Royal Tunbridge Wells - Chalybeate Spring

More great places to visit in Kent - Get all the Yourcounty updates free to you mailbox by signing up for the Kent Review

Royal Tunbridge Wells - Chalybeate Spring

Tunbridge Wells owes its existence to Dudley Lord North. The town was not an ancient settlement so unlike many other European Spa towns has no Roman or medieval heritage.

Lord North stopped at the chalybeate springs in 1606 when on a trip from London. So refreshed did he feel after sampling the iron rich water that he pronounced that the spring had health giving properties. The word spread amongst the nobility of the day and before long the local landowner Lord Abergavenny had paved the area around the springs to best cope with the increasing number of visitors.

As the popularity of 'The Wells' grew it was visited by Queen Henrietta (the mother of King Charles II), Queen Anne, the young Queen Victoria, Samuel Pepys and William Thackeray.

The royal visits raised the profile of the springs and soon guesthouses and other buildings were built to provide for the people who came to the wells for the season. At this time the town was known as Tonbridge Wells and it was only later changed to Tunbridge Wells as the town grew, to avoid confusion and to distinguish it from the nearby town of Tonbridge.

An arcade of shops called the Pantiles were built near the wells in the 17th century to serve the numerous visitors and from 1735 the famous Beau Nash was Master of Ceremonies at the wells. The popularity of the place as a spa town continued during the eighteenth and nineteenth century and the town continued to expand. It was granted its "Royal" prefix by Edward VII in 1909.

The chalybeate spring still flow today and its waters can still be taken in the 'traditional' manner in the summer months.

The Pantiles is the historic heart of the modern town and the colonnaded walkways are full of art galleries, boutiques and any number of genteel shops in keeping with the character of the area. The town is a regional shopping centre and features many modern, stores, restaurants, bars and other amenities.

More information on the website click here.

Please refer to our disclaimer, Yourcounty does not have any responsibility for the content of external websites.