March 2025. Royal Tunbridge Wells.
A year ago, I was still taking Dad out to pubs regularly, his (and mum’s) weekly little respite. Now it’s my Father-in-law, a sprightly 86 year old who lives for our trips down to Kent and pints of Harvey’s.
In truth, he’d been hoping from something more exciting than a pie and pint in his hometown, but these days it’s me who can feel a bit wiped out after a 4 hours drive, and I still feel there’s exploring to be done in T’ Wells.
It’s still startling how quickly you can be in open countryside leaving the spa town, climbing Mount Ephraim to the stretch of smart hotels.
We’d stayed in one of those posh hotels, a stately old Travelodge that can be yours for £25 on Easter Monday.
Last year I’d walked past the Beau Nash and thought “Hmmm, interesting“,
Mrs RM assuring me it was a dodgy place when she was a 16 18 year old drinking in the town, but back then the nice pubs were all out in the Weald and the centre was for hard drinking lads.
Let’s get two octogenarians to see what it’s like in 2025.
Love a pub set back from the main road.
Lovely windows, probably from a Wrexham industrial estate.
Inside, it’s a bit plainer than expected, but plain will do for us.
And, though some will balk at the lack of “choice” (ugh) pumps, you know what they say about one pump pubs.
Three pints of Sussex, and a half for the driver. That 3rd pint better be good.
“Let me pay !” says Michael, thrusting a twenty at the cheery bar maid, who quietly tells me the round comes to £21.30. You do the math, as US Dick would say.
I took my half from Mrs RM’s pint, IYSWIM. Expecting a 3, I get a rich, chewy 3.5+. Speak truth unto power and all that.
As with Tim Taylor, t’s possible to think Harvey’s is a great beer but wonder when you’ll ever get a great pint of it again. This was nearly great, in a “You’re driving next time, Mrs RM” way. CAMRA will meet in Torquay next month to add “YOU’RE driving next time” to its NBSS descriptors.
My role as DES was made harder as the chef didn’t turn up till 1pm, and sitting still watching family members enjoy great beer to a soundtrack of the Eagles and Paul Simon wasn’t fun. But the pies were superb tasty, huge chunks of meat under an oddly satisfying flaky lid.
I await your “That’s no pie !” comments.
The Beau Nash isn’t a smart pub, and all the better for it.
But if you can bag a £25 Travelodge it should be your first port of call.
retiredmartin 
The windows look as if they could have come from a George and Dragon or a Phipps pub.
Your father in law probably remembers when he would have got the meals too, and maybe a room for the night, and change out of that note.
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With Phipps I meant Manns, another Watneys subsidiary.
I’ve now realised it used to be a Manns’s pub, both Georges facing left as on the bottle labels whereas for a George and Dragon pub they’d symmetrically be facing each other, only 35 miles from the Whitechapel brewery of a very large brewery that had an expensive tied estate and another brewery in Burton for their Pale Ales, and inter war windows in their original frames from well before Mann, Paulin and Crossman merged with Watney, Coome Rein in 1958.
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On the two occasions I’ve stayed in Tunbridge Wells, that was the pub I’ve felt most at home in. Cosy, traditional, not overly smart.
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£25 for a Travelodge? I’m paying over twice that for the worst Travelodge I’ve ever been in. Do not stay at the Perth Central Travelodge.
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I shall now!
We paid £32 last year, and you’ll usually get a good price on Sunday, but those Easter Monday rates are bargains.
There’s less budget options in Scotland generally.
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One of the nicest things about Tunbridge Wells is that the common comes right into the town centre and it’s possible to walk out to the surrounding countryside. There are the outcrops of sandstone rock such as Wellington Rocks or Toad Rock.
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Yes it’s a really striking feature.
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Anonymous, it’s also quite easy to get lost on the Common, especially if you go looking for the Mount Edgecombe as it’s starting to get dark!
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There are small outcrops of sandstone higher on the hill where I live, and larger ones across on Beacon Hill.
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I’ll reuse it.
“I wish Beau Nash had some connection with 1970s dual guitar-based prog rock bands”
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Martin, I’ve been meaning to make a long overdue return visit to the Beau Nash. Your article, plus your mention of the pub last year, has inspired me to do so.
I’m not sure about it being “dodgy” back in the day, but when I first moved to the area, back in the mid-80’s, it was quite an in-place, if you’ll pardon the pun!
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There is a guest ale on regularly now but you may have been between barrels on your visit. I had two lovely pints of Three Acres Polar IPA earlier today and Harvey’s was on as ever, so good times.
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Actually I noticed a few check-ins of Three Acres on Untappd there. Wouldn’t leave Harvey’s on that form !.
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