One of my favourite parts about living in the United Kingdom is the seemingly never-ending towns and villages across the country that I have yet to explore.
And I love getting to explore someone else’s every day experiences. Getting to know locals and the histories behind stores, pubs and the city itself.
One of those villages that I hadn’t had the pleasure of previously exploring is Tunbridge Wells, or should I say more formally, Royal Tunbridge Wells. I’d heard about the Royal city before, but hadn’t ever had the opportunity to visit there.
I wasn’t sure exactly what to expect. But I’ll give you a little spoiler. I was in for a treat… and so are you.
I teamed up with Southeastern to head out of London to adventure, eat and discover the best cosy winter warming destinations, right on your doorstep that is the South East of England. I’m always shocked at how simple it is to leave London and be somewhere totally new in less than an hour.
It’s one of those things that you can’t do stateside. I love traveling by trains. It always felt like something of a novelty to me, being American (and it still does!). In the states, I’ve found it’s harder (and expensive) to travel by train. In England, it’s not the case. You can explore so much of the country very affordably by railway.
Enter Tunbridge Wells.
Tunbridge Wells in itself feels like this exclusively hidden place. I loved the architecture of the city, the way the streets intermix with parks and the trees with fallen leaves beautifully covering the pathways. And oh the hills! I made the Dad joke that “it should be called Tunbridge Hills!”
I know, just bear with me. We ended up staying overnight because I wanted to find out everything that I could about this town, but as I mentioned, it’s a very easy day trip down from London.
The Southeastern train takes 55 minutes from Charing Cross station (with stops at Waterloo East and London Bridge stations for those who may find those tube locations easier) and you pop out right into the centre of Tunbridge Wells.
Day trips from London have certainly never felt easier. So, now what you’ve been waiting for.
12 things you must see, eat or do in Royal Tunbridge Wells this season
The hidden eateries to have on your map
The Old Fishmarket
Arrive between 3-5pm in The Pantiles and you’ll be in for a treat with Oyster Happy Hour at Sankey’s: The Old Fishmarket. Oyster Happy Hour is one of my all time favourite pastimes. We couldn’t turn it down. £1 Oysters!
Because we walked in on a Wednesday just after 3pm, it meant we were the only ones in at the time. Selfishly, I love this because it means I have free range for photos and it means I can usually have a chat with the owners and staff. It’s my favourite way to get a good feeling of the place.
The Old Fishmarket is owned by Matt Sankey, who we had the pleasure of meeting when we walked in. We got into a lively chat with him and their crew about their new champagne flutes they’ll be ordering (for the recored – I also selected the one they want to go with) – and were recommended to try a Sparkling Wine by one of their suppliers in Kent, Squerryes. Local wine? I didn’t need much convincing. Sign me up!
We tried the Squerryes 2013 Vintage Brut, delicious paired with the oysters. You may not think of Oysters as a cosy winter treat, but my Grandpa taught me that you should only eat Oysters in months that end in -er. So feel confident in oyster season during the autumn and winter months courtesy of Grandpa John.
Of course, you need a warm meal to go alongside these. Order the OFM Fish Pie. You won’t regret it. It’s a pie filled with smoked haddock, hake, grain mustard, leeks, and mashed potato. Joe and I shared the dish and I’m glad we did. It was so incredibly filling, warm and flavourful, I couldn’t have had it all to myself. With some good bread and buttered greens, our meal kept us toasty on a chilly autumn day.
We had such a wonderful time at the Old Fishmarket that we were a bit regretful to have to leave. The staff were fun and friendly, and didn’t mind my obscene amount of photo taking throughout our visit.
So it’s become one of my must visits in The Pantiles – and Tunbridge Wells as a whole. And don’t let the seafood scare you off, if you let them know in advance they’ll happily cater to anyone in your group who may not like fish, or is vegan, veggie or Celiac.
Hot chocolate and cakes at The Cake Shed
Best hot chocolate you can find in town, I’m sure of it. This quaint little cake shop serves up everything you could imagine. I thought it would only be coffees and cakes inside but they actually have a full bar menu available as well.
