Southborough

Southborough at a Glance

Southborough sits just two miles (about 1 mile as the crow flies) north of Royal Tunbridge Wells on the A26. Population: 11,968 people in 2021. Area: 7.3 km², that’s a compact parish you can cross on foot in under an hour.[1]

Key points, fast:

Common land: 75 acres of mixed woodland and open cricket turf on Southborough Common. Registered, protected, and crossed by the Wealdway long-distance path. [2]
Travel time: five-minute bus hop from Tunbridge Wells town centre; buses every 15 minutes at peak. [3]
Road reach: A26 runs straight through, linking the A21 trunk road to the south and Tonbridge to the north (more on routes later).
Local claim: once a hub for iron foundries and cricket-ball making; traces still pop up in street names and the village museum pieces.
Why it matters today: a quieter alternative to the spa town next door, yet close enough for hospital, rail, and big-store access.

That’s the quick frame. Next, the longer back-story that shaped it.

A Story Forged in Iron and Cricket Balls

Skip the legends. Here’s the record.

1550s – 1700s: Iron furnaces. Water-powered sites at Vauxhall Lane and Modest Corner smelted Wealden ore for cannon and tools. When Sussex output undercut prices, Southborough’s pits closed. The furnace ponds are still there, hidden behind garden fences [4].
1770 – 1840: Gunpowder on the same plots. Powder Mill Lane gets its name from a mill that blew up, was rebuilt, and finally became a corn mill. Nothing left but the lane name—easy to miss if you rush through [4].
Mid-1700s – 1978: Cricket-ball workshops. Small sheds turned local leather into red balls sold county-wide. Makers like Wickham, Smith, Twort, Martin. Production faded only when machine stitching beat hand-lacing [5].
1862 – 1968: High Brooms brickworks. Weare family bricks built whole streets. Look for dark-red “HB” marks on older garden walls; that’s the giveaway. The kiln site is now an industrial estate and a pub called The Brick Works [6].

Why bother knowing this? Because mistakes happen. Visitors walk the Common, see a dip in the ground, and assume it’s a pond. It’s an old bell pit. Misread it and you miss the point of the place. The history sets context, shows why cricket still dominates the 75-acre Common and why streets like Forge Road keep their names. Ignore that, and Southborough feels like any bypass village.

Check out this site.

When to dig deeper? Weekends in spring or autumn. The Southborough Society runs short guided walks; weather is mild, foliage thin, features visible. How? 60-minute loop starting at St Peter’s Church noticeboard; follow the orange plaques. Common slip-ups: not wearing boots (paths can be clay-slick) and forgetting parking is limited near the Common edge, use Yew Tree Road car park instead. Miss those details and you’ll spend your afternoon looking for a space instead of the furnace pond.

Getting Here by Road, Rail, Wheelchair-Friendly Bus

By car

From M25 J5 (Chevening interchange) join the A21 southbound. Stay on it for roughly 6 miles / 10 km then peel left for the A26 signposted “Southborough / Tunbridge Wells”. Two more miles and you’re on London Road in the middle of town. 45 minutes from the south-east edge of London off-peak [7].
From the coast (Hastings direction) use the A21 northbound, exit at Pembury and follow the A228 then A26 north; it’s a straight 4-mile run.
Sat-nav error people keep making: diving into Modest Corner to “save time”. Narrow, parked-up, 20 mph streets. Stick with the A26.
Parking: Yew Tree Road car park – free for the first two hours (ticket still needed), then £1.00 for three hours, £1.20 for four, up to £5.30 for 24 h. Free overnight after 6 pm [8].

By train

Fastest London link is Charing Cross → High Brooms. Two trains each hour; quickest run 48 min, average 58 min. Around 60 departures every weekday. Off-peak day-return bought on the day is typically £17.60 [9].
Accessibility: High Brooms is Category B3. Step-free to the London-bound platform only; southbound users need staff assistance for the footbridge ramp. Plan ahead if you’re in a wheelchair or pushing a pram [10].
Common slip-up: the station is outside the Oyster zone. Tap-in cards won’t work; buy a paper or barcode ticket.

