Copyright Kent Past 2010
Kent Past
The History of Kent
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History of Royal Tunbridge Wells
Royal Tunbridge Wells relates to the wells belonging to 'Tonbridge' – Tunbridge at
that time. In celebration of its popularity, over the years, amongst members of the
royal family, King Edward VII granted the prefix ‘Royal’, in 1909.
In 1606, Lord
North, a courtier to King James I stayed at a hunting lodge in Eridge in the hope
that the country air might improve his ailing health. Discovering a chalybeate spring,
he drank the waters regularly, and when his health improved, became convinced that
it had healing properties. He persuaded his rich friends in London to try it, and
by the time Queen Henrietta Maria, wife of King Charles I visited in 1630, it had
established itself as a spa retreat. By 1636, two houses existed next to the spring
one for the ladies and one for the gentlemen, to cater for the visitors. In 1664
Lord Muskerry, Lord of the Manor, enclosed the spring with a triangular stone wall,
and built a hall to shelter the dippers in wet weather…. more
Tunbridge Wells parish
church carries a dedication to King Charles the Martyr. Thomas Neale first built
it as a Chapel-
Tunbridge Wells Central railway station – initially just called ‘Tunbridge Wells’
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Tunbridge Wells West railway station – initially called ‘Tunbridge Wells LB&SCR’ is a Grade: II listed building, and opened on the London Brighton and South Coast Railway’s line to Brighton on 3 August 1868, with a spur to the Central station. In 1923, Southern Railway changed the suffix to ‘West’. The line closed on 8 July 1985…. More