A colonnaded Georgian parade built around the historic Chalybeate Spring, discovered in 1606.
The Pantiles is Tunbridge Wells' most famous street — a colonnaded Georgian parade built around the Chalybeate Spring, discovered by Lord North in 1606.
## History of the Chalybeate Spring
The spring's iron-rich waters made Tunbridge Wells a fashionable spa destination from the early 1600s, visited by royalty including Queen Anne and Queen Victoria — leading King Edward VII to grant the town its "Royal" title in 1909.
## The Colonnades
The Upper and Lower Walks were laid out in 1638. A fire in 1687 destroyed the original wooden buildings alongside the Walks; they were rebuilt with the covered colonnades that give the Pantiles its distinctive character today.
## Visiting The Pantiles Today
The Pantiles today is home to independent shops, cafes, bars and restaurants beneath the historic colonnades, with the Chalybeate Spring still on view.