By bus

Arriva 402 (Sevenoaks ↔ Tunbridge Wells) rolls through Southborough up to every 30 min Monday-Saturday daytimes, less in the evening. Real-time tracking is on bustimes.org [11].
All 402 vehicles are low-floor with a manual ramp; drivers deploy it on request.
Brighton & Hove 29/29X also stops on London Road, linking Crowborough and Brighton (hourly).
Rookie error: failing to stick an arm out at a request stop; buses will sail past if you just hover.

Quick comparison (Tunbridge Wells → Southborough centre)

Mode	Typical journey time	Cost (single)	Wheelchair-friendly?
Car	8–10 min	Parking free first 2 h	Yes (marked bays Yew Tree Rd)
Bus 402	6 min	£2.00 flat fare	Low-floor
Train (to High Brooms) + 5-min walk	3 min ride	£2.40 off-peak	Partial (see note)

That covers the nuts and bolts. Next up: what to do once you’ve landed.

Things to Do and Places to Go

Southborough Common: 75 acres of open grass and oak woodland. Free to wander, sunrise to dusk. Local cricket club nets most summer evenings, league matches Saturday. Benches on the east side give the best view; the west edge is a road, so keep kids back. Common rookie mistake: parking on double yellows near the pavilion. Use Yew Tree Road car park and walk five minutes [12].

Barnett’s Wood Local Nature Reserve: 11 ha of coppiced oak, birch, and wet meadow. Bluebells late April; dragonflies August. Way-marked 1 km loop is pram-safe, though after rain the boardwalk gets slick. Keep dogs on leads in nesting season; wardens will ask [13].

Southborough Hub (Civic Centre + Library): opened 2021. Library counters, meeting rooms, and a small café that overlooks London Road. Good fall-back on wet days. Free Wi-Fi, public loos, baby-change. Most visitors miss the roof-mounted solar display in the foyer, worth a two-minute look [14] [15].

Cricket heritage trail: nine metal plaques mark former ball-making sheds and the old gunpowder lane. Start outside St Peter’s Church, finish at the Imperial Pub. It’s self-guided; pick up a paper map in the library. Allow 40 mins. If you skip plaque 6 (Modest Corner furnace pond) you lose the whole industrial story.

Tunbridge Wells Youth Football Club (TWYFC): FA Three-Star-accredited youth set-up, 60+ teams from minis to U18, training and weekend matches on Ridgewaye Fields off Yew Tree Road, TN4 0AA. Good place to let kids burn energy or watch grassroots finals. Public can use the pitches when no fixtures are on [16] [17].

The Ridgemont Pavilion: TWYFC’s clubhouse and community bar at 131 London Road. Quiz night every Monday, private-hire space for parties, plus live acoustic shows in summer. Five-minute walk from the Common [18].

Next page.

Eat & Drink — refreshed shortlist

Name	Style & stand-out	Walk from the Common	Good to know
Tallow	Michelin-listed five-course set menu	4 min	Book weeks ahead at weekends [19].
The Imperial	Victorian pub, Italian-led menu, wood-fired pizzas	2 min	Sunday roasts sell out by 2 pm [20].
Hand & Sceptre	Country-style Greene King with courtyard	6 min	Free parking after 6 pm [21].
The Earl Grey Tea Rooms	Vintage china, loose-leaf teas, homemade scones	5 min	Dog-friendly; 10 % off with TN Card [22].

Need quick snack? Co-op on London Road stays open to 10 pm, cash-point outside.

Why bother with these spots?

Breaks a hospital run or Tunbridge Wells shopping trip without leaving the A26.
Safe green space for kids who “just need a kick-about”.
Flat, step-free hub library for anyone with mobility aids.
Short itineraries: 90 minutes covers the Common, Barnett’s Wood loop, and a coffee.

Miss the Common and Southborough becomes “just a road”. Tick at least one POI and you see why residents fight to protect their patch of the High Weald.

