summer - the royal tunbridge wells civic society 2013.pdf · summer 2013. 2 front cover: rufus ......

Royal Tunbridge Wells Civic Society

SUMMER2013

2

Front cover: Rufus and Amber, Suffolk horses at the Working Horse Trust. See p. 16.Photo: Charmian Clissold-Jones

Visit to RochesterSaturday July 20th.

The Local History Group has organised a visitto Rochester, open to all members of the Society.It is hoped to arrange transport by means of car-sharing, so if you need a lift, or would like to offera place in your car, please tell the organiser (seebelow).

The morning is unscheduled, though membersmight like to visit the castle and cathedral. The Cathedral Tea Rooms arerecommended for lunch. At 2pm we will have a 90-minute tour of the town,organised by members of the Rochester Civic Society, which will include:‘Six Poor Travellers’, La Providence, the Guildhall, Eastgate and RestorationHouses, and Rochester Bridge.

The tour costs £3 a head, entrance to the Castle (English Heritage) is£3.40, and you may like to make a donation to the Cathedral. Parking isavailable locally at £1.70 for six hours. To book a place please contac tLionel Anderson on T/W 538307.

3 www.thecivicsociety.org

Personally Speaking ... 4

Chairman’s Letter by Alastair Tod ... 6

Looking at Tunbridge Ware - Topographical Views ... 8Dianne Brick describes some of the views used on Tunbridge Ware.

Baroness Audrey Emerton ... 13 Janet Sturgis interviewed this daughter of Tunbridge Wells.

Home needed for Working Horses ... 16Chris Jones visited the Working Horse Trust.

Decreasing Boundaries, Increasing Congregation ... 18John Cunningham on the history of St Augustine’s.

Mereworth Castle and the Villa Capra ... 22Miss Whibley and a Tunbridge Wells connection from the 1960s.

Heritage Open Days ... 23Fiona Woodfield describes some of the new features this year.

Forthcoming Events ... 24

Editor: Chris Jones. 52 St James Road, Tunbridge Wells, TN1 2LBTel 01892 522025 Email [email protected]: Christo Skelton. 4 Caxton House, 19 Mount Sion, Tunbridge Wells TN11UB. Tel 01892 513241 Email [email protected]

Contents

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by Chris Jones

Personally Speaking

News & Views

‘Tunbridge’ - the power of the brand ... On page 8 wehave an article about Tunbridge Ware. As it is specifically about pieces that weredecorated with pictures of the town, it is reasonable to assume that most of themwere made in or around Tonbridge and Tunbridge Wells. But Tunbridge Ware wasproduced over a much wider area - Brighton was one centre, and London tradedirectories in the early 19th century had specific categories for Tunbridge WareMakers. It had become a generic term for that type of item.

I hadn’t realised that the name was used in a similar way for biscuits. In a BombayTimes of May 1853 a local auction house advertised a long list of biscuit types,including arrowroot, Tunbridge, Shrewsbury and ginger nuts, ‘landed within thelast week ... and perfectly fresh’. The manufacturer wasn’t identified but a lateradvert specifically mentions Huntley & Palmers (of Reading). That advertdistinguishes between ‘currant Tunbridges’ and ‘lemon Tunbridges’.

The term wasn’t restricted to the English-speaking world. A Philadelphia firm,Walter G Wilson, advertising in the Estrella de Panama in 1877, offerred its ‘galletasTunbridge’, made of jengibre (ginger), toronja (grapefruit), uva (grapes) and corinto(currants). One wonders whether the Panamanians understood the significance ofthe name. Has anyone come across ‘Tunbridge biscuits’ before - other than the onesactually made in Tunbridge Wells?

Oral History ... Janet Sturgis’ article about Baroness Emerton on p.12 could wellhave appeared under the heading of ‘Significant Women’. In fact it is another productof the Oral History project. If you would like to join the interviewing team, pleasecontact Charmian Clissold-Jones on T/W 522025.

Apology ... I really must apologise to those members who went to the Town Halllast Thursday for the talk on Hadlow Tower - as advertised in the last Newsletter. Atthe time of printing I had grasped that the Civic Chamber was not going to be availableto us, but had missed the fact that we had booked the Royal Wells Inn instead. Insituations like that we should perhaps station someone at the original venue to advisemembers of the new location. Fortunately we were able to advise most members ofthe change by email. If you have an email address and haven’t told us about it, oryou think you have told us, but have not received any emails, then please considerdoing so. Christo Skelton (see page 3) is the person to contact.


Increase in Annual Subscription

Annual GardenParty

Changeof Date

The Garden Party is open to members of the Society and their guests. Tickets,which must be bought in advance, are £12.50 each, and are available from Christo

Skelton at the address on page 3. Please make cheques payable to RTWCS, andenclose a sae. Parking is available. Directions will be supplied with your tickets.

