimus Burton 's Calverley Estate. There are a number of restaurants, including chains such as Carluccios, Wagamamma and
McDonalds . Richard Phillips'
Michelin -starred "Thackeray's", located in the former residence of
William Makepeace Thackeray , is generally regarded as the favourite restaurant for residents and tourists alike, although many would praise the Bistro at Hotel du Vin especially for lunch. Recently the well-known chef
Raymond Blanc opened a
Brasserie , ''Le Petit Blanc'', in the recently regenerated "Clock" area. A number of clubs and bars line the traditional High Street, while wine bars, pubs and other restaurants can be found in the Pantiles, near The Wells.
More popular with those who seek live music and recreational substances, The Forum is on the common, across from the High Street. Other venues, such as the Royal Wells and the Sound Garden, provide live entertainment.
Tunbridge Wells also has many other eating places, coffee shops and similar. For example, Relish! on Camden Road which is a cafe and delicatessen, Bean on Camden Road specialises in chocolate, and Arte Bianca on Chapel Place serves coffee and sandwiches and supplies all kinds of Italian food, both fresh and pre-packed. There are also a large number of traditional
Public House s around the town.
The Royal Victoria Place Shopping Centre was opened by
Diana, Princess Of Wales in 1992. This, combined with the Calverley, Camden and Grosvenor Roads provide many chain retail outlets. Many smaller shops can be found further south, around the High Street, Chapel Place and the Pantiles.
The once down-at-heel Camden Road has become increasingly bohemian since 2000, with little arty shops opening up, including Bluemoon gallery, as well as more functional shops like Bob's DIY and World of Sewing. A particular landmark is the snooker club, with its elephant flanked doorway. The street is held together by The Camden Road Traders' Association.
A
Farmers Market is held outside the Town Hall on the second and fourth Saturday morning of each month.
As its name implies, the town is famously linked with Royalty. Many members of the British Royal Family have stayed within the town, especially when the Spa was a popular resort for the upper classes.
- Victor McLaglen, the famous film star was born in Tunbridge Wells. His mother was of Irish descent, his father Scottish. He won the Best Actor Academy Award for his role as Gypo Nolan in "The Informer". {Link without Title} His best remembered role was in "The Quiet Man" where he had that unforgettable fight with John Wayne. McLaglen was also a top heavyweight boxer. He fought six hard rounds in a no-decision fight with the great Jack Johnson and also fought exhibitions with Heavyweight champions Bob Fitzimmons and Jess Willard. As a fourteen year old he ran away from home,pretended he was nineteen, joined the Life Guards and fought in the Boer War. He was also a professional wrestler, a gold prospector in Canada, a policeman, and a circus strongman, quite a character
- Reverend Thomas Bayes the famous mathematician
- William Makepeace Thackeray novelist - his house is now a restaurant
- Richard (Beau) Nash social celebrity
- Rachel Beer (first female editor of a national newspaper and the only editor of two national newspapers simultaneously - The Observer (1890-1904) and The Sunday Times (1893-1904))
- SM Cunnington, the latent public relations guru was born in nearby town Pembury and moved to Tunbridge Wells in the late 1990's. Her pioneering work, both original and imaginative, will no doubt inspire many female creatives to follow their dreams for centuries to come
- Sir Hugh Dowding Commander Fighter Command for the Battle Of Britain
- Julius Drewe builder of the last castle in Britain ( Castle Drogo )
- Léon Goossens oboist
- Enid Lakeman (advocate of Proportional Representation , Director, Electoral Reform Society )
- Edward Bulwer-Lytton author
- George Cohen 1966 England World Cup winner
- Jeff Beck guitar player
- Shane McGowan Punk Singer was born in the town
- Virginia Wade Ladies Singles Champion 1977 at the Wimbledon
- Lord Condon of Langton Green , the former Commissioner, Metropolitan Police)
- Tom Baker actor
- Louise Jameson of Doctor Who
- Jo Brand comedian, who attended Tunbridge Wells Girls' Grammar School )
- Jilly Goolden TV personality and wine taster