And if they have it when you go, I can’t recommend this enough: try the cookie with the sprinkles – or ask them for it. It tastes like funfetti (for my American readers who get the reference) or like a birthday cake. Fantastic.
The interior is cosy too, ideal for chilly days or evenings. If I lived in the town, I can picture myself popping here for a bit of work alongside a good coffee (and cake).
It’s also right across the way from The Old Fishmarket, so in what would be a dream day: coffee and cake followed by champagne and a warming meal there!
Mount Edgcumbe
In what would turn out to be a hilarious walk through the middle of the woods at night – Mount Edgcumbe pub is a bit out of the city centre (a 10 minute walk, maybe less). And I wish that we’d had a chance to see it in the daytime because it’s absolutely beautiful.
Perched on top of a hill (remember, Tunbridge Hills) it’s striking in the midst of the Lower Common, a small park. We meandered through a shortcut along a path in a dark park by the light of our phones. I always forget that outside of London places are really dark at night. Anyways, this was stupid, learn from my mistakes, use the road, it takes the same amount of time.
So we stumbled up the hill to Mount Edgcumbe and walked into a place that I can’t help but feels embodies these brilliant village towns. Wooden beams everywhere, delightful dancing candlelight and again, a truly brilliant staff. I was recommended to head there by fellow blogger, photographer and Tunbridge Wells local, Mollie Manning and she didn’t disappoint.
Mount Edgcumbe is one of those places that you might miss if you didn’t know you were looking for it.
And the food is the perfect kind of upscale pub menu where everyone can find something that they like and then some. We opted for a grazing evening with an order of their nachos (which by the way, will feed at least 4-5 people), sausages and hummus and pitta. If I hadn’t been quite so full from our lunch, I would have tucked into an order of the Slow cooked pork belly. But it’s always good to save something for next time, right?
After our comfortably lazy dinner, we ordered a round of drinks and sat out in their bar area… which contains an actual CAVE ROOM filled with tea lights and comfy couches. I really can’t thank Mollie enough for leading me to this gem. We could have stayed here all night.
Where to cosy up for a drink
As mentioned, Mount Edgecumbe is one for drinks without a doubt. But some other spots include…
Hotel Du Vin
We stayed here overnight on our adventures around Tunbridge Wells and the bar area is definitely a fun one to be in. Plush chairs, a fireplace in the centre (I wish it had been a colder week so it would have been a roaring fire – but again, next time). I was also surprised as to how lively it was on a Wednesday evening.
We kept it simple with wine and beer but the cocktail list looked like it would have been fun to try out too. In fact, I was going to get a cocktail here after our time at Mount Edgecumbe but by the time we got in we were shattered and ready to catch some sleep.
Chapel Place Wine & Gin Bar
We didn’t have time to fit in everything on our trip. But this is one I really wanted to include. It’s one of the smallest bars in town but complete with a pretty extensive gin collection. We wandered past here in our travels and it looked like it would have been a lot great to pop in and try out some of their gin selection.
Do a spot of independent Christmas shopping
Bod and Ted
First off, I’m so happy to have found out that Bod and Ted have an online store! …Because I couldn’t carry everything that I wanted to buy in there. An independent shop, this boutique carries a variety of independent brands in prices ranging from low to very high end. On our first day in Tunbridge Wells, we popped in almost immediate after arriving and I spoke with another Kelly (easy to remember!) who chatted with us about the town, recommendations and things to see. It was so lovely to see how much everyone who lives in Tunbridge Wells, well, loves it.
I stopped in briefly the next day and spoke with Paula who helped me pick out an affordable necklace. It’s the kind of place where you can find unique gifts for others, like my necklace… and of course, gifts for yourself too. There was a jumper that said “Blondie” on it that I was so tempted by and might need to order online at some point. It’s one of those perfect spots to get all your Christmas shopping done in one swoop.
