History of Tunbridge Wells - Smart and Simple Hotel
Royal Tunbridge Wells has been attracting visitors for 400 years, ever since the chance discovery of the Chalybeate Spring by a young nobleman in 1606. Its reputation as the place to see and be seen amongst royalty and the aristocracy over the years makes the history of Tunbridge Wells one of the most colourful in England. 2006 sees the 400th anniversary of the discovery of the Chalybeate Spring and of the birth of Tunbridge Wells. Visit the 400th Anniversary website to find out more.
Word of the purported health-giving properties of the newly discovered spring water soon spread, and visitors from London and elsewhere flocked for UK short Breaks, to 'the Wells' to try the waters. Coffee houses, lodgings, shops, taverns and gaming houses soon sprang up in one continuous line near the Spring joined by a covered colonnaded walkway which later became known as the Pantiles. This pretty and well-known colonnade is still to be seen today; visited by many on UK Short Breaks, the Pantiles is full of interesting boutiques and antique shops, open-air cafés, bars and restaurants.
Georgian Tunbridge Wells
In Georgian times particularly, Tunbridge Wells became a well-known and popular spa resort for UK short Breaks, a rival to nearby Brighton. Its visitors alternated between Bath for the summer season and Tunbridge Wells for the winter season. The lively social scene in Tunbridge Wells was famously organised by the dandy, Richard Beau Nash who also divided his time between Tunbridge Wells and Bath and made sure that residents and visitors alike adhered to the 'rules' of social behaviour.
Victorian Tunbridge Wells
In the early 1800s Tunbridge Wells became a very desirable place for rich business and professional people not just for a holiday and UK short breaks but also in which to live. A great deal of building was undertaken to the north of the small spa as large villas and family houses were built - many of them by the architect Decimus Burton. Evidence of this grand period of new architecture in Tunbridge Wells still survives today.
Royal Tunbridge Wells in the 20th and 21st centuries
King Edward VII officially recognised the popularity of Tunbridge Wells with its many royal and aristocratic visitors over the centuries by granting the town its "Royal" prefix. In 1909 the town became known, as it is to this day, as Royal Tunbridge Wells, one of only two towns in England to be granted this title.
Today Royal Tunbridge Wells, or Tunbridge Wells as it is more commonly called, remains a popular place to live and to visit as it maintains much of its original charm and elegance. Surrounded by beautiful countryside and just a short distance from London it is an ideal destination for UK short breaks for those wishing to relax and unwind.
A series of historical maps and pictures of Royal Tunbridge Wells can be viewed or purchased on the 'Historical & Interesting Views ofTunbridge Wells' website.
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