We are particularly grateful to the Governors of the Schools at Somerhill formaking their garden available to us at very short notice. We had hoped to be

visiting Eridge Park, the home of our President, the Marquess of Abergavenny.Unfortunately, ongoing building works there meant that a water supply - essential

for catering and for loos - could not be guaranteed.

Changeof Venue

Saturday, July 27th, 6-8 pmAt Somerhill, the Jacobean mansion on the

hill just south of Tonbridge

The Committee has decided, most reluctantly, that subscription levels will haveto rise. Since they were last set about ten years ago their value has fallen by morethan 40%, and the running costs of the Society are now subsidised by the sale ofpublications. To restore the situation we propose an increase for the year starting 1st

September to £15 a head or £22.50 per household.Members will be well aware what they get directly for this: monthly meetings and

events, the newsletter, the awards, the website, discounts on publications. Bysubscribing you are also contributing a democratic voice to the preservation andimprovement of our town.

If you pay by standing order, you will need to update your mandate. Please seethe enclosed form.

Alastair TodPS There are no Planning Scrutineer notes this issue. The planning scrutineers

have been as active as usual, but their clerk has been on holiday.

By kind permision of the Governors of the Schools at Somerhill

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Chairman’s Letter

Tunbridge WellsJune 2013

During the excitements of 2009-10 the Society was oftenaccused of being opposed to change, or something more

colourful. Stuck-in-the-mud, or, as the late Daniel Bech put it, ‘Old people incommittees‘.

As members know, what we opposed then was change as a fait accompli, especiallywhen it meant the loss of key features of our environment. We have since supportedthe Atwood Panel calling for extensive change in the town centre. We also took partin So Create a Difference, an exhibition of proposals from local architects for sitesin the town centre. The exhibition was almost swamped by visitors, many of themyoung, partly because it was skilfully promoted on digital media.

One of the projects shown was Philip Whitbourn’s idea for revitalising the buildingsof the civic centre by expanding their community and cultural role around the civiccore, supporting Tunbridge Wells as a cultural and educational hub – withoutdamaging the values for which the buildings are statutorily listed. Our bookletcontaining these ideas was sent to all councillors as well as members of the Society.

The Council meanwhile commissioned a scholarly study on how far the buildingscould be adapted while respecting their essential character. The study indicates agreen light for ideas such as Dr Whitbourn’s, and we have offered to help the Counciltake this forward. In spite of a wildly misleading story in the press, there are noproposals as yet, and no prospect of substantial demolition. We welcome the prospectof the civic buildings continuing with improvements in their traditional role.

Upgrading these buildings is long overdue, for economic and legal reasons, butwill take years. This is a feature shared with other current issues. In my last LetterI mentioned the Site Allocations Plan, the next step in producing a new Local Planby demonstrating that land is available to meet the adopted development targets upto 2026. Your Society joined with the Town Forum to respond to this.

In Royal Tunbridge Wells the targets include a 40% increase in shopping floorspace,concentrated in the town centre, and about 10% in housing. We find it improbable thatthe market would support a 40% increase in retail, but substantial sites exist (mostnotably the Cinema) and we judge that little comment is required at present.

The target for housing is 6000 in the whole borough between 2006 and 2026, orabout 2400 more houses 2013-2026 in Royal Tunbridge Wells. The great majority


are needed because of the declining size of households – not increased population.(Accordingly this does not suggest an increase in commuting). Finding sites forthese houses is required to satisfy the Government and give a basis for resistingopportunist proposals.

Under the Plan about half the required increase could be located on sites withinthe urban area, with the rest at Hawkenbury and Knights Park. The exact numbersdepend on progress elsewhere, including on sites not yet identified, the so-calledwindfalls. In our agreed response we endorsed nearly all the proposed sites, withspecific comments in a number of cases.

The difficulty of looking far ahead at a time of severe economic constraint is evidentfrom the current ‘Transport Strategy’. This draft is not related to the Site Allocations,and in the absence of funds for anything else, largely proposes minor works and studies.It does not contain objectives, and does not assign reasons for the works listed. Wecommented that a transport strategy should describe objectives, even if it is unclearwhen these will be met, and relate the works proposed to meeting these.

Finally, in a festival of strategies, we were confronted with a draft Cultural Strategy.This featured the Council’s attractive idea for a cultural-educational hub based onexpanding the Library, Museum and Adult Education Centre, but did not have positiveideas otherwise for this important sector. We have asked to be part of any groupformed to develop this strategy.

Responding to these documents prompts us to consider again the role of the Society.We recently asked you what you think, and published a statement ‘Our Approach’;we are replacing the website and planning a recruitment campaign. In the spirit ofrenewal we also considered changing the name of the Society, which was thought toalienate some potential members. The vote of the existing membership was narrowlyagainst change, and after debate the Executive has decided to keep the present name.

