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Royal Tunbridge Wells

We are looking to base ourselves here for two weeks to explore Kent/maybe Sussex.

We want to stay self catering so looking for reccomendations(on accomodations) and things to do for animal/nature lovers who on occaision like to hit the shops.

Any Good veggie restaurants/cafes in the area?

Nature reserves/parks that kind of thing.

What is Royal Tunbridge Wells like for things to do/everyday shopping? ( When we have a day when we need a rest).

Thanks for any help :)
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Comments

  • vikingaero
    vikingaero Posts: 10,920 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    Tunbridge Wells has The Royal Victoria Place as it's main shopping centre - http://uk.westfield.com/royalvictoriaplace/ It also has loads of small knick knacky shops. There is certainly plenty of choice for shopping and a lot of it borders on high end private shops.

    It is well served by restaurants from chains to nice bistros and independents, but as a meat lover I can't help you on the veggie option!

    Nature reserves/parks: Bewl Water, Bedgebury National Pinetum and Bough Beech - http://www.kentwildlifetrust.org.uk/reserves/bough-beech/

    There are some decent National Trust places: Scotney Castle, Bodiam Castle, Batemans, Knole, Sissinghurst Gardens and Chartwell

    Also not too far away are Hever Castle and Groombridge Place, Penshurst Place.
    The man without a signature.
  • vikingaero
    vikingaero Posts: 10,920 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    And I forgot. Somewhere I used to go as a kid:

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High_Rocks
    The man without a signature.
  • ShaneUK
    ShaneUK Posts: 1,099 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture Combo Breaker
    Don't forget to also check out The Pantiles

    I am assuming you have taken a look at the Royal Tunbridge Wells website?

    There are many other places worth checking out in the local area, such as Canterbury and Ashford

    You are also close enough to the coast to have a day at the seaside, or a day in London. Another option for a day out would be to have a day in France (either Eurostar (a little pricey) or the MSE option of a foot passenger on the ferry.

    Another day out could be Leeds Castle

    In relation to accommodation, I am not sure! I have stayed in hotels, but not self catering accommodation. If you want a hotel, The Spa Hotel is ok, The Hotel Du Vin nice, but another nice hotel is The Brew House Hotel.

    I lived in TW for around 14 years - it is a great town. Now live in Leeds (Yorkshire - not Leeds Kent!) and miss not getting there as often as I would like!

    I am not sure on specific vegeterian restaurants, but there are plenty of fantastic restaurants in the town, and the area, that do nice meals, and that will also obviously cater for vegeterians. I will pop back later and add some more info if I can!
  • ShaneUK
    ShaneUK Posts: 1,099 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture Combo Breaker
    When are you going by the way..... May help posters with events that are happening in the area (ie Vikingareo has suggested Bewl Water). An annual event here that is well worth going to is The Dragon Boat Racing which this year is on Saturday and Sunday 11th and 12th September.
  • Sunny_Saver
    Sunny_Saver Posts: 3,068 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Photogenic Name Dropper
    This place is nice for a treat http://www.thackerays-restaurant.co.uk/index.html

    It has a vegetarian menu. But like I say, unless you are minted, nice for a treat!
    “It was only a sunny smile, and little it cost in the giving, but like morning light it scattered the night and made the day worth living.”

    F. Scott Fitzgerald
  • Debt_Free_Chick
    Debt_Free_Chick Posts: 13,276 Forumite
    10,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    I live near Bodiam. This is a great area for a holiday, but it would help if you let us know what type of thing you're interested in, so we can be more specific with suggsestions. We have manor houses, castles, woodland, parks, gardens, water, farms, vineyards. The Kent & East Sussex Railway is worth a trip from Tenterden (another fine, but smaller, shopping town) to Bodiam Castle, passing through beautiful countryside and along the River Rother.

    I'm in the High Weald AONB and just about every village has a decent pub with good food - with veggie options. Brighton is the local veggie capital, but I'm not a fan (Islington-on-Sea, to me!!!!).

    Tunbridge Wells is great for shopping and is my "first choice" over Hastings, Eastbourne, Ashford & Maidstone (my other main options).

    Can you say roughly where you're staying and what interests you?
    Warning ..... I'm a peri-menopausal axe-wielding maniac ;)
  • Tarry
    Tarry Posts: 11,195 Forumite
    I like Tunbridge Wells for shopping, it's got quite a nice shopping area :D I also like Maidstone and Eastbourne, but not too keen on Hastings for shopping. What about a visit to the market town of Rye? It's got loads of history there, and on a Thursday there is a market right near the train station (well the carpark near it). That's pretty good and attracts loads of people to it. There is plenty of countryside around these parts, good for walking, and enjoying :D
    The Very Right Honourable Lady Tarry of the Alphabetty thread
    -I just love finding bargains and saving money
    I love to travel as much as I can when I can
    Life has a way to test you, it's how you deal with this that matters
  • jfdi
    jfdi Posts: 1,031 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts
    And don't forget Hartfield!

    http://www.pooh-country.co.uk/history.php
    :mad: :j:D:beer::eek::A:p:rotfl::cool::):(:T
  • guineapig
    guineapig Posts: 278 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture Combo Breaker
    Thank you everyone for your input so far, it is much appreciated:)

    We hope to go 4-18 September and we both want to get up close and personal with some animals, I am always the oldest "kid" in any petting Zoo! They are so age-ist in those places!!! LOL

    dh likes photography, bird life/wildlife nice scenery etc.

    We like a walk, by a river, a nice sandy beach.

    When having a breather from driving or not going too far we like to pootle around nice independent shops, I am a big fan of department stores!

    We would love to have a Vegan meal somewhere, but we are realistic about our chances of doing this so we will look into veggie places but often they don't really get the dairy/egg/cheese free options, but you never know we might get lucky!

    I like nice gardens but am not a gardener and I like looking at castles, but am not fussed about going inside them.
    I do like old churches though and find I like to peek inside them if I can.
    Museums generally are not my thing unless it was very unusual like Ripley's sort of thing.

    Shane uk, small world we live just outside of Leeds near Wakefield!

    Please keep your suggestions coming, I am very grateful and I am sure we will be able to cobble together a good itinery for 2 weeks.
    Hopefully will be staying in RTW or a village close by, still researching that, so if anyone knows if it is better to be "in" RTW or drive in and park up let me know............plus of course if there are any villages around that have their own charms that would last a two week holiday I am open to suggestions...............( we like picturesque riverside settings/streams, cute houses etc).

    Thanks again I am reading all your input with great intrest:)
  • Tarry
    Tarry Posts: 11,195 Forumite
    Rye would definetely suit your needs than, independent shops, history, etc http://visitrye.co.uk/ and a lovely place to walk down with the boats called the strand. If you like bird watching there is a nature reserve at Rye Harbour, well worth a visit, and a good beach when the tide is out, when the tide is in, there is just stones (but the beach over the otherside of the river is just sand, sand, and more sand). There is also a church up Rye which you can go right to the top off and look around Rye. There are walks around Rye too, there is good walk that takes you through fields etc.

    Camber is a good sandy beach, but be warned it gets very packed when the weather is hot with people travelling from miles around to sunbathe or just go the beach.

    Bodium Castle is good, it's quite pretty to walk around I feel or stroll along the Riverside there.

    Port Lymme is a good zoo, not been for a few years, but I would recomend it :D

    HTH and if I think of more I'd add them, but I've got to leave for work now.
    The Very Right Honourable Lady Tarry of the Alphabetty thread
    -I just love finding bargains and saving money
    I love to travel as much as I can when I can
    Life has a way to test you, it's how you deal with this that matters
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