Welcome to the website of the Royal Tunbridge Wells Civic Society. The Society is an independent organisation
which campaigns for the conservation and improvement of this attractive town with its important heritage and rich cultural life.
- see more about our objectives and background;
- get the latest news on current issues;
- download our latest Newsletter;
- check out our latest Publication (use the Publications tab to buy on-line);
- send us your comments on any of our activities or on current issues in the town.
New book on old breweries now available to order
The long anticipated publication by the Local History Group on the history of old breweries in Tunbridge Wells by Guy Sankey has just been published. With fifty years experience in the licensed trade in the town Guy knows more about brewing in Tunbridge Wells than any other person. Over the years he has amassed a collection of brewery memorabilia that is second to none. His particular interest is Kelsey’s on St Johns Road. He has now used that knowledge to produce this account of the history, not only of Kelsey’s, but of seven other breweries in and around the town.
In A4 landscape format with 72 pages in full colour it costs just £9.95. You can get your copy by clicking on the link above to our Publications page and ordering on-line.
Our next event for 2022:
Thursday 9th June 7.30pm at Christ Church, High Street, Tunbridge Wells, TN1 1UT
'Old Breweries of Tunbridge Wells'
- an illustrated talk by Guy Sankey who is well known for his long personal involvement in the
local hospitality sector. He will be talking about the development of the common
brewers in the town, in line with his monograph published by the Society in October
2020. [Copies available for sale and signed by author on the night. See photo above].
Starting from the earliest recorded brewers at the end of the 1600’s, Guy follows the
changes in the brewing industry and how it was reflected in our town. He charts
the rise of Kelsey’s Culverden Brewery and its final absorption into the Whitbread
empire, thus ending over 200 years of brewing in the town, and also considers
recent seeds of revival through micro-brewers.
