A walk-through Tunbridge Wells is a walk through history. Tunbridge Wells is a historic, creative and vibrant town in West Kent and is most definitely an area you should consider living in.
With excellent restaurants, great shopping and exciting attractions to visit, Tunbridge Wells accommodates all. It boasts good schools, a quick commute to London and beautiful scenery making it a prime location to live.
Its history begins when a natural chalybeate spring welled up from the ground in 1606, hence the name. It then became a popular place for Queen Anne to visit and Queen Victoria made the town a regular holiday sojourn, and so was given a royal title, Royal Tunbridge Wells. The wider region is best known for the splendid stately homes and gardens, and gradually became a residential hotspot.
Living in Tunbridge Wells means you are only an hour away from the coast, close by to family cycling trails, and never too far from some fantastic restaurants and the chic shopping scene.
Getting to Tunbridge Wells
If you are a commuter or a someone wanting to explore a new city, the station is in the centre of town and the train to London is approximately 50 minutes, which is pretty quick! For commuters to the West End, there is a direct line to Charing Cross which stops off at Waterloo East and London Bridge. Trains run regularly to other areas in Kent and London too, so nowhere is too far to travel.
Shopping and Eating
For avid shopaholics, the town has it all. From high-end boutiques on The Pantiles, Chapel Place, Mount Pleasant Road and the Highstreet to the big brands, Tunbridge Wells has everything you would want. If you prefer the larger department stores, Fenwick sits in the Royal Victoria Place shopping centre and Hoopers is at the bottom end of the town.
Tunbridge Wells and its surroundings is bursting with great places to eat and drink. You are truly spoilt for choice. Local produce and sustainability are high on every chef’s agenda in this fulfilling city.
For fine cuisine visit Thackeray’s Restaurant for a beguiling meal in a gloriously elegant dining room. Other highly rated restaurants include: The Ivy, Rendezvous, Kai’s Kitchen and Vittle & Swig. The Vittle & Swigs Tripadvisor page speaks for itself and is a dining experience you wouldn’t want to miss. The Spotted Dog is also a firm favourite, it’s a family and dog friendly pub surrounded by beautiful countryside views. A hidden gem we must say is Soprano, a tapas and wine bar, but book in advance as it is extremely popular!
Theatres and Entertainment
A fantastic music venue, The Forum, attracts some of the biggest names in the industry, local musicians and up-coming artists. At the top of town, a new civic centre is being built and is replacing the Assembly Hall Theatre with a new one on the edge of Calverley Grounds. Trinity Arts Centre is another vibrant theatre that hosts a diverse range of international performing arts, classical theatre, music, films, children’s entertainment and puppetry. It hosts around 350 events a year and has seen some big names in comedy and music perform. It is also one of the leading venues in the South East.
For a day and evening of music in the sun, Tunbridge Wells holds an annual summer music festival called Local & Live at Calverley Grounds. In the winter, the grounds become winter wonderland with an open-air ice rink, arts and crafts stalls and a variety of food and drink.
Being as Tunbridge Wells is within nature reserves and woodland there are many indoor and outdoor activities to do, such as swimming, fishing, cycling and golf. Nevil Golf Club is over 100 years old, and encourages novices and experienced players to play on its fantastic course. It is also only a 5-minute drive from the centre of town.
Attractions
The Georgian colonnade of shops is filled with independent boutiques, cafes, restaurants and bars. In 2016, it received runner-up in the best parade of shops in England by the Great British High Street Awards. It also hosts Pantiles Food Festival and Royal Tunbridge Wells Food and Drink Festival in Calverley grounds every September. If you like vintage fairs, vineyards, open-air music nights and French markets, Tunbridge Wells will suit you well.
Pashley Manor Gardens is an award-winning attraction, home to flower and arts festivals. Penhurst Place is a 14th century private palace with a beautiful garden, café, shop and holds multiple events for the public each year, which are definitely worth looking out for. There’s always something for you and your family to see and do.
Education in Tunbridge Wells
Tunbridge Wells has many outstanding schools to choose from and is an ideal location to raise a family. There are academies, independent schools, state schools and special schools for children of all ages.
St James Church of England Junior School and Claremont Primary School are both primary schools that are highly commended. Tunbridge Wells Grammar School for Boys and Tunbridge Wells Grammar School for Girls are two of the most popular state schools, but only take a straight pass to be accepted into and you have to live within their 7-mile catchment area. Tunbridge School is highly regarded nationally and internationally as a boys boarding school and Cranbrook School, based just outside of Tunbridge Wells, caters for pupils in the top 25% of the ability range ages 13-18 and is well known in the South East.
With a close commute to London and being in a prime location in Kent, further education opportunities are endless. The University of Kent and Christchurch University in Canterbury are nearby, and there is even a Kent University Campus in Tonbridge and Medway.
Property in Tunbridge Wells
The average house price is just under £500,000, proving one of the highest averages for houses in the country. For a terrace house you would be looking at anything from £250,000 – £390,000, three bed semi-detached houses are priced between £300,000 and £600,000, but larger detached houses can start from £850,000 and reach £4million.
A walk-through Tunbridge Wells is a walk through history. Tunbridge Wells is a historic, creative and vibrant town in West Kent and is most definitely an area you should consider living in.
With excellent restaurants, great shopping and exciting attractions to visit, Tunbridge Wells accommodates all. It boasts good schools, a quick commute to London and beautiful scenery making it a prime location to live.
Its history begins when a natural chalybeate spring welled up from the ground in 1606, hence the name. It then became a popular place for Queen Anne to visit and Queen Victoria made the town a regular holiday sojourn, and so was given a royal title, Royal Tunbridge Wells. The wider region is best known for the splendid stately homes and gardens, and gradually became a residential hotspot.
