Tunbridge Wells

Ever-popular Royal Tunbridge Wells is a sure bet for families seeking homes in a town but with plenty of the great outdoors and the added attraction of exceptional schooling for free in the area’s many prestigious grammar schools. Part of our Top 300 Places to Live series.

In association with

Knight Frank
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WHY? 

Forget those letter-writing retired colonels: this spa town is all about attracting well-to-do families seeking a best-of-both-worlds commuter lifestyle. With yoga studios and art galleries galore but being only moments from the Garden of England’s apple-orchards, this town has it all.

EAT

The Counter Tunbridge Wells KEnt chef with table set for dinner
The Counter

In Tunbridge Wells you’ll be spoilt for culinary choice and we LOVE newly opened The Counter in the heart of the town. Offering a choice of five, eight or ten-course tasting menus, Chef Robin Read has years of experience sourcing the best seasonal and local produce. You should seriously check it out. There’s also Sankey’s for fish, Essence by Atul Kochhar for Indian, Sucheera for Thai or Kiko Sushi & Yakitori for Japanese being just some of the good eateries to discover.

The Ivy Royal Tunbridge Wells sits opposite the Anthropologie boutique – how handy is that?! Plus there’s swanky One Warwick Park perfect for cocktails, a meal and the place to rest your head after all that shopping. In and around the town you’ll find lots of great gastropubs but some stand-out dining destinations, include The Kentish Hare in Bidborough and The Beacon in Rusthall.

SHOP

starburst hoop earrings Pnk Mary lifesyle store Tunbridge Wells Kent
Pink Mary

For most of your high street favourites you’ll want to head to the Royal Victoria Shopping Centre but for independents this town is particularly well-known for its popular and pretty Georgian colonnade of shops called The Pantiles, where you’ll find boutiques, galleries, cafés and even a luxury pet shop. Just up the road, on the High Street, you’ll find gorgeous gift and interiors store Pink Mary and our fave local fashion boutique Kitch Clothing.

HEALTH & WELLBEING

When it comes to wellness, you’re spoilt for choice in Tunbridge Wells, there’s a wealth of boutique gyms and studios in Tunbridge Wells offering everything from CrossFit to personal training classes. But Natural Fit stands out amongst them all, essentially it’s a member’s club with a gym, studio, café, work space, and best of all: a spa. You should check it out.

There’s also hidden gem FLOW, embracing everything yoga and holistic health with yoga and meditation classes to massage and osteopathy treatments. For your pilates fix, we love these Muddy award-winning, brilliant and friendly classes set slightly further afield in Penshurst with MyTime Pilates.

COMMUNITY

Whether it’s the Pantiles Markets with their vibrant stalls of local crafts, food, and live music, or the iconic Live At The Pantiles which is a series of bustling live-music nights every Thursday throughout the summer. There’s always something going on there.

Calverley Park also hosts outdoor cinema nights, summer concerts, charity fun runs and the winter sees the park transform into a winter wonderland with an ice rink, bavarian curling and festive wheel.

The Tunbridge Wells Literary Festival is a must-attend event for book lovers, bringing together renowned authors, poets, and readers in a celebration of the written word. Held annually, the festival features an exciting mix of author talks, book signings, writing workshops, and panel discussions that cater to all literary tastes.

NEARBY ATTRACTIONS

The building of culture hub The Amelia in Tunbridge Wells
The Amelia

On the outskirts of Tunbridge Wells you’ll find Dunorlan Park, with its boating lake, ducks and café. Or in the heart of town don’t miss Calverley Grounds with the popular ice skating rink that opens every winter. Who doesn’t love a decent farm shop? Just west of Tunbridge Wells, not far from Langton Green, you’ll find Groombridge Farm Shop. They offer stand-out groceries, drinks and stock delicious bakery goods – alongside a brilliant range of hampers.