Education, Schools and Lifelong Learning

Primary choices in the parish

Southborough C of E Primary: Ofsted full inspection March 2024 judged the school Good [23]. Two-form entry. Catchment covers most of TN4 north of the railway. Breakfast club from 7 am. Mistake parents keep making: missing the mid-January Kent online application cut-off; late applications drop to the bottom of the list [24] [25].
St Matthew’s High Brooms C of E: Requires Improvement (report March 2024 [26]) but strong SEND support noted. One-form entry. Walking bus from Silverdale Road. If you want a place here, be ready for a monitoring inspection in 2025 that may raise standards, timing can affect your decision [27] [28].

Key secondary routes

Bennett Memorial Diocesan School (2 m south): Faith-based oversubscription rules give 50 percent of places to practising Anglican families first, then distance. Get baptism certificates ready; without them you drop to criterion 6 (straight-line mileage).
Tunbridge Wells Girls’ Grammar (TWGGS): 11+ selective. No fixed cut-off score; any “grammar-assessed” girl can apply, but oversubscription falls to distance from front gate after siblings. Parents often forget that a pass isn’t a guarantee.

Other options in bus range

Skinners’ School (boys), Tunbridge Wells Grammar School for Boys, and The Judd School (Tonbridge): All Kent Test selective; buses 402 and 209 link Southborough to Tonbridge High Street in 15–18 min off-peak.
Beacon Academy (Comprehensive, Crowborough) via 29X hourly.

Adult & community learning

The new Southborough Hub runs Kent Adult Education evening courses (IT basics, conversational French, pottery) every term. Sign-up opens six weeks before classes start; seats go fast because rooms cap at 15.

Why it matters

Pick the wrong preference order or miss a faith form and you risk being allocated a place several miles away in Tonbridge or Paddock Wood. Transport then jumps to two buses each way and £700+ a year in fares. Get the paperwork right first time and your child can walk or cycle.

Next: how Welham Jones supports families when plans change and care is suddenly needed.

Welham Jones Tunbridge Wells: Practical support two miles south

First, distance: 39 Crescent Road, Tunbridge Wells, sits 2.0 miles from Southborough centre. Under ten minutes by car if traffic flows. Same A26. Same Arriva 402 bus, five-to-six-minute ride, stop “War Memorial” outside the Bel Vue cinema.

Why that matters on a hard day: you stay local. No need to cross the M25 or hunt strange streets when emotion is already high.

Open 24/7 by phone: A funeral director, not a call-centre, picks up.
Step-free entrance from Crescent Road pavement; wheelchairs roll straight into the arrangement room.
Parking: On-street bays along Calverley Road or the Crescent Road multi-storey. Show our receipt and the car-park fee is refunded (for clients).
Private spaces inside: Two interview rooms plus a quiet chapel of rest. No throat-clearing queue in a shared lobby.
Team knows Southborough churches and the Common: They arrange deliveries without extra mileage charges and can advise on traffic pinch points round St Peter’s.
Core services in one place
- Direct, Essential, Classic or Premium funerals
- Pre-paid plans (to lock current prices)
- Coffins, urns, memorials, obituary listings
- Repatriation paperwork if a death occurs abroad

Common slip-ups we fix quickly: families forget to bring the GP’s Medical Certificate of Cause of Death; we can collect it from Tunbridge Wells Hospital while you wait. Visitors drive to the wrong “London Road” (Tonbridge has one too); our text message pin drops the exact door.

In short: same road, same bus, same community orbit. Help is round the corner, not across the county.

How Welham Jones supports the people of Southborough, plain and simple

Need help right now? Call us. A real funeral director in Tunbridge Wells answers, day or night. No menu options or hold music.

Our branch sits two miles south of Southborough on the same A26. Five-minute drive, six-minute bus. That closeness matters when every minute feels heavy.

Below is what we can do, stripped back to essentials:

What we offer	What it means in practice	Why it helps
Clear funeral packages	Four tiers, from a direct‐cremation to a full traditional service. Prices are on the website, nothing hidden.	You know the cost before you start signing forms.
Pre-paid plans	Fix today’s prices, record your wishes, pay in instalments if you like.	Relieves your family from second-guessing and sudden bills.
Coffins & caskets	Cardboard, willow, solid oak, personalised prints, pick what fits the person and the budget.	Choice without pressure. Eco options included.
Care after death	Washing, dressing, viewing in a private chapel if you want it. We respect every faith and none.	Lets relatives say goodbye in their own way.
Repatriation	Paperwork, flights, translation, embassy liaison, inbound or outbound.	One call; we chase the red tape so you don’t have to.
Items of remembrance	Flowers, flag on the coffin, dove release, photo tribute, seed cards.	Small touches that make the day feel personal.
Memorials & after-funeral help	Ash interment, scattering advice, headstones, tablets, maintenance.	Keeps support going after the service ends.
Obituaries & online tributes	Drafting the notice, hosting a sharing page for memories and donations.	Saves time and gives distant friends a place to leave messages.

