Thank goodness for Tunbridge Wells walks! We have such a super selection to choose from and discovering new routes is one of your favourite things to do.
We are spoilt for choice when it comes to Tunbridge Wells walks – whether you fancy exploring a muddy forest, a bustling common, a cobblestoned lane or one of our many parks, there are some amazing options to explore. So here are 16 of our favourite Tunbridge Wells walks in and around the town centre and surrounding villages:
Our favourite Tunbridge Wells walks…
♥ Hargate Forest – We have been really enjoying our walks recently at Hargate Forest on Broadwater Down, on the South side of Tunbridge Wells. The entrance can be found just beyond Strawberry Close, on the right – in the direction of the church. There are quite a few different routes to take, lovely views and a mix of ‘foresty’ areas and open landscape. Parking is along Broadwater Down itself…
♥ Tunbridge Wells Common – each time I visit the common at Tunbridge Wells, I am in awe at how gorgeous it is. Nestled in the heart of Tunbridge Wells it is an impressive expanse with the sand-stone Wellington Rocks for the children to explore, plenty of different paths to take and coffee on tap from Curlyveras van.
♥ Birchden Wood / Harrison Rocks – Another one of my favourites. Just outside Groombridge, this is extremely buggy friendly with lovely wooden creatures scattered throughout the forest including a snake and a very large acorn along with some little outdoor dens hidden throughout the woods. There is a fee for parking which can be viewed here.
♥ Happy Valley is another gorgeous walk close to Rusthall. There are a lot of steps involved in this one and it might be better to do it during dryer weather but it is well worth it! Why not drop into the gorgeous Beacon while nearby too? Or continue down to The Pantiles – get something yummy to eat – and walk back up through Tunbridge Wells Common!
♥ The Speldhurst Welly Walk is described as a circular walk taking around 45 minutes – across fields, down into the forest with a river / stream and possibly a rope swing or two along the way. You can start the walk from either direction. There’s a steep(ish) incline at both ends so definitely not buggy friendly. Such a lovely walk though! Why not warm up next to the open fire at The George & Dragon afterwards?
Hurrah for Happy Valley!
♥ Dunorlan Park – a picturesque park that has something for everyone. I never get tired of this place! There is so much space here, that however busy it gets you can still find a peaceful spot. With its bowl shape, large lake, gardens and views towards to the countryside, it really is an idyllic space to play and relax. There is café and toilets. There’s also a seasonal boating lake where you can hire boats and pedalos for added entertainment.
♥ Hurst Woods is an absolutely gorgeous forest walk in Tunbridge Wells with a stream, abundance of bluebells (during the right season) and a circular route. You can enter the forest via Coniston Avenue too (which seems to be most common way of doing it).
More of our top Tunbridge Wells walks…
♥ The Penshurst Place Estate Walk starts in the village centre and takes walkers up past Penshurst Place and through the estate’s fields with gorgeous views of the stately home and surrounding countryside. This walk is around 2.5 miles.
♥ Have you heard of the Toad Rock Trail? We recently visited Toad Rock in Rusthall and the kids really enjoyed playing in the big sandpit and climbing amongst the sandstone rocks. Friends of the Commons have created a trail map which you can check out!
♥ Forest Way – We love exploring the disused railway ‘Forest Way‘, a 10 mile stretch ideal for cycling between Groombridge and East Grinstead. We have parked up just outside Groombridge and joined the trail there and have also parked at the old train station in Hartfield. As it is quite flat, it’s buggy friendly too. You can choose to walk it but it is very much bike friendly too.
♥ Friezland Wood near High Rocks has come recommended too. There are some logs to climb on and rocks (big and small) plus a little stream for the kids to go paddling in. Look out for the Spa Valley Railway’s steam train passing by too…
♥ The Langton to Groombridge Walk can be found via the Langton Green Village website under ‘Langton Walk 1’. This walk from Langton to Groombridge, through the grounds of Groombridge Place and Burrswood estates, returning through Newpark Wood and across fields back to the Recreation Ground. It is one of the longer ones mentioned on here at approx 5.25 miles.
Walk and Woodland Market!
♥ Kingdom in Penshurst has a very short circular route which is great for parents with little ones. The cafe at Kingdom is absolutely fabulous too and the perfect pitstop before or after your walk. Do double check the website beforehand to see if the cafe is open to visitors as they sometimes have functions.
♥ Broadwater Warren – Broadwater Warren is a beautiful place to visit on the outskirts of Tunbridge Wells. There’s something very peaceful about the warren and the RSPB is making great progress with restoring it. There’s an onsite carpark which is free! Look out for the wild ponies and try to visit the Decoy Pond – there are maps along the way and at the entrance. Dog are welcome but on leads…
♥ Southborough Common has a big section of the forest behind Woodlands Day Nursery that has been cleared and there’s a whole load of dens for the children to duck in and out of if you veer off to the left. There are various rope swings dotted around too and a small river running along the bottom too. There’s a circular walk you can do too which is outlined on this leaflet.
♥ Another one of our favourite Tunbridge Wells walks is the Southborough Viaduct walk – an absolute gem and another one that we discovered during lockdown. There are several ways of doing it but this route is probably my favourite and has superb directions. I am guessing it is probably pretty muddy now so you might want to wait until later in the year to do this one…
If you are looking at going further afield then you might find our blog post on our 35 top walks in Kent and East Sussex useful.
Fancy a coffee? We have written all about our favourite Tunbridge Wells independent cafes!