Parking in Tunbridge Wells: Car Parks, Charges, Permits and Blue Badges

Tunbridge Wells is easier to park in than most people expect, because the borough council runs the main town centre car parks itself and publishes every tariff on its own website. This guide sets out what those official pages say, so you can pick the right car park, pay the right way and avoid a penalty notice. Tunbridge Wells.co is an independent local directory and is not affiliated with the council, so always check the tariff board on site.

Where can I park in Tunbridge Wells town centre?

The council lists its sites on the find a car park page. The big town centre sites are the Crescent Road multi-storey (TN1 2LU), which the council describes as a long and short stay car park open 24 hours with 1,071 spaces, and Meadow Road (TN1 2EN), a 450 space short stay multi-storey next to Royal Victoria Place. Royal Victoria Place car park itself (TN1 2SS) has 958 spaces, with levels 1 to 8 short stay and levels 8a and 9 long stay. Great Hall and Torrington are both short stay multi-storeys, with 200 and 235 spaces respectively, and Torrington is the one the council points out as handy for the railway station.

Smaller sites include Camden Road (TN1 2QZ) and Beech Street (TN1 2RU), both long stay and open 24 hours, Little Mount Sion (TN1 1YS) with 18 short stay spaces, Mount Pleasant Avenue (TN1 1QY), which is RingGo only, and John Street (TN4 9RU) in the St John's area. Town Hall Yard (TN1 2LS) is an extension of Crescent Road and, according to the council, is only open to the public on weekdays from 6pm and at weekends.

Which car park is best for The Pantiles?

The council's Pantiles car park page describes a short stay site of 111 spaces (postcode TN4 8HG), open 24 hours, with a 2.10 metre height restriction and no height restriction on the external bays. It says the car park is convenient for The Pantiles shops, bars and restaurants and for the Spa Valley Railway. The page also notes that coin payment is no longer accepted, that charges apply on bank and public holidays, and that electric vehicle charging is not yet available there. Linden Park Road and The Old Coach Park (TN2 5QL, 40 spaces, RingGo only) are also listed, and the Spa Valley Railway names them as nearby options for its Tunbridge Wells West station.

How much does parking cost?

At the time of writing (September 2026), the council's car park pages show the same short stay ladder at most town centre sites. At Crescent Road the charge is £2.30 for up to one hour, £3.50 for two, £4.60 for three, £5.70 for four, £6.80 for five and £8.00 for up to 24 hours, with a night rate of £2.40. Great Hall, Meadow Road and Torrington show a similar ladder, with £11.00 for up to 24 hours. Royal Victoria Place levels 8a and 9 are cheaper for a long day at £8.00 for 24 hours. At the Pantiles the day charge runs from £2.30 for an hour to £11.00 for 24 hours.

Charging hours are generally Monday to Saturday 8am to 6pm and Sunday 10am to 5pm, but they differ between sites, so read the individual page. The long stay sites at Camden Road and Beech Street are cheaper, from £2.00 for an hour to £6.90 for 24 hours. The Old Coach Park is listed at £1.10 for an hour and £5.50 for 24 hours, and John Street offers 30 minutes free (you must display the free ticket from the machine, and only one free ticket can be used in any three hour period), then £1.00 for up to two hours. These figures change, so confirm them before you rely on them.

How do I pay, and is there pay by phone?

The council uses RingGo for pay by phone. You can register online, download the app or call 01892 887868, and the council says its enforcement officers carry handheld devices that see your RingGo payment when they check your registration. Each car park has its own RingGo location code, shown on the machines and on the council's pages, and the council warns you to use that code rather than the bay numbers painted on the ground. Calls are charged at local rate and optional texts cost 20p each.

Most multi-storeys also have pay points that take card and contactless, including Apple Pay and Google Pay, with a check in and check out option. Mount Pleasant Avenue and The Old Coach Park are RingGo only, so no machines on site.

Are there blue badge bays and disabled parking rules?

The Blue Badge page says badge holders may park free, with no time limit, in any of the public car parks in the borough, using either a dedicated bay or a normal bay, with the badge clearly displayed. It also lists reserved bays, for example 10 at Meadow Road and 36 at Royal Victoria Place, though individual car park pages quote slightly different counts in places, so treat numbers as a guide. On single or double yellow lines you may park for up to three hours with your clock set. You must not use bus stops, car club bays, loading bays, police bays or taxi bays, or electric vehicle charging bays unless you are charging. Residents with no off-street parking can ask for an on-street disabled parking bay, which the council handles on behalf of Kent County Council as the traffic authority.

Motorcyclists can park free in marked bays at Crescent Road, Great Hall, Little Mount Sion, Meadow Road, Royal Victoria Place and Torrington, for a maximum of 24 hours, according to the motorcycle parking page. The Royal Victoria Place page says its motorcycle bays are suspended for refurbishment. Coaches may park free at London Road Bus Stand (TN1 1DY), open 24 hours, per the council's coach parking page.

Is there a park and ride?

The council's own parking pages do not list a town park and ride that we could confirm. The one we found is for patients and visitors to Tunbridge Wells Hospital: Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust says on its getting here page that it runs a free park and ride from Knights Park, and that the shuttle is free for everyone. You are asked to register your number plate on the tablet in main reception on arrival. Check the trust page for the current timetable.

What about permits and season tickets?

The council runs eight resident parking zones, six in Tunbridge Wells, one in High Brooms and one in Paddock Wood, and you apply through its residents parking permits pages. Car park season tickets are priced site by site on the season ticket charges page. For example, a full time season ticket at Crescent Road is listed at £1,210 a year or £100.83 a month by Direct Debit, with charges shown as from 1 October 2025. Availability varies, so check before you plan around one. If you receive a penalty charge notice, the council has pages to pay or appeal it.

Quick answers

Crescent Road, Meadow Road and Royal Victoria Place are the big town centre multi-storeys, and The Pantiles has its own car park. Pay by RingGo (01892 887868) or at the machine. Blue badge holders park free with no time limit in public car parks, and the council publishes every tariff on its car parks page.

See also our other Tunbridge Wells guides: buses, nearest train stations and EV charging points.