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Tunbridge Wells pub crawl

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Ed S.
Tunbridge Wells pub crawl

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Hoping that no one is Disgusted, today's pub crawl will be through the attractive Georgian spa town of Tunbridge Wells in Kent (or Royal Tunbridge Wells if we're being posh, as is de rigeur there) - not to be confused with the (also attractive, but less posh) town of Tonbridge to its north.

Tunbridge Wells is home to several breweries, two of which (Fonthill Brewing Co and Allkin Brewery) have taps in the heart of the town. We shall also visit pubs with a range of ales and craft beers, and one of the more unusual Wetherspoons. The full line-up is below - timings are approximate. Food options are limited in the first half, so I'd suggest getting something to eat on the train out.

If you're travelling from London and want to join the crawl from the start, I recommend the 11:26 train from Charing Cross (Waterloo East 11:29, London Bridge 11:36), which arrives in Tunbridge Wells at 12:19. Return trains generally* go at 08 and 39 mins past the hour, taking 54-55 minutes to Charing Cross. (*For some reason the 16:35 and 17:04 start a few minutes earlier than the standard schedule, and take 58-59 mins.)

If anyone fancies getting the 10:56 train and spending 30 minutes exploring the pretty south end of the town, before returning to the station to meet the others, let me know. The crawl is entirely north & west of the station, so this will otherwise be missed.
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12:30 The George, 29 Mount Ephraim, TN4 8AA
Fonthill Brewery tap pub; also stocks ales and lagers from other local breweries, including Long Man and Gun Breweries in Sussex. No food here on Saturdays.

13:45 Fuggles Beer Café, 28 Grosvenor Rd, TN1 2AP
A wide range of worldwide (primarily English, Belgian, German and American) traditional and craft beers on tap (current tap list here). Food is mainly bar snacks, cheese/charcuterie and sandwiches (menu here).

15:00 Allkin Tap & Bottle, 102 Calverley Rd, TN1 2UN
Long & slim, tables & stools, craft brewery tap. Does beers from the Allkin Brewery, and apparently a pizza menu. Very limited info online, so if it doesn't exist or they're overselling themselves, we'll move on earlier and/or I'll add in another pub (yes, I have one up my sleeve - check the comments if you're joining us late).

16:15 The Royal Oak, 92 Prospect Rd, TN2 4S
Traditional pub, with several cask beers ("from our favourite breweries ... with an emphasis on locality" - not sure that's quite what they mean!) and craft kegs. Beer list here. They do food, mainly burgers.

17:30 Opera House, 88 Mount Pleasant Rd, TN1 1RT
JD Wetherspoon in what was once Tunbridge's opera house - before it was converted into a cinema, a bingo hall, and then a pub. The usual range of Greene King/Doom Bar type beers, plus several guest ales. This is mainly put in for the venue, and because they have an extensive food menu to mop up today's beer.

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Mount Pleasant Road TN1 1BT · Tunbridge Wells
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