PalenqueBob

We're off to the Wells... a common thing for the English upper crusts in the 1700 and 1800s as they made there way to Royal Tunbridge Wells, a tad southeast of London.

The well that started the Wells is still there - though in a much degraded state - stuck below a sewer grate and has a trickle of water that once made the posh town famous as a spa.

But back in its heyday the rich flocked here to take the waters with their miraculous healing powers.

And around the well grew up a Royal town that became a Bath of the east - royals and wealthy made it their country retreat and held great social affairs in the spiffy drawing rooms.

Today many of the old buildings still reflect this faded grandeur and there is a vast park right in town, making a most unusual English city

I loved my day at the Wells - pick up a walking tour map at the Tourist Information Centre in the town centre and in about two miles you pass so many interesting things, each with a neat story behind it.

And the eastern more modern (and tacky) part of this bustling regional town offers the usual English High Street shops - i was on a Saturday and it and its pubs were packed with shoppers and idlers as well.

A day at the Wells - i highly recommend it as one of the overlooked day trips from London but one of the most relaxed and enjoyable places.

audere_est_facere

Relaxed?

You are obviously not familiar with the legendary letter writer - Disgusted of Tunbridge Wells:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Disgust...unbridge_Wells

PalenqueBob

<The phrase is usually used in a satirical manner to poke fun at those with mean-spirited or pedantic "middle England" values>

this may become my common retort to your anti-yank rants! thanks - sincerely very interesting.

jsmith

You must have been looking at the wrong wells unless there has been a dramatic change in the last 5 or 6 years. My photos show a huge bubbling well producing, according to Michelin, 3,400,000 gallons a day.

jsmith

Whoops, sorry. I was describing the wells at Wells.

PalenqueBob

the well at Tunbridge Wells spits out a trickle of water and is enclosed in a hole covered by what i called a sewer grate but is really a grate of some type.

Impressive not.

Robespierre

No, you misunderstood. They didn't say Tunbridge Wells was "great" -

annhig

hi, PalQ,

what nostalia you caused me to experience. we used to live about 45 minutes away from T/wells and often went shopping there at weekends.

did you go and look at the "High Rocks" on the common? very strange sandstone formations, beloved of local kids for climbing etc. and did you walk along the Pantiles ?[old-fashioned shopping area with georgian feel]

so glad you enjoyed yourself there. Where next?

regards, ann

happy days.

PalenqueBob

annhig:

isn't Tunbridge Wells great!

Yes the first place i headed from train station was the Pantiles - forget why it's called that, but yes a neat old feel. The well is there too.

I went there first because that's where the TInfoCentre was and they have a great walking tour and map they hand out.

It was in late December so days were short and i had come from Hastings, having stopped at Battle (by train) so didn't get to the Wells until about 1pm - as i was heading back to the station daylight was dwindling and i walked thru the park and noticed the weird outcroppings of rocks but couldn't really appreciate them

oh next time - and i bet kids loved that.

Anyway Royal Tunbridge Wells is a neat town.

And Tonbridge, nearby is spelled differently for some reason??? It's home to the famous tony Tonbridge school.

EnglishOne

Hey you could have popped round for a nice cup of tea ;-) Im only half an hour away from Tunbridge Wells. Im not sure why Tonbridge is spelt differently, if I could be ar*sed I'd look it up!

annhig

hi, english one -

you've made me curious - where exactly?

regards, ann

PS - I don't know why it's Tunbridge Wells and Tonbridge either. I've always put it down to different spellings of the same sound.

audere_est_facere

And Tonbridge, nearby is spelled differently for some reason??? It's home to the famous tony Tonbridge school.>>>>>

The what? I've never heard of it. QED - not "tony" but MPS.

EnglishOne

I live a mile outside of the lovely medieval village of Lenham. Dates back to 1088. Its very pretty if you are around this area

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lenham

Ive even found a nice looking Farmhouse B&B by browsing on the net:

http://tinyurl.com/yvbdmx

I havent stayed there, so cant comment on it. The pic of Lenham is second one down. Ten mins. away is Leeds Castle too. Its a nice area to base yourself to explore the 'nicer' side of Kent Canterbury is only about half an hour away too.

So now you know Ann! ;-)

PalenqueBob

Welcome - Tonbridge SchoolA centre of excellence in the South East of England.
www.tonbridge-school.co.uk

I waz riding a train to London when a blue blood type and his son got in the same compartment - he was picking his son up at the Wells and asked him at Tonbridge if that was where he got off to go to school.

And they talked a bit about the school - sounded really preppy - they were en route to poppy's estate in Scotland - talking about their servants.

Actually they were going to London, first class compartment, to see a Max 360 degree film near Waterloo - the next day, it was a school break, they were heading to Scotland

The dad was a died in the wool Tory from his conversation - pointed out the Dome in the distance as 'another of Tony's follies'

So i had also heard to Tonbridge School being an Eton Light and thought it to be tony. Perhaps i jumped to conclusions.

jsmith

PalenqueBob, unless there is a mortuary term with which I am unfamiliar "died in the wool" whould be "dyed in the wool".

PalenqueBob

jsmith:

though 'died in the wool' would perhaps be more appropriate for a rabid Tory i note and appreciate the correction