The AGM will take place in the Ridgemont Pavilion, 131 London Road, Southborough, Tunbridge Wells. TN4 0NA
Full details of the meeting have been emailed to all members.
A talk and tour by Sir Paul Britton
Built shortly after Tonbridge Castle in the 11th century, St Peter and St Paul Church stands on a site once used for Saxon worship and has played an important role in the history of Tonbridge and the surrounding area. Booking is essential as numbers are limited.
Free for members; £4 donation for non-members.
To book, please email southboroughsocietybookings@gmail.com
The church is located on the east side of Tonbridge High Street, 150 yards north of the 'big' bridge.
Parking is available at Kinnings Row Car Park (Bordyke, TN9 1NP): A pay and display car park behind the Ivy House pub. Parking is also available at The Castle Car Park (TN9 1BG): A 5-minute walk away.
The Southborough Society invites members and non members to a talk by Anne Goldstein on the history of The Beacon, Rusthall and its role in housing Basque refugee and Kindertransport children.
The event is free to members.
Non members are invited to make a donation of £4.
7:30pm Bounds Oak Room, Southborough Civic Centre
To book a place email: southboroughsocietybookings@gmail.com
We are pleased to invite you to an upcoming illustrated talk, Topographical Views on Tunbridge Ware, presented by our Hon. Secretary, Michael Howes.
Michael is a highly knowledgeable and engaging speaker with a long-standing enthusiasm for Tunbridge ware. Following his excellent presentation at The Amelia, he will be sharing his expertise on the craftsmanship behind these beautiful decorative wooden objects. The talk will explore how Tunbridge ware was made, how techniques developed over time and how topographical views, many depicting familiar local scenes - were used to decorate items such as jewellery boxes and small occasional tables.
We’re delighted to let you know that the Southborough Society will have a stall at the Winter Fayre this Saturday from 1 - 6pm. We’ll be selling our Christmas cards on the day, so if you missed out on the pre-order, this is a perfect opportunity to pick some up.
As a Society, we’re always keen to support our fellow Southborough organisations. The Lions are hosting a Christmas charity quiz on Friday 12th, raising funds for two local good causes who use the Ridgemont Pavilion as a base:
Southborough SOS, who do a great job keeping our town looking tidy
Southborough Lions, who raise money for many good cause
To book a table, please email: clubhousemanager@tunbridgewellsyouth.com
We’d love to see you at the Winter Fayre, please do drop by, say hello, and support the Society (and our local partners, too).
Warm regards,
Southborough Society Committee
Get your thinking caps on – it’s time for the Southborough Society Quiz Night! Join us for an evening of fun, friendly competition, and community spirit, all in support of a great local cause.
📅 Date: Saturday 8th November
🕢 Time: 7:30pm start
💷 Entry: £7 per person (cash only, payable on the night)
👥 Teams: Up to 8 people
🍽️ Food: Bring your own nibbles
🍸 Bar: Licensed bar available
🎟️ Raffle: Great prizes - cash only
📍 Venue: Ridgemont Football Pavilion, 131 London Road, Southborough, Tunbridge Wells, TN4 0ND
🧩 Hosted by: Andrew Smithies – a self-confessed quiz addict who has appeared on numerous TV shows including Mastermind, The Chase, The Weakest Link and Eggheads!
Put your knowledge to the test with questions on current affairs, food & drink, and the human body and see if your team can claim the top spot!
All proceeds will go towards building a bridge over the stream between Doctor’s Meadow and Southborough Common - making our beautiful green spaces more accessible for everyone.
To book your table, contact Michael Howes at michaelpharm@yahoo.co.uk
Please note: payment and raffle are cash only on the night.
This event is open to everyone, not just members - so bring your friends, family and neighbours for a great night out!
We look forward to seeing you there
This walk is becoming a very popular annual fixture. Led by David, who enthusiastically shares his extensive knowledge we are always astonished at the number of different kinds of fungi we spot in a relatively small area.
The walk will take about an hour and a quarter but we won’t need to cover much distance.
Please wear walking boots or strong shoes.
To book please email heather.evernden38@gmail.com
Please include your mobile phone number with your booking.
