Date: June 28th
Category: Vintage Travel | Spa Towns | Antique Guidebook Series
As our vintage journey continues, we take a slight detour from the coast to a destination still beloved by well-dressed pensioners and Jane Austen cosplayers alike: Tunbridge Wells. It’s all part of our mission to travel with the British Railways Holiday Guide (1957) and see how its suggestions hold up in 2025.
So far, we’ve visited Bognor Regis and Hastings with delightful success (and minimal sunburn). Now, the guide promises us “a restful inland resort for refined visitors” and we’re hoping it delivers — ideally with scones.
🚉 Destination #3: Royal Tunbridge Wells, Kent
📍 As described in 1957:
“A place of gracious promenades and medicinal springs, where one may enjoy tennis, tea, and the company of well-behaved children.”
Note the unspoken warning: no shenanigans allowed.
🏛️ Then vs. Now
Then (1957):
- Known for its Chalybeate Spring with iron-rich spa waters
- The Pantiles (an elegant Georgian colonnade) as the centre of social life
- Recommended for genteel recreation, shopping, and promenading
- Ideal for visitors “requiring quiet, fresh air, and cultured company”
Now (2025):
- The spring is still there — you can still sample the water (it still tastes like pennies)
- The Pantiles remains a delight, filled with cafés, antique shops, and weekend markets
- Local pubs now offer jazz instead of string quartets, but the vibe is preserved
- Still accessible via rail, with a well-kept station and frequent connections from London
Verdict: Not a seaside resort, but a lovely day out if your soul needs ironing.
🫖 Afternoon Tea, Then and Now
“Refreshment Rooms serve scones, boiled eggs, and strong teas. One may also partake of luncheon should the morning promenade be strenuous.”
We tested three tearooms. (For research. Obviously.)
🥇 Winner: The CakeShed — delightful riverside spot, questionable 1950s authenticity, outstanding Victoria sponge.
🥈 Honourable mention: Juliet’s Café — quirky, excellent for people-watching.
🥉 The Chalybeate Water: still not better than tea.
🏞️ Promenade & Politeness
We took the guide’s advice and:
- Walked The Pantiles in vintage attire (results: 3 compliments, 1 knowing wink)
- Visited the Tunbridge Wells Museum & Art Gallery (temporarily closed for refurbishment, but a peek at the archives was arranged!)
- Attempted a modest game of croquet. Failed spectacularly, but no one was injured.
👒 “A lady or gentleman may pass an entire afternoon in Tunbridge Wells without ever breaking a sweat.” – 1957 Guide
🛍️ Souvenirs & Surprises
- Antique postcards at the flea market: ✔️
- Second-hand bookshop find: A Guide to the Fashionable Spas of Europe, 1902
- New item in our vintage rail collection: a 1950s British Rail menu card from a dining car to Tunbridge Wells — featuring “Mock Turtle Soup” and “Fruit Cup (chilled)”
🚆 Rail Travel: 1957 vs 2025
1957:
- Direct line from London Charing Cross and Cannon Street
- “A pleasing journey through green and civilised country”
2025:
- Still direct! About 55 minutes
- More laptops, fewer hatboxes — but the views are still excellent
📚 Want to Know More?
- Royal Tunbridge Wells Through Time by Michael Chartres
- The English Spa 1560–1815 by Phyllis Hembry
- A Social History of Tea by Jane Pettigrew
- The Pantiles & Spa Valley Railway History
💬 Have You Strolled the Pantiles?
Visited as a child? Sampled the spring? Fallen in love over a scone?
Tag @TimeTravellersGuild and use #1957SeasideSpecial — we’ll feature your memories in this weekend’s Seaside Scrapbook feature.
