tunbridge wells (borough)

olspan=2 align=center bgcolor="#ff9999"\|Borough of Tunbridge Wells
olspan=2 align=center\| Shown within Kent
olspan=2 bgcolor="#ff9999"\|Geography
idth="45%"\|Status:	Borough
a href="/encyclopedia/Regions-of-England" title="Regions of England">Region:	South East England
dmin. County:	Kent
a href="/encyclopedia/Surface-area" title="Surface area">Area: - Total	Ranked 148th 331.33 km²
dmin. HQ:	Tunbridge Wells
a href="/encyclopedia/ONS-coding-system" title="ONS coding system">ONS code:	29UQ
olspan=2 bgcolor="#ff9999"\|Demographics
a href="/encyclopedia/Population" title="Population">Population: - Total (2002 est.) - Density	Ranked 211th 103,665 313 / km²
thnicity:	97.5% White
olspan=2 bgcolor="#ff9999"\|Politics
olspan=2 align=center\|Tunbridge Wells Borough Council http://www.tunbridgewells.gov.uk/
a href="/encyclopedia/Local_government_in_England#Councils_and_councillors" title="Local_government_in_England#Councils_and_councillors">Leadership:	Leader & Cabinet
xecutive:	Conservative
a href="/encyclopedia/MPs-elected-in-the-UK-general-election,-2001" title="MPs elected in the UK general election, 2001">MPs:	Ann Widdecombe, Archie Norman

Tunbridge Wells is a local government district and borough in Kent, England. It takes its name from its main town, Royal Tunbridge Wells.

Description of borough

Location

The borough of Tunbridge Wells lies along the south eastern border of Kent, partly on the northern edge of the Weald, the remainder on the Weald Clay plain in the upper reaches of the rivers Teise and Beult.

The North Weald area

The area immediately to the north and west of Tunbridge Wells lies within the Weald. The presence of sandstone outcrops here, and the chalybeate springs, together with old workings, point to ancient iron manufacturing. Roads in the area run through heavily wooded country, even today.

Weald Clay plain

This plain is part of the so-called Garden of England, since its extensive orchards and one-time hop farms, its sheep and cattle, have given rise to that name. A string of villages lies across this plain, from Brenchley and Horsmonden to Benenden and Headcorn.

Communications

Roads Most roads within the Borough, apart from a handful of main north-south highways, are narrow and winding: The Rolling English Road of Chesterton's poem.

Railways The line of the former South Eastern Railway (SER) main line crosses the clay plain in an almost unbroken straight line between Redhill and Ashford. The SER branch line to Hastings passes through Tunbridge Wells; here there was once a further branch connection south-eastwards to Groombridge and beyond. At Paddock Wood is the line to Maidstone; the former branch to Hawkhurst from here has long been closed, as is the Kent & East Sussex Railway section to Tenterden which ran from Headcorn.

Borough organisation

Tunbridge Wells Borough is organised into wards. Eight wards are within Royal Tunbridge Wells itself: Culverden; Pantiles & St Marks; Park; Rusthall; Sherwood; St James' and St John's. The remainder are rural wards covering the other main towns and villages: in some instances two villages are in one ward.