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Our lovely Grade II listed home, dating from 1850, is located in the heart of Tunbridge Wells along a surprisingly quiet side road with off road parking and a good sized mature garden. This is an ideal location for exploring the historic town itself, or for getting to know Kent.

The house was designed by William Willicombe (1800-1875), a local architect and builder who was the protegé of the famous architect Decimus Burton. Generally, the house is child friendly with lots of space to run around. The house is over three floors, united by a grand Victorian staircase. We have one double bedroom and one twin children's room on the top floor with family bathroom. At upper ground floor level there is the lounge with piano, TV, DVD and video. Next door to this is bedroom 3 which has a double bed in it. This room also contains the computer with broadband internet access which is wireless throughout the house. At this level there is also a further bathroom with shower. At lower ground level there is the kitchen / dining room. This has all the usual kitchen facilities including dishwasher and microwave. There is also an adjacent pantry. At this level there is also what we call the family room ;which is crammed with little girls toys, TV and DVD. A utility room (containing a washing machine and dryer) and a further bathroom with shower is also at this level.

Our lovely private garden, though large, is not completely enclosed. There is however a gate which, when closed, effectively separates us and our neighbours property from the outside world. There is a lovely patio seating area adjacent to the kitchen and family room, with french doors from both. There is also a sandpit, wendy house and numerous toys in the garage for the young ones.

There are so many things to see and do in and around Tunbridge Wells that it’s impossible to list them all. Here are a few of the many things that we are fortunate enough to have nearby.

Local
A visit to Royal Tunbridge Wells would not be complete without a stroll down to the Pantiles, perhaps sampling water from the Chalybeate Spring which gave the town both its spa town and Royal status. Along the Pantiles there are numerous interesting shops, art galleries and cafes. I think my personal favourite is Mottrams for all things cookware, and I mean all things!

To view some of the best of Decimus Burton’s architecture within the town is to walk around Calverley Park which is practically at the end of our road.
When you have seen enough of the town’s architecture, the Royal Victoria shopping centre is within 5 minutes walk housing the usual high street shops. The actual High Street is full of boutique shops selling more unusual, one off items.

There are numerous restaurants in town which are generally within easy walking distance. They should cater for most tastes and include Spanish, Thai, Indian, Italian, Chinese, French, Himalayan and Mexican. The Black Pig is an excellent gastro pub and the Hotel du Vin is always good for the ambience and a glass or two of wine.

For Days Out Further Afield
London, well what can I say, our house is literally an 8 minute walk (we timed it before we bought the house) from the train station which will take you directly into London Bridge, Charing Cross or Waterloo. It takes approximately 55 minutes. London is then your oyster to explore at your leisure. Art galleries, museums, West End shows - need I say more!

Hastings is a seaside town which has a lovely old town section full of second hand/ antique shops to have a rummage around in. It also has a very quaint aquarium and fishing museum which are both worth a visit. If you take either of the cliff lifts from the seafront you get wonderful panoramic views over the town and coast. It’s also a great location for flying kites up there. After that, fish and chips at the Mermaid always goes down well.

Camber Sands, as it’s name suggests, has a very long, very wide, sandy beach perfect for building a sandcastle. The beach is bounded by sand dunes which the kids love to explore. It makes for a great day out. Take a picnic as there is only a small café or two there. We tend to call into Rye (one of the Cinque Ports) on the way home for some great tasting fish and chips to round off a happy day at the beach.

Kent is awash with National Trust properties so if you are looking to explore some beautiful old houses or take a stroll around some immaculate gardens then you will be in the right place. We have Scotney Castle, Bodiam Castle, Ightam Mote, Sissinghurst, Emmetts Garden and numerous others in the near vicinity. We have been National Trust members for several years now as it is such good value when there are so many fantastic places to visit nearby. Go to www.nationaltrust.org.uk for further information.

Children
Within walking distance
For a lovely afternoon stroll there is Dunorlan Park within walking distance. A lap around the boating lake feeding the numerous ducks and geese (or even hiring a boat to take the kids out on the lake) can be happily rounded off by a delicious ice cream at the café. Likewise the other local parks can provide an hour or twos entertainment and a good leg stretch for all.

On more inclement days the local museum and art gallery is great fun for the kids with activities usually planned to cover the holidays with museum trails, craft tables and story telling sessions too. Trinity Theatre is a fantastic venue for reasonably priced children’s shows and the Assembly Hall also has some excellent shows for both kids and adults alike. Just outside of town is an Odeon multiscreen cinema and Bowlplex. If everyone is feeling creative then Glazy Daisy, a paint a pot place, is a 5 minute drive and there are also several soft play centres nearby.

Further afield
Bedgebury Pinetum houses the national collection of coniferous trees and is approx 20 minutes by car. It has a wonderful children’s play area, and the extensive walks around the forest are good to explore any time of year. For the more energetic, bicycles can be hired by the hour and there is also a ‘Go Ape’ adventure activity for those over 10 years old.

Activities
Within Tunbridge Wells there is a very convenient swimming pool with learner pool which often has fun sessions on for the kids in the holidays. If you would like to swim outdoors then Tonbridge (approximately 15 minutes by car/ 10 minutes by train) has a marvellous indoor /outdoor pool. The pool has a miniature railway just outside in the summer and there are castle ruins to explore nearby. If it’s the waves and flumes you crave, then Larkfield approximately 35 minutes away is the place to go.

If the kids want to try riding then there are several in the area. The girls go to one which we can highly recommended.

If you fancy giving skiing, abseiling or rock climbing a whirl then Bowles outdoor centre approximately 20 minutes away would give you the perfect opportunity. I believe there is also some messing about on the water to be had at Bewl Water which is also approximately 20 minutes away by car.