Halls Bookshop
If you know me, you know I’m quite a reader. Or at least, I always have been. More recently, I’ve been carving time out of my schedule to ensure that I’m reading more. And you can expect wall to wall hidden gems in Halls Bookshop, which is filled with secondhand books.
Like walking into a little library, I wandered around the shelves for ages before selecting my purchase. An old guide to Tunbridge Wells from the 1920s. The pages are falling apart and it has that beautiful old book smell. It’s the spot you need to know about to pick up something incredibly different for that avid reader or historian in your life.
Trevor Mottram’s Kitchen Supply Shop
In the centre of The Pantiles, you can’t miss it. It’s a wildly vast kitchen supply shop. Because we all know someone who’s a little too into Great British Bakeoff, this is the perfect place to find cute kitchen gadgets and accessories.
I feel like I could go on and on about Tunbridge Wells, so the last things I’ll leave you with are a few sights that are must-sees on your visit.
Feast your eyes on…
The Calverley Grounds
In what used to be private grounds for residents only, The Calverley Grounds has been open to the public since the 1920s.
The Hotel Du Vin offers beautiful views of this park as well. Views from our bedroom at the hotel were incredible. If you’re staying there, definitely ask for the park views, it’s worth it!
The Pantiles
It’s quite a famous little area, but don’t let that fool you into thinking it’s overrun, touristy or tacky. It’s vehemently independent and true to their roots. The owners of the stores and restaurants are all happy to chat away with you, giving you a town history, telling you about their shops.
It’s a brilliant area so I suggest allowing plenty of time to explore (also you can find plenty of my suggestions above right in this area).
Bonus eye candy at Scotney Castle
Because I was craving a lovely additional autumnal stroll, if you have the time and a little extra cash to spare, I’d highly recommend hopping out to Scotney Castle.
A part of the National Trust it’s an absolutely beautiful park with an estate on the grounds that you can wander through as well.
If you’re National Trust members, tickets are quite reasonable, ours were about £13.50 per ticket to enter. It’s massively worth it to spend time here though. Plus they have volunteer guides on hand to tell you all about the place.
We were in luck as they were burning a fire down below near the Old Castle, which made for a pretty magical moment. So while I can’t guarantee the beautiful smoke in the background on your visit, I can tell you it’s a pretty exquisite place to roam around.
Tunbridge Wells tips:
Get your morning coffee (or 2pm coffee top up) at Fine Grind. On your way from the station towards The Pantiles, pop into Fine Grind for your caffeine fix and a croissant or two.
I wouldn’t fuss about with the newer area of Tunbridge Wells, which contains your typical high street shopping. You can get that where you live at home! Go for the culture, go for the independents and go for a truly friendly experience.
As I mentioned before, I’m one of those people that can’t help but to chat with everyone. But it means I get to learn more about the city and the people that way. And I found that each person I spoke with in Tunbridge Wells was incredibly lovely, helpful and interested in learning a little about me too.
And last but not least, if you have the time, stay overnight! We stayed one night at the Hotel du Vin Tunbridge Wells which was absolutely lovely. Even Queen Victoria used to lodge there! The rooms are spacious, and again, staff are super helpful.
I have to say, I feel like travelling outside of London definitely needs to become a theme for me!
Adventuring to new parts of the country, especially the South East, has been such a fun treat. It’s a new part of the country for me. I’ve never gotten to explore the South East before and it’s been so much fun traveling by train. With Southeastern, it means I can see, do, and explore more hidden gems of the South East of England.
And it means you can too! Stay tuned to my Instagram where I’ll be sharing even more #SEhiddengems over the next few weeks. And don’t forget to share yours on social too, tagging #SEhiddengems and @se_railway on Instagram and Twitter! (And you can find even more inspiration on Southeastern’s Instagram feed.)
Have you ever visited Tunbridge Wells before?
Kelly xox
PS. This post is sponsored in collaboration with Southeastern Railway. As always, all thoughts, opinions, photos, research and exploring are my own. We had a truly brilliant time getting to explore a new area of the country. I can’t wait to go back already.You can get advance single fare train tickets for £6.70 from London to Tunbridge Wells.