Mistakes we see and fix:

Families think they must register the death before calling us, you don’t. Ring first; we guide you through the steps.
People worry about parking on Crescent Road multi-storey. Bring the ticket in; we refund the fee.
Unsure about church rules on the Common? We work with St Peter’s and the civic office daily and can check availability in minutes.

In short: a local, family-run team that takes the paperwork, the planning, and the small details off your shoulders, so you can focus on remembering the person who has died. We’re here 24/7, just down the road.

Frequently asked questions, Quick, Clear Answers for Southborough Families

I need to arrange a funeral. Where do I start?

Call our Tunbridge Wells branch on 01892 300 330. We pick up 24 hours a day. We can meet you at the office or, if it feels easier, at your home in Southborough.

Which crematoriums or cemeteries are nearby?

Most local families choose Kent & Sussex Crematorium on Benhall Mill Road, Tunbridge Wells (TN2 5JJ). Tonbridge Cemetery is another option a few miles north. We’ll talk through each site and help you pick the right one.

Can you personalise the service so it feels right for us?

Yes. Music, readings, hobbies, even a cricket-themed coffin if that suits, we’ll shape every detail together so the day reflects the person you’re remembering.

What support is there after the funeral?

Our care doesn’t stop when the service ends. We guide you to local bereavement groups, help with memorial tablets or scattering ashes, and stay on hand for any paperwork that crops up later.

How do pre-paid funeral plans work for Southborough residents?

You set out your wishes now and fix our charges at today’s prices. Payments can be spread over time. Everything is arranged through the Tunbridge Wells office, so your family won’t have to guess your preferences or face unexpected bills.

If your question isn’t here, ring us. A short call often saves a lot of worry.

How To Find Welham Jones From Southborough

Start on London Road (A26) in the centre of Southborough and head south-east for about 0.4 miles, passing Doric Avenue on your right. When you reach the lights, turn left onto Yew Tree Road and stay on it for roughly 0.5 miles. The road bends slightly and becomes High Brooms Road; keep going for another 0.2 miles.

At the crossroads, make a right turn onto Colebrook Road and continue for 0.1 mile. The road changes name to Holmewood Road, follow it for a few seconds, then take the next right onto Woodland Road.

Drive along Woodland Road for 0.2 miles, then take another right onto Silverdale Road. Stay on Silverdale for 0.3 miles until it flows straight into Queen’s Road. Carry on for 0.1 mile, then turn left onto Dunstan Road. Dunstan leads you over Grosvenor Bridge in about 0.1 mile.

On the far side of the bridge, keep following the route as it becomes St James’ Road and then Lansdowne Road, together they add up to around 0.8 miles. You will reach a small roundabout; take the second exit onto Crescent Road (A264).

Welham Jones Funerals & Memorials is almost immediately on your right at 39 Crescent Road, Tunbridge Wells TN1 2LZ. Kerbside bays sit outside the office, and the Crescent Road multi-storey car park is 50 yards further along if the street bays are full. Total journey time is about ten minutes in light traffic.

