Ashurst

A Guide to Ashurst, Kent: Community, Comfort, and Compassionate Support

Finding the Right Ashurst – You Need TN3, Not the Others

You’re looking for Ashurst in Kent, postcode TN3. Not the one in Hampshire. Not the one in West Sussex either. This matters because there are three villages with the same name, and getting your facts mixed up won’t help anyone. The Kent version sits near Royal Tunbridge Wells, right on the Kent-East Sussex border [1].

This guide covers everything about life in Ashurst, the history, transport links, where to eat, schools for your kids, and how Welham Jones Funerals & Memorials supports local families from their nearby Tunbridge Wells location. We’re a family-run business, and we know this community matters to the people who live here.

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The Story Behind Ashurst's Name

Ashurst comes from Old English. Simple as that. ‘Æsc’ means ash tree, ‘hyrst’ means wooded hill. Put them together and you get a hill covered in ash trees [2]. Still fits today when you look around the village.

The parish church dedicated to St Martin of Tours tells the real story of how long people have lived here. Saxons built the original church between 921 and 927 AD [3]. That’s over 1,100 years ago. The Normans rebuilt parts of it in 1230, then again in 1240 after a fire damaged it. During 19th-century restoration work, they found the original Saxon stone altar and put it back where it belonged.

The River Medway forms the natural boundary between Kent and East Sussex right here. Two watermills used to operate on this river. You can still see a weir today, what’s left of the industrial heritage. The population was just 171 people in 1931 [4]. It’s officially part of Speldhurst parish now, but it keeps its village identity.

Getting To and From Ashurst

By Car

The A264 runs straight through Ashurst [5]. Head east and you reach Royal Tunbridge Wells. Go west and you hit East Grinstead. The A21 trunk road sits nearby for longer journeys to London or the south coast. Parking is available at the railway station.

By Train

Ashurst (Kent) Railway Station, station code AHS, connects to the Uckfield branch of the Oxted Line [6]. Southern runs the service [7]. You get regular hourly trains direct to London Bridge via Oxted [8], plus southbound services to Uckfield. The station is unstaffed but has self-service ticket machines, smartcard validators, passenger help points [9], plus shelters and seating on both platforms.

Location: Ashurst (Kent) Railway Station, Station Rd, Ashurst, Tunbridge Wells TN3 1EP [Map]

By Bus

Metrobus 291 runs between Crawley, East Grinstead, and Tunbridge Wells, stopping in Ashurst [10]. This matters if you don’t drive – you can still reach shops, medical services, and other facilities in the bigger towns nearby.

Places to Walk and Reflect

The area around Ashurst offers proper walking opportunities. Ashurst Park has expansive grounds for gentle strolls [11]. Ashdown Forest, famous as the inspiration for Winnie-the-Pooh stories, sits just a short drive away. Multiple circular walks start from the village [12], including routes along the River Medway and into the Sussex Border Path. This is High Weald Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty territory.

Where to Eat and Drink

The Crown Inn, Groombridge

Short distance from Ashurst. This family-run free house dates back to around 1585 [13], making it one of the oldest pubs in the South of England. Features cosy beamed restaurant, log fires, traditional food. Chef Jamie Oliver named it one of the top 100 pubs in the UK.

Location: The Crown Inn, The Green, Groombridge, Tunbridge Wells TN3 9QH [Map]

The Chafford Arms, Fordcombe

Located between Tunbridge Wells and Penshurst. Known for honest, home-cooked food and real ales from local breweries [14]. Wood-burning stoves in winter, large garden with Weald views in summer.

Location: Chafford Arms Ltd, Spring Hill, Fordcombe, Tunbridge Wells TN3 0SA [Map]

Other Options

In Hartfield: The Dorset Arms and The Bear Inn [15]. In Royal Tunbridge Wells: contemporary British at The Ivy, French cuisine at Côte Brasserie [16].

Local Attractions

Spa Valley Railway [17] operates heritage steam and diesel trains between Tunbridge Wells West and Eridge, stopping at High Rocks and Groombridge. Takes you through Kent and Sussex countryside the old-fashioned way.

