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Royal Tunbridge Wells

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Royal Tunbridge Wells (often called simply Tunbridge Wells) is a Wealden town in west Kent in England, just north of the border with East Sussex. It has a population of approximately 45,000 [(2001 census)] and is the administrative centre of the Tunbridge Wells Borough. The borough has a population of 104,030 [(2001 census]). The town is twinned with Wiesbaden in Germany. In 2006 it is celebrating its 400th Anniversary.

Contents

History

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.

Layout of the town

Mount Pleasant
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Mount Pleasant

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.

World views of the town

The Pantiles - Chalybeate Spring
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The Pantiles - Chalybeate Spring

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, most notably, Sherwood. However, 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 Arthur Conan Doyle The Valley of Fear, Thomas Pynchon's Gravity's Rainbow, Philip Reeve's Mortal Engines, Oscar Wilde's The Importance of Being Ernest, Zadie Smith's White Teeth and E.M.Forster's A Room With a View - and David Lean's epic film Lawrence of Arabia closes with the words from Dryden as answer to King Feisal:"Me? Your Highness? - On the whole, I wish I'd stayed in Tunbridge Wells." In the James Bond 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 cricketing 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

Local politics

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:

Tunbridge Wells is made up of the following council Wards:

Twinning

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.

Staying and eating in Tunbridge Wells

Calverley Hotel - Engraving 1860
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Calverley Hotel - Engraving 1860
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. including 'Davinchis' 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 Houses around the town.



Shopping in Tunbridge Wells




Royal Victoria Place

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Royal Victoria Place






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.



Famous inhabitants

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.





See also





External links















 





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