References

[1] Southborough via City Population website, https://citypopulation.de/en/uk/southeastengland/admin/tunbridge_wells/E04005129__southborough/

[2] Southborough Common via the Woodland Trust website, https://www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/visiting-woods/woods/southborough-common/

[3] “How To Get to Royal Tunbridge Wells to Southborough by Bus, Taxi or Foot” via the Rome2Rio website, https://www.rome2rio.com/s/Royal-Tunbridge-Wells/Southborough-Kent-England

[4] Southborough, Kent, via Wikipedia website, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Southborough%2C_Kent

[5] Cricket Ball at the Tunbridge Wells Museum & Art Gallery, via the 100 Objects That Made Kent website, https://100objectskent.co.uk/object/cricket-ball/

[6] “The Weare Family of High Brooms” via the Highbrooms Society website, https://highbroomssociety.wordpress.com/2018/11/09/the-weare-family-of-high-brooms/

[7] “A21 – M25 – M26” via the Roads website, https://www.roads.org.uk/badjunctions/21-25-26

[8] “Yew Tree Road Car Park” via the Tunbridge Wells website, https://tunbridgewells.gov.uk/parking/car-parks/find-a-car-park/yew-tree-road

[9] “Trains from
High Brooms to London Charing Cross” via the Trainline website, https://www.thetrainline.com/train-times/high-brooms-to-london-charing-cross

[10] “High Brooms (HIB) High Brooms station, North Farm Road, High Brooms, Kent, TN2 3XE” via the National Rail website, https://www.nationalrail.co.uk/stations/high-brooms/

[11] “402 – Sevenoaks – Tunbridge Wells” via the Bus Times website, https://bustimes.org/services/402-sevenoaks-tunbridge-wells

[12] Southborough Common (21 London Rd, Southborough, Tunbridge Wells TN4 0RJ) via Google Maps, https://maps.app.goo.gl/AVy2H6C6xULuQot87

[13] Barnett’s Wood Local Nature Reserve (Southborough, Royal Tunbridge Wells, Tunbridge Wells TN4 9YA) via Google Maps, https://maps.app.goo.gl/6kMubJa4EzhxGpo36

[14] Southborough Hub (Civic Centre + Library) via the Kent County website, https://local.kent.gov.uk/kb5/kent/directory/service.page?id=qAEXxAgVpUQ

[15] Southborough Library (137 London Rd, Southborough, Tunbridge Wells TN4 0ND) via Google Maps, https://maps.app.goo.gl/6ycNQ326QdPcNhuB7

[16] Tunbridge Wells Youth Football Club, via the Tunbridge Wells Youth website, https://tunbridgewellsyouth.com/find%20us.html

[17] Tunbridge Wells Youth Football Club (The Ridgewaye, Southborough, Tunbridge Wells TN4 0AA) via Google Maps, https://maps.app.goo.gl/UPcR49SEckNuhVL26

[18] The Ridgemont Pavilion (131 London Rd, Southborough, Tunbridge Wells TN4 0ND) via Google Maps, https://maps.app.goo.gl/wJzQ11d4zphuiUm87

[19] Tallow (15A Church Rd, Southborough, Tunbridge Wells TN4 0RX) via Google Maps, https://maps.app.goo.gl/nwVRMdKd11Kg5ev36

[20] The Imperial (29 London Rd, Southborough, Tunbridge Wells TN4 0PB), via Google Maps, https://maps.app.goo.gl/KVQ61G493Rtm1uaQ7

[21] Hand & Sceptre (21 London Rd, Southborough, Tunbridge Wells TN4 0RJ), via Google Maps, https://maps.app.goo.gl/2gAPK9krPw6mfoxJ7

[22] The Earl Grey Tea Rooms (66 London Rd, Southborough, Tunbridge Wells TN4 0PR) via Google Maps, https://maps.app.goo.gl/H5fRy5GLRrsBzCQG7

[23] Southborough CofE Primary School via Ofsted website, https://reports.ofsted.gov.uk/provider/21/118712

[24] Southborough CofE Primary School wesbite, https://www.southborough.kent.sch.uk/

[25] Southborough CofE Primary School (Broomhill Park Rd, Tunbridge Wells TN4 0JY) via Google Maps, https://maps.app.goo.gl/Snnr1KKmdcaQRbhk7

[26] St Matthew’s High Brooms Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School via the Ofsted website, https://reports.ofsted.gov.uk/provider/21/118709

[27] St Matthew’s High Brooms C of E website https://st-matthews-school.org/

[28] St Matthew’s High Brooms C of E (High Brooms, Powder Ml Ln, Tunbridge Wells TN4 9DY), via Google Maps, https://maps.app.goo.gl/qr6wpUngARp6mZVr6

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