| The History of the Parish |
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| The ancient parish of Tonbridge was enormous, and included much of Tunbridge Wells. When the parish was surveyed in 1838, the only building in the present parish of S. Barnabas was an engine house. This had been built in connection with the Waterworks and reservoir established to supply the houses in the new upper class development in Calverley Park. Things began to change dramatically after the railway arrived in Tunbridge Wells in 1844. Until the tricky tunnel into town had been completed passengers had to alight at a station called 'Jackwood Spring', which became the Goods Station after 'Tunbridge Wells Central' was opened in 1845. This heralded a great era of expansion, and although people generally think of Tunbridge Wells as a 'genteel' town of maiden aunts and retired colonels, such people needed great armies of servants and artisans. It was in order to house them that large numbers of cottages began to be built in the Camden Road Area. |
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| The stone to build the houses in Calverley Park was hewn from quarries situated around what is now Quarry Road, as shown in the detailed map of 1849 (Pictured above). Building continued in the next two decades and by 1870 a considerable population was living in the area. This had been allotted to S. James's Parish, itself hewn from the Parish of Holy Trinity in 1862. It was an unweildy disctrict, with great contrasts between the rich mansions of Sandrock Rd and Ferndale, and the poor cottages in the lower part of the parish. |
| This poorer district was established as the seperate parish of S. Barnabas in 1881. It became the main industrial area of town, and apart from the Goods Station and Waterworks it housed the Municiple Electric works with its tall chimney and enormous water cooling towers (Pictured right). Fortunately for the residents the Grosvenor and Hilbert Recreation Grounds were laid within its bounds, and the former Charity Farm also survives. In the 1970's much of the parish was under threat from the proposed building of a ring road, but this was successfully fought off. The area has since improved greatly, and in the very near future further changes are envisaged, with the whole of the old Goods Station site being developed for housing. |
| The cooling towers with S. Barnabas School in the background |
| The historical part of our website was compiled by Geoff Copus - our resident historian. Contact him geoff@copus31.freeserve.co.uk |
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