Tunbridge Wells is a historic spa town in the heart of Kent’s High Weald, an Area of Outstanding National Beauty. Visitors are in good company – Queen Victoria often spent time here, hence the full name Royal Tunbridge Wells. The station dates back to 1846, and the smaller station building off Vale Road is original; the larger, on Mount Pleasant Road, was built in the early 20th century and features an impressive clock tower.
Trains arrive in the heart of town, close to the High Street’s cafes, shops, restaurants and pubs. As you’d expect from a High Weald town, Tunbridge Wells also offers countryside walks through woodlands and parks, including Calverly Grounds, a short walk from the station. Just under a mile to the south is the Spa Valley Railway, a heritage steam line that uses the old Tunbridge Wells West station – a former rival to the main station, it closed to national rail traffic in 1985.