Living in Tunbridge Wells means you are only an hour away from the coast, close by to family cycling trails, and never too far from some fantastic restaurants and the chic shopping scene.
Getting to Tunbridge Wells
If you are a commuter or a someone wanting to explore a new city, the station is in the centre of town and the train to London is approximately 50 minutes, which is pretty quick! For commuters to the West End, there is a direct line to Charing Cross which stops off at Waterloo East and London Bridge. Trains run regularly to other areas in Kent and London too, so nowhere is too far to travel.
Shopping and Eating
For avid shopaholics, the town has it all. From high-end boutiques on The Pantiles, Chapel Place, Mount Pleasant Road and the Highstreet to the big brands, Tunbridge Wells has everything you would want. If you prefer the larger department stores, Fenwick sits in the Royal Victoria Place shopping centre and Hoopers is at the bottom end of the town.
Tunbridge Wells and its surroundings is bursting with great places to eat and drink. You are truly spoilt for choice. Local produce and sustainability are high on every chef’s agenda in this fulfilling city.
For fine cuisine visit Thackeray’s Restaurant for a beguiling meal in a gloriously elegant dining room. Other highly rated restaurants include: The Ivy, Rendezvous, Kai’s Kitchen and Vittle & Swig. The Vittle & Swigs Tripadvisor page speaks for itself and is a dining experience you wouldn’t want to miss. The Spotted Dog is also a firm favourite, it’s a family and dog friendly pub surrounded by beautiful countryside views. A hidden gem we must say is Soprano, a tapas and wine bar, but book in advance as it is extremely popular!
Theatres and Entertainment
A fantastic music venue, The Forum, attracts some of the biggest names in the industry, local musicians and up-coming artists. At the top of town, a new civic centre is being built and is replacing the Assembly Hall Theatre with a new one on the edge of Calverley Grounds. Trinity Arts Centre is another vibrant theatre that hosts a diverse range of international performing arts, classical theatre, music, films, children’s entertainment and puppetry. It hosts around 350 events a year and has seen some big names in comedy and music perform. It is also one of the leading venues in the South East.
For a day and evening of music in the sun, Tunbridge Wells holds an annual summer music festival called Local & Live at Calverley Grounds. In the winter, the grounds become winter wonderland with an open-air ice rink, arts and crafts stalls and a variety of food and drink.
Being as Tunbridge Wells is within nature reserves and woodland there are many indoor and outdoor activities to do, such as swimming, fishing, cycling and golf. Nevil Golf Club is over 100 years old, and encourages novices and experienced players to play on its fantastic course. It is also only a 5-minute drive from the centre of town.
Attractions
The Georgian colonnade of shops is filled with independent boutiques, cafes, restaurants and bars. In 2016, it received runner-up in the best parade of shops in England by the Great British High Street Awards. It also hosts Pantiles Food Festival and Royal Tunbridge Wells Food and Drink Festival in Calverley grounds every September. If you like vintage fairs, vineyards, open-air music nights and French markets, Tunbridge Wells will suit you well.
Pashley Manor Gardens is an award-winning attraction, home to flower and arts festivals. Penhurst Place is a 14th century private palace with a beautiful garden, café, shop and holds multiple events for the public each year, which are definitely worth looking out for. There’s always something for you and your family to see and do.
Education in Tunbridge Wells
Tunbridge Wells has many outstanding schools to choose from and is an ideal location to raise a family. There are academies, independent schools, state schools and special schools for children of all ages.
St James Church of England Junior School and Claremont Primary School are both primary schools that are highly commended. Tunbridge Wells Grammar School for Boys and Tunbridge Wells Grammar School for Girls are two of the most popular state schools, but only take a straight pass to be accepted into and you have to live within their 7-mile catchment area. Tunbridge School is highly regarded nationally and internationally as a boys boarding school and Cranbrook School, based just outside of Tunbridge Wells, caters for pupils in the top 25% of the ability range ages 13-18 and is well known in the South East.
With a close commute to London and being in a prime location in Kent, further education opportunities are endless. The University of Kent and Christchurch University in Canterbury are nearby, and there is even a Kent University Campus in Tonbridge and Medway.
Property in Tunbridge Wells
The average house price is just under £500,000, proving one of the highest averages for houses in the country. For a terrace house you would be looking at anything from £250,000 – £390,000, three bed semi-detached houses are priced between £300,000 and £600,000, but larger detached houses can start from £850,000 and reach £4million.
The architecture is typically Victorian or Georgian in the town itself, but opting for the outlying villages you can find a range of tile hung cottages, Kentish Oast houses, barn conversions and properties with acres of land. There are a variety of attractive period properties on the market near highly rated independent schools too.
Popular areas include Brenchley, Penhurst, Matfield and Groombridge, with house prices at around £750,000 and £850,000. They are typically more expensive areas but there is less traffic, less competition for parking and young children are more likely to get a place at a school of your choice.
Developments
A recent development, Royal Wells Park, created 243 one, two and three bedroom flats, three, four and five bedroom townhouses and six detached houses. All built at the heart of Tunbridge Wells. This development was inspired by traditional architecture and contemporary design in one of England’s most affluent towns.
Top Tips
Tunbridge Wells is a charming historic town and has a lot to offer prospective buyers. If you have children, before making an offer on a house it is advised you pay attention to catchment areas and entrance criteria at different schools in the area.
It placed 6th on the list of the best places to live in Kent, so if you’re looking to move house and buy elsewhere this historic city should be high on your list.