But the arguments advanced suggest that there are at least two rather different viewsof what we do. Are we perhaps essentially a group of activists guarding our precioustown against threats? Or are we more broadly based, and concerned with somethinglike recognising change and opportunity and opening them up for public debate?

Alastair Tod

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Looking at Tunbridge Ware:Views of Tunbridge Wells

Celia Fiennes, who visited variousEnglish spas in the 17th century, seems tohave been the first person to record thatsouvenirs were being sold at TunbridgeWells. That was as early as 1697.Unfortunately the items to which sherefers are not now readily identifiable, butthe souvenirs sold from the late 18th centuryonwards, are more easily recognisable.

These souvenirs were initiallywhitewood and often hand painted withflowers or rural scenes. As tastes changed,veneered items were also made, and thesouvenirs soon became associated withthe place where they were sold - by theaddition of applied topographical prints.From the 1830s the development ofmarquetry techniques resulted intessellated mosaic1 views superseding theearlier printed and painted wares.

Tunbridge Ware makers initiallyproduced items relating to TunbridgeWells and then extended their repertoireto include souvenirs for other locations.This article concentrates on TunbridgeWells and resists the temptation toventure even as far afield as Penshurst,

Eridge, or Hever.With the

development of Tunbridge Wells as avisitor location in the early 19th century,Tunbridge Ware makers were encouragedto produce wares which reflected whatthe tourists read about in local guide-books. A considerable number ofcontemporary prints exist, which wereprobably intended for box decoration,although many have not been recordedas used on Tunbridge Ware.

Although the Tunbridge Ware makersWilliam Fenner, Edmund Nye and John& James Sharp were all known to havepublished prints from as early as 1807 itwas the Wise family from Tonbridge,who were primarily responsible for theTunbridge Ware with printed views ofTunbridge Wells. From c. 1806 ThomasWise & George Wise Senior publishedprints used on Tunbridge Ware,frequently adding the name of the viewto the interior of the box.

Printed views of Tunbridge Wells knownto have featured on Tunbridge Ware includethe Chapel of King Charles the Martyr, the

Tunbridge Ware specialist, Dianne Brick,considers some of the views that were used

to decorate these souvenirs of the town

A panoramic view ofthe town, c.1830 -

see page 10.


Bath House, Mount Edgcumbe, the TeaHouse, High Rocks and the entrance toTunbridge Wells from London. The mostcommonly found view was that of TheParade. A print (circa 1806) by T. Wiseappears on the pincushion below.

The view on the box below is that ofYork House in the High Street - a viewlikely to have been recognised by earlytourists, as it was then a lodging house2.

The introduction of the tessellatedmosaic technique to Tunbridge Ware inthe 1830s gave makers the chance toproduce new topographical subjects forsouvenirs, basing their designs almostexclusively on prints, which appeared inthe guidebooks produced by Clifford andby Colbran. What the visitors saw andread about in the latest guidebooks couldthen be purchased on Tunbridge Ware.

St Helena Cottage, situated in theLondon Road in Tunbridge Wells was awell-known view for visitors travellingfrom London and would have been thetown’s initial landmark.

Several versions exist in TunbridgeWare from the 1840s - 1850s and it islikely that all the makers would havewanted to represent such a significantlandmark. St Helena may well have beenthe first Tunbridge Wells view to berepresented in mosaic. This example froma glove box is attributed to Edmund Nyeand dates from c. 1845.

Toad Rock, which was first given thename in the 1823 edition of Clifford’sGuidebook, was also an early mosaicview on Tunbridge Ware. It was one ofthe sites visited by tourists, who followeda popular walk from Mount Ephraimacross Bishop’s Down to RusthallCommon.

Several Tunbridge Ware versions existof a view of a building known as theFarmhouse on Rusthall Common. This

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also was a landmark on the walk toRusthall and was described in Colbran’s1840 Guide as ‘a newly erected farmhouse’and the property of Viscount Nevill. Sadlythe building no longer stands. Thisversion from a perfume bottle box datesto c. 1845.

Another view with several versions isthat of a small cottage (see below). Thiswas once thought to have been on the siteof the Spa Hotel. Recent discoveries nowassociate this design with the CalverleyWindmill and it is suggested that thecottage is the Windmill Tavern, whichwould account for its continuedpopularity as a Tunbridge Wells view.

By the 1820s visitor numbers toTunbridge Wells were dwindling asholiday makers now favoured seasidelocations. At the same time permanentresidents were on the increase and theirneeds were for housing and otheramenities. It was at this time that the

London architect, Decimus Burton wascommissioned to build a church and theCalverley Estate. This gave the TunbridgeWare makers new subject matter and thedevelopment of the town was chronicledin their work.