The Society invites photographers of all ages to submit images which show an aspect of Southborough and High Brooms life. The subject matter may include people, places, buildings, landscapes, events or wildlife.
Photographs must have been taken in Southborough or High Brooms between 1st November 2024 and 30th September 2025.
Closing date for entries is 31st October 2025.
A talk by Heather Evernden organised by the Southborough and High Brooms District Overseas Friendship Association (SHDOFA) will be held in the Bounds Oak Room in Southborough Civic Centre on 10th October from 19:00 to 21:00.
Entrance will cost £5 and include refreshments. This is a fantastic opportunity to hear from an engaging speaker and meet others with similar interests in the local community. To find out more and to book, please contact David Forbes on 07503 202939 or email daveforbes10@yahoo.co.uk.
We are delighted to be able to welcome Dr. Chris Jones, Curator of Salomons Museum, to speak on this topic. Chris was a significant contributor to a new book published by the National Trust which devotes a chapter to Salomons, looking at it in the context of other important Jewish Country Houses, like Strawberry Hill and Waddesdon Manor.
It will be held in St. Thomas’s Church Parish Room, Pennington Road, Southborough, TN4 0SH
The talk is free to members of the Society.
Non-members are warmly invited to join us and are encouraged to make a modest donation.
No need to book.
This walk is now fully booked and we will be unable to accept further bookings.
The Southborough Society invites members to join a “Historical Hikes” event on Saturday 20th September. Two hikes are planned with a stop for refreshments in between. The hikes will be led by Southborough Society members Kathy Lewis and Nick Woollet. We will be joined by local experts along the way.
Booking is essential - please note that Hike Two has been postponed and will be rescheduled.
Are you interested in the history of your house and keen to learn more about how to research its previous occupants?
This 45 minute workshop and question and answer session is free to attend and will be delivered by an expert speaker from The Amelia in Tunbridge Wells.
The workshop will take place at St Thomas’s Church Hall, Pennington Road, Southborough.
Refreshments will be available.
There are 15 places available for Southborough Society members.
Please book your place by emailing Kathy Lewis at the Southborough Society
The Southborough Society has two workshops open to Society members on Saturday 16th of November -Please indicate the workshop(s) you wish to attend.
Are you interested in your family history and keen to learn more about how to research your ancestors?
This 45 minute workshop and question and answer session is free to attend and will be delivered by an expert speaker from The Amelia in Tunbridge Wells.
The workshop will take place at St Thomas’s Church Hall, Pennington Road, Southborough.
Refreshments will be available.
There are 15 places available for Southborough Society members.
Please book your place by emailing Kathy Lewis at the Southborough Society
The Southborough Society has two workshops open to Society members on Saturday 16th of November - Please indicate the workshop(s) you wish to attend.
Join David for a stroll, spotting as many types of fungi as we can find. Last year we identified over 20 different types in a relatively small area! The walk will last about an hour and a half. David is a highly knowledgeable guide (you will know him from his excellent series of “Nature Notes”) and his enthusiasm is very infectious. Our walk last year was over-subscribed so please get in quick for this one!
Please book your place in advance as numbers will be limited.
Please provide a phone number when you book, in case we need to advise you of any last-minute changes
The rescheduled volunteers' work party in Doctor’s Meadow will be on Monday 21st October with Kent High Weald Project.
All are welcome.
Feel free to come along for an hour - or as long as suits you - normal finish is 4pm.
Meet in the car park behind St. Peter’s Church at 10am.
Tea and coffee will be provided.
Please bring your own lunch if staying all day, footwear suitable for muddy and rough conditions, suitable work gloves, and old clothes in case of dirt and damage. Tools will be provided and we will be clearing bracken and brambles.
Should you plan to arrive any time after 10am please head down to Doctor’s Meadow which is located near the start of the stream.
We look forward to seeing you there.
Southborough Society & Southborough Library
Heritage Open Day Family Creative Workshop
Saturday, 16th September.
Session 1: 10am – 11am
Session 2: 11am – 12pm
Max. 10 participants for each session and primary aged children must be accompanied by an adult.
Each print takes about 10 minutes of bright sunlight to expose. In the event of cloudy or wet weather, participants can come along learn about the process and how to create and develop the prints. You will then takeaway a small pack of pre-coated paper and some materials to create your own cyanotypes at home!
We’d love you to share with us your finished prints: Take a pic and email it to thesouthboroughsociety@gmail.com or DM us via social media. We’d love to see your wonderful work and share it with our followers!
You are invited to join us for our next in-person talk about the Society's digital archiving project, where you will be taken through some of the highlights from the different collections that will be available online. Following the talk, our Annual General Meeting will take place and refreshments will be served after.
Please join us for a guided walk around Southborough Common led by David Warwick, focussing on wildflower identification. Suitable for most ages capable of walking on and off footpaths across the Common for approx. 1-1.5 hrs. Due to the length of the walk and the terrain covered, this walk is unlikely to be unsuitable for younger children. There will be plenty of opportunities for refreshment stops and photography throughout the walk.
About David:
David has been a conservation volunteer for over 25 years, with a particular interest in fungi. Whilst living in South East London he led walks and surveys for the London Wildlife Trust and the London Natural History Society among others. He moved to Southborough in 2017 with his young family where he has enjoyed exploring the natural history of the Weald.
Event Information:
Date: Sunday, 21st May.
Time: 2.00 pm
Meeting point: St. Peter's Church car park.
Book your place by emailing the Southborough Society
Booking opens on: Monday, 24th April
This is a member only event and there are limited places, so we are unfortunately unable to accomodate guests this time.
High Brooms Heritage Walk: Made by the High Brooms Brick and Tile Company
St. Matthews Church, High Brooms Road, Tunbridge Wells, Kent, TN4 9BW
Discover how the community of High Brooms was formed and shaped by the arrival of the High Brooms Brick and Tile Company in the late nineteenth century with their handiwork on a variety of buildings: houses, shops, places of worship, schools
A heritage walk focussing on the development of High Brooms from the late nineteenth century to the present day.
This walk is the last of three Heritage Open Days events in High Brooms, with the first event taking visitors through the early centuries in Barnetts Wood and the second event providing an opportunity to learn about Georgian and Victorian milling in Powder Mill Lane. This walk, which will last around two hours or so, will lead you through the streets of the local community in the Victorian era and explores the development of the town which was so closely influenced by the arrival of the High Brooms Brick and Tile Company.
Our walk leader is local historian Fiona Woodfield, who will highlight some of the surviving evidence of the skill of the Victorian craftsmen and will recount stories of the company, its workers and those who have lived in the wider community of High Brooms since the late nineteenth century.
Our meeting point is outside St Matthew's Church, with the walk at 1430 repeated at 1630
Sunday 18 September: 1430 & 1630
Pre-booking: Preferred
Booking Contact: Fiona Woodfield
The walk is completely on pavements but High Brooms is on a hill so using wheelchairs and pushchairs could be hard work
This event will run in line with local & national government guidelines at the time of the festival.
Max 24 people per tour/session. Walk takes around two hours
Parking in High Brooms is sometimes not easy. Visitors might prefer to park on Powder Mill Lane, near the school opposite the end of Great Brooms Road
Southborough Society
Salomons UK Ltd, David Salomons Estate, Broomhill Road, Tunbridge Wells, Kent, TN3 0TG
Salomons (Broomhill) was the country home of the Salomons family from 1829 to the mid 1930s. Designed by Decimus Burton between 1830 and 1850, and extended by the Salomons family later in the century, it sits on 36 acres of picturesque grounds.
When Vera Salomons donated the family estate to Kent County Council in 1937, she specified that two rooms be kept apart as a permanent memorial to her brother, who was killed at Gallipoli; her father, a noted amateur scientist and technologist; and her great uncle, a leader in the struggle for Jewish civil rights. (All three were named David Salomons.) These rooms form the 'Salomons Museum' which has remained open to the public through subsequent changes of ownership.
For Heritage Open Days 2022, and in line with this year's theme 'Astonishing Inventions', on Sunday 18th September the museum will be presenting a talk on the scientific and technical interests of the second David Salomons, including a look at parts of the house not usually open to the public (provided these have not been booked for other uses - the house now operates as an event and conference venue).
Friday 9 September: 0900-1500
Saturday 10 September: 0900-1500
Sunday 11 September: 0900-1500
Monday 12 September: 0900-1500
Tuesday 13 September: 0900-1500
Wednesday 14 September: 0900-1500
Thursday 15 September: 0900-1500
Friday 16 September: 0900-1500
Saturday 17 September: 0900-1500
Sunday 18 September: 0900-1500. Talk/tour at 1130 & 1500.
Pre-booking: Required
The museum is free to visit daily but the talk/tour must be booked.
Booking Contact: Reception
Booking opens: 1 August 2022
Booking closes: 31 August 2022
This event will run in line with local & national government guidelines at the time of the festival.
Max 15 people per tour/session. Talk/tour takes just over an hour
www.salomons-estate.com/
www.thecivicsociety.org/Salomons.htm
The pond on the corner of London Road and Pennington Road.
The Pennington Road area of Southborough is one of the town’s most historic neighbourhoods with the road documented back in 1476. Join a Southborough Society heritage walk to learn about medieval farms, schools and educational establishments, Great War VAD hospitals, mansions, a Georgian lodging house and several listed buildings. Our walk goes past houses of widely varying styles as well as retail, commercial, warehouse and industrial premises. Hear more about the lives of landowners, residents and working people of the neighbourhood over the past six centuries.
Everyone is warmly welcome to the Southborough Society Sunday afternoon heritage walk, but booking a place is required as spaces are limited.
Our walk commences at 2:30 pm on Sunday 1 May, repeated on Sunday 8 May.
We meet up on Southborough Common next to Stuart Cottage (just north of the end of Pennington Road).
There will be a refreshment stop. The walk is almost all on pavements and road surfaces, suitable for wheelchairs or pushchairs. To book your place on the walk, email our guide Fiona, mentioning which date you will be coming, on fionahgwoodfield@outlook.com
Join Roger Evernden for a tour of this interesting church and an illustrated talk, followed by refreshments. Find out why Mrs Pugh decided to build her own church here, discover who the many memorials on the church walls commemorate and, if you are lucky, listen to a little music from the fine church organ.
All welcome.
Great Bounds, which was sold to Sir Thomas Smythe in the early 1600’s and remained in his family for almost two centuries. It was demolished in 1956.
Please join us for our next online talk 'Tudor Southborough & High Brooms', presented by Fiona Woodfield from 7pm, Thursday, 7th October.
The talk will last approximately 40-45 minutes, following the conclusion of the presentation and after a short five minute break, our Annual General Meeting will commence for members of the Society.
Join local historian, Fiona Woodfield as she shares her research into Tudor Southborough and High Brooms, looking at the town from three perspectives:
· The Lords of the Manor or owners of the manor house (in particular five of the most important and influential men of their day, looking at their importance within wider Tudor society and any known involvement in the local community).
· Buildings in Southborough - a dozen or so have a history dating back around five hundred years.
· A miscellany including local industry in both Southborough and High Brooms, the two ordinary families and two charitable benefactors.
The online talk is free to attend and available to non-members.
Lovely Southborough Common is now a tranquil green space, the centre of the town's conservation area surrounded by a variety of interesting historic buildings. But the Common was once home to numerous workplaces and businesses most now vanished or in buildings whose history might easily be overlooked.
Until the early twentieth century Southborough Common had been a workplace for over a millennium for farmers and agricultural workers.
Holden Pond by renown Victorian artist Charles Tattershall Dodd.
Our walk begins next to the Hand and Sceptre then traces a wide variety of occupations, businesses and industries from Tudor times to the present day. These include: transport, shops, tanning, carpentry, education, agriculture, ironworking, court house and more. You will hear about a range of individuals who help shape the history of the town.
Our walk is linear, ending at Holden Pond, five minutes or so away from the car park next to St Peter's Church.
Fiona Woodfield, who will lead the walk, moved to Southborough Common almost forty years ago and has been fascinated by its history ever since.
This is a free event. By joining the Southborough Society (starting at £10 per year) you will be supporting us to continue organising events like these and many more. You can request a membership form here.
Duration: Approximately 1.5 hours
Access: Good access but part on grassy pathway which could be a little less easy for a wheelchair.
How to Find: Nearest car park is adjacent to St Peter's Church TN4 0RX, meeting place is the Hand & Sceptre, TN4 0RJ, assembling on the grass below the Sceptre (Meadows School side).
How to Book: Register your place from 1st September
Maximum of 25 participants.
From small beginnings in the 1870’s High Brooms grew to be a thriving community. This Southborough Society guided walk highlights the history of many shops and small businesses which have now vanished. If you have ever wondered about the reason for some local street names or wanted to know more about Stewart Fish Shop (whose ghostly sign can be faintly made out at the junction of Stewart and High Brooms Road) do join us on this walk to find out more.
Hear the stories of the men and women who operated a wide variety of businesses over the past one hundred and fifty years or so, including the post office, pubs, shops, laundries, brick making, printing, cafes, nurseries, transport and haulage, even a private lending library. Some were successful enterprises which lasted many decades. Others were just fleeting. Discover more about the occupation of men and women in the Victorian censuses of the town. Hear about the ups and downs of businesses much valued by the local community because they provided day to day essentials for everyone and jobs for many. Find out too about less popular trades whose disappearance is probably not regretted! Discover the hidden history of present-day homes so altered that their varied past as the location of assorted thriving small businesses is virtually invisible.
Farrant’s wagon at Southborough Station, now High Brooms Station, early 20th century.
The topic of vanished shops and businesses is part of the family history for our walk leader, Fiona Woodfield, who is married to a great grandson of High Brooms' first postmaster.
This is a free event. By joining the Southborough Society (starting at £10 per year) you will be supporting us to continue organising events like these and many more. You can request a membership form here.
Meeting place: Corner of Nursery Road and Colebrook Road, TN4 9BS.
Duration: Approximately 1.5 hours
How to Book: Register your place from 1st September
Maximum of 25 participants.
Gary was born in Tunbridge Wells in 1958 and grew up in Silverdale Road and the Montgomery Road estate off Powdermill Lane. He was schooled at St Lukes Infants’, High Brooms Boys and then Ridgewaye in Southborough before leaving for college in 1974.
He trained for theatre at the Royal Court in London’s Sloane Square in the late 1970s as a founder member of the Young People’s Theatre Scheme and has worked extensively in theatre, television and radio. He is probably best known by those of a certain age for co-presenting on the ground breaking TV music show 'The Tube' for Tyne Tees TV/Channel 4 in the early 1980s.
In 2019 his memoirs were published in a book called ’Spangles, Glam, Gaywaves & Tubes’ - a title which he freely admits rolls off the tongue like a brick. The first part of the book is about growing up in the 1960s and 70s in High Brooms and Southborough.
The Ridgewaye School, unlikely as it might sound, became the catalyst for his acting and creative career. His illustrated talk will outline the history of the now demolished seat of learning from a personal perspective rather than historical and acknowledges his fondness of what were, for him, halcyon days.
Free to members and non-members
Looking forward to ‘seeing’ you all there!
Gary with John Peel on The Tube, shown on Channel 4, November, 1983.
Come and test your knowledge, have fun and help us in our fundraising! All members and their friends are invited to come along to our first big fund-raising event in our 50th Anniversary Year.
Guest quizmaster, table nibbles provided, raffle, desserts for sale. Teams of 6-8 or come along as an individual to join a team on the night. Bring your own drinks and glasses.
All money raised will go towards helping us achieve our ambitions of enhancing our contribution to community life and making our historical archive available to the public.
Christ Church Hall, Prospect Road
Doors open at 7.00pm for a 7.30 start.
£7 payable on the door.
Most residents of Southborough will be aware of the Salomons estate: the
Victorian country house in picturesque grounds, with its grandiose stables,
and fascinating 'science theatre'. And they will probably know many of the
stories attached to the family who lived there: David Salomons, the first
Jewish Lord Mayor of London; David Lionel, pioneer of motoring and
electricity; and David Reginald, drowned in the 'Hythe' disaster in 1915
with more than eighty other local men. This talk will take a more low-key
approach, and seek to examine life at Salomons behind the headlines. It will
focus on the first David Salomons, and Jeannette, his wife for forty two
years. It will consider their interests and activities, their family
connections, and the house and garden that they created at Broomhill in the
1850s and 60s.
A talk by Chris Jones, Curator, Salomons Museum, Salomons Estate.
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