Plus two miles to the north there’s Penshurst Place & Gardens (the ancestral home of Anne Boleyn) a family-friendly stately home open to the public. For the active amongst us there’s an outdoor climbing school at the rugged Harrison Rocks in nearby Groombridge or Kingdom cycling club and café in Penshurst. A short drive will take you to family-friendly Bedgebury Forest in one direction or Ashdown Forest, in the other. Great for walking, letting the kids run off steam and known the world over as the ‘home’ of Winnie The Pooh.

CULTURE

Culture vultures are well catered for here. Head to The Pantiles in the summer for the popular Gin & Jazz Festival. In the heart of town sits Tunny Well’s main theatre, the Assembly Hall, with a year-round calendar of events. Plus, just over the road there’s Trinity – a buzzy little theatre, arts centre and performance venue, located in the former Holy Trinity Church. Here you’ll find music nights, a regular Comedy Club (pulling in some big names), workshops for drama loving kids and teens. Plus a full film schedule as well.

Round the corner is The Amelia (named after the social reformer and campaigner for women’s suffrage, Amelia Scott) a cultural and community space, housing a museum, contemporary art space, library with the Tourist Information Centre, Adult Education and frontline Council services, all in one new integrated venue. Home to the annual Tunbridge Wells Literary Festival there’s also a café managed by local coffee experts, Fine Grind.

AVERAGE HOUSE PRICE

The average sold price for a property in Tunbridge Wells in the last 12 months is £523,345. For detached properties it is £965,071, semi-detached £557,998 and terraced are £433,040.

HOT PROPERTY

Play lady of the manor in this 7 bed house in Tunbridge Wells, On the market with Knight Frank for £3.4m.
Play lady of the manor in this 7 bed house in Tunbridge Wells, On the market with Knight Frank for £3.4m.

NURSERIES

Nurseries attached to local independent schools include the Nursery at Holmewood House; Forest Explorers at Kent College Pembury; the Nursery at Sacred Heart Wadhurst – and not far away in Tonbridge you’ll find the Nursery at Hilden Oaks; the Nursery at Hilden Grange School and the Pre-School at The Schools at Somerhill. Bright Horizons Southborough Springfield Road Day Nursery and Bright Horizons Tunbridge Wells Day Nursery and Preschool have been rated as Outstanding by Ofsted. As has Juniors Day Nursery in Clanricarde Gardens.

SCHOOLS

For prep schools there’s Holmewood House a co-ed, non-selective school for kids aged 3 – 13 yrs. It has just under 500 pupils, is situated in 30 acres of glorious grounds and offers impressive facilities. Rose Hill School is also in the centre of Tunny Wells and offers Y7 and Y8 Awards providing strong financial incentives to pupils.

For another excellent option in an exceptional setting there’s Somerhill School and Hilden Oaks close by towards Tonbridge. For primaries, St Peter’s CoE Primary School recently relocated to the new Hollyfields site or Claremont Primary School which are both Ofsted rated Outstanding and very popular with local families, followed by St James’ Primary School.

Take advantage of the boys and girls grammar schools in Tunbridge Wells and nearby Tonbridge. Alongside these there’s all-ability, The Skinners Kent Academy (rated Outstanding, non-fee paying independent education in stunning £21.4m facilities), plus excellent Secondary faith state schools, such as Bennett Memorial Diocesan School or St Gregory’s Catholic School – both rated Outstanding.

For independent Secondary education, you have prestigious Tonbridge School for boys. Kent College in Pembury an all-girls Senior School (taking girls from 11 – 18 yrs old) and a Prep (for children between 3-11 yrs) that will be fully co-ed from September 2024.

BEST KEPT SECRET

Davina McCall and Dame Kelly Holmes both live in the area. Spot them out and about exercising or shopping – they like to support local. 

COMMUTE

High-speed, non-stopping trains to London Cannon Street takes 51 mins and London Bridge (also stopping off at Waterloo East and Charing Cross) takes 44 mins.

View the full Top 300 Best Places to Live.

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