Schools and Education

Ashurst doesn’t have its own primary school. Several good schools serve the area:

Primary Schools

Speldhurst Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School [18]: Located in nearby Speldhurst village. Location: Speldhurst Rd, Speldhurst, Tunbridge Wells TN3 0NN [Map]
Langton Green Primary School [19]: In Langton Green, short drive from Ashurst. Location: High St, Langton Green, Tunbridge Wells TN3 0JA [Map]
Fordcombe C of E Primary School: Village of Fordcombe, within easy reach. Location: School Ln, Fordcombe, Tunbridge Wells TN3 0SA [Map]
Skinners’ Kent Primary School [20]: Tunbridge Wells location, part of successful academy trust. Location: Skinners Ln, Tunbridge Wells TN4 8DU [Map]

Nurseries and Pre-schools

Little Acorns Pre-school [21]: Actually in Ashurst village itself, located in the sports pavilion grounds. Beautiful rural setting, walking distance from train station. Location: 4 Mill Pl, Ashurst, Tunbridge Wells TN3 9TJ [Map]
Tunbridge Wells nurseries [22]: Banana Moon Day Nursery, N Family Club, The Green Cave Day Nursery & Montessori Pre-School

Secondary Education

Royal Tunbridge Wells provides secondary options: St. Gregory’s Catholic School, The Skinners’ School, Tunbridge Wells Boys’ Grammar School, Tunbridge Wells Girls’ Grammar School.

Welham Jones: Your Local Funeral Directors

Welham Jones Funerals & Memorials is an independent, family-run business serving West Kent and southeast London for generations. We’re members of both the National Association of Funeral Directors (NAFD) [23] and The National Society of Allied and Independent Funeral Directors (SAIF) [24]. This means we follow the highest professional standards.

Our Tunbridge Wells funeral home at 39 Crescent Road specifically serves the Ashurst community [25]. We explicitly name Ashurst as one of our local parishes – not just “the general area” like some other funeral directors might say. For families in the village, this means dedicated local support just 9 minutes drive away [26].

What We Provide

Pre-paid funeral plans [27]: Let you document your wishes and fix costs now, removing uncertainty and financial pressure from your family later.

Clear pricing information [28]: We believe in transparency. Our funeral packages range from simple direct services to full traditional arrangements. You choose what fits your needs and budget.

Wide coffin selection [29]: Traditional solid woods, veneers, eco-friendly bamboo and wicker options, plus personalised designs that reflect someone’s unique life.

Personal touches [30]: Special music, service flags, floral tributes, personal mementos that hold meaning for your family.

Repatriation services [31]: If someone dies abroad, we handle the complex legal documentation and overseas arrangements to bring them home to Kent with dignity.

Obituaries and notices [32]: We help prepare and place notices in local/national newspapers and through our online obituaries service where friends and family can share memories.

Getting to Our Tunbridge Wells Location

Address: Welham Jones Funerals & Memorials
39 Crescent Road, Royal Tunbridge Wells, TN1 2LZ [Map]

Contact: Phone: 01892 300330
Email: tunbridgewells@welhamjones.co.uk

Driving from Ashurst (20 minutes):

Head east on A264 from Ashurst village
Follow A264 as it becomes Langton Road, then Major York’s Road
At roundabout, take first exit onto London Road (A26)
Turn right onto Crescent Road
We’re on the right at number 39

After the Funeral

Our support doesn’t end when the service finishes. We help with memorial arrangements [33], whether you want ashes interred in a churchyard, scattered somewhere meaningful, or made into keepsake jewellery. For burials, we offer headstones, plaques, and kerb surrounds that can be personalised.

We treat everyone who has died with complete dignity and respect. Our professional care after death services [34] follow the highest standards. We can prepare them according to your wishes, including dressing them in their own clothes or following specific religious or cultural customs.

We’re available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Call our Tunbridge Wells branch at 01892 300330 whenever you need us. As a local family business, we’re part of the community we serve. That includes Ashurst, and every family who needs our support across West Kent.