Based on an 1830s panoramiclithograph, the Tunbridge Ware viewfrom Mount Ephraim (see foot of page8) shows the development of the town.Two versions of the view exist, both withthe new church, Holy Trinity, on the left.A version attributed to Robert Russellalso shows the Calverley Windmill andthe brickworks chimney, which were onthe estate of the landowner, John Ward.The version on page 8 is attributed toAlfred Talbot, circa 1840-50.

The first phase of Decimus Burton’snew town was the building of a church.Opened in 1829 as the town’s first parishchurch, a view of Holy Trinity was soonrepresented on Tunbridge Ware. Thechurch was much admired and itsTunbridge Ware representation isparticularly well defined. This view froma tea caddy (note the key-hole) dates toc. 1840.

Decimus Burton was responsible forconverting Calverley House to an hotel.

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Before its conversion it had beenfavoured as a summer residence by theDuchess of Kent and Princess Victoria.Its royal associations made the CalverleyHotel a popular subject for TunbridgeWare makers in the 1840s.

The only view of Calverley Park to berepresented on Tunbridge Ware is that ofone of the three lodges. The FarnboroughLodge design in Tunbridge Ware appearsto have been taken from an 1831engraving. It is not known why this lodgewas chosen as a Tunbridge Ware view.

Unlike the previous Tunbridge Wareviews of Tunbridge Wells the view ofRomanoff House does not seem to havebeen prompted by a desire to promotetourism or to chronicle the developmentof the town. Romanoff House is nowknown as Vale Towers and was built onthe site of a late 18th century cottage byThomas Allfree in 1852.

Allfree was the proprietor of a school,

which he named Romanoff House afterthe Russian royal family to whom he hadbeen a tutor; and it is possible that hecommissioned the view to be made topromote his school. Today it is a rareview, which suggests that a limitednumber were produced.

The Stephens and Hopwood familiesowned Southfield Park, Southborough,for over one hundred years and it mightwell have been a subject for the TunbridgeWare makers. However it was the lodgehouse with its tall chimneys whichattracted attention and no doubt becamea landmark on the way into TunbridgeWells.

The version of Southfield Park Lodgebelow is attributed to Edmund Nye andis distinctively worked, using a style,which also appeared on designs createdfor the Great Exhibition of 1851, whichincludes human figures.

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The final view of TunbridgeWells to be produced in tessellatedmosaic is probably also the bestknown. Not since the early printedviews of the Parade did theTunbridge Ware makers attempt aversion of The Pantiles.

It was not until the 1870s thatHenry Hollamby produced thiscomplex view, which a 19thcentury writer claimed containedover 32,000 pieces and took three monthsto make3. DB1. For information on how Tunbridge Ware ismade, visit www.tunbridgewellsmuseum.org andlook for the heading ‘Making Tunbridge Ware’.

2. With grateful thanks to Peter Miall for identifyingthis view.3. Frederick Talbot in The Windsor Magazine1898.

© Amherst Antiques 2013

Newsletter DeliveryMost of our Newsletters are delivered by hand - by members of the Society ‘doing

their bit’. We still, though, have an annual bill of some £200 for posting the rest ofthem. Some of this is unavoidable - we have members living many miles fromTunbridge Wells, but it should be possible to reduce the cost by hand-deliveringmore within the town. At present we post Newsletters to members in the followingareas:

• Broadwater Down and the area between Frant and Eridge Roads• Southborough• Kingswood Road / Pembury Road / Ferndale• Bayham Road / Forest Road / Hawkenbury

If you live in any of these areas and would like to help, then please contact ChristoSkelton (contact details on page 3).

Editor’s NoteIn this article Dianne has concentrated specifically onthe topographical views used on Tunbridge Ware: andthe illustrations used in the article have been selectedto show those views. They don’t, therefore, present aparticularly accurate picture of the richness in colourand decoration of the complete pieces. For those notfamiliar with Tunbridge Ware, here is an example in thetessellated mosaic style:


Baroness Audrey Emerton:Daughter of Tunbridge Wells

In any roll-call of influential citizensof Tunbridge Wells, Audrey Emerton’sname certainly merits a place. Yet despiteher major achievements and nationalreputation in medical circles, she is notwidely known in her home town.

Audrey was born to an ordinaryTunbridge Wells family in 1935 and waslooking forward to starting at St Peter’sC of E Primary School. However, whenaged just four, she contracted measlesfollowed by whooping cough. Like somany children at that time beforeantibiotics, ensuing complicationsdeveloped into bilateral mastoid in herears. This serious condition meant shewas admitted to the (new) Kent andSussex Hospital for treatment. Thesurgeon who operated on her earsmanaged to save her hearing, but theorthodox treatment of invalids at the timemeant she was confined to bed for theentire three-month stay, with parentalