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The Pantiles, Kent

 

In 1606 a young nobleman named Dudley Lord North discovered a spring of water on sandy soil in the middle of Kent. Lord North drank the water and declared it health giving. This became known as the Chalybeate Spring, and once Henrietta Maria, wife of Charles The First visited to try the water, "taking the waters" became quite the fashion. The town of Tunbridge Wells grew up around the now famous spring, to serve the growing numbers of people who wished to enjoy the water's health giving properties. In the 1740s the social lives of high society visitors were organised by Master of Ceremonies Richard "Beau" Nash - read more about him on our History of Holidays page. He held court in a grand room on a colonnaded street called the Pantiles which grew up next to the spring. So that ladies taking the water didn't get their dresses muddy in wet weather the street was tiled, and it is these tiles which give the Pantiles its name.

 

 

The Pantiles, showing the two levels

The Pantiles area of Tunbridge Wells is much as it was in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. The Chalybeate Spring lies at one end, and in the summer months "dippers" in traditional costume are on hand to allow visitors to take the water. I've tried the water myself, and reflecting its high mineral content, it has a very metallic taste! You will find the dippers ready to tell you about the history of the spring, and of Tunbridge Wells in general. The Pantiles itself is a lovely colonnade of shops, built on two levels. Back in the time of Beau Nash, the levels were used to separate the social classes: the gentry used the upper level, and everyone else used the lower. This is a rather remarkable physical reminder of Britain's old class system. The rooms used by Beau Nash survive and can be located by a plaque. There are many unusual shops, and a number of restaurants with pavement tables where you can sit and enjoy the surroundings. In the Summer live music is performed on the band stand. A programme of entertainments can be obtained by ringing the contact number below.

 

The Chalybeate Spring

At the top of Mount Pleasant, in the Tunbridge Wells Museum you will find more evidence of the town's role the development of tourism in Britain. In tourist spots today there will inevitably be a souvenir shop of some kind. This kind of merchandise was first developed in Tunbridge Wells during the late seventeenth century. "Tunbridge Ware" souvenirs were first made in the 1680s, and consisted of scenes of Tunbridge Wells etched onto wooden or metal plaques. Later an ornate style of mosaic work developed, and was used to decorate a wide range of wooden objects, including desks and tables. A range of Tunbridge Ware is on display at the town's museum. Should you want a souvenir of your visit, you can even buy a few pieces of Tunbridge Ware.

 

Directions: the Pantiles is just off the Eridge Road A26. You could park in the multistorey car park at the Royal Victoria Place shopping centre, and walk down Mount Pleasant. This becomes the High Street. Keep walking straight ahead, cross over Nevill Street,and the Pantiles will be in front of you. Click here for an interactive road and satellite map centred on the Pantiles.

Access: wheelchair access is generally good, although the street being on two levels might cause some inconvenience. There are adapted toilets at the far end of the Pantiles.

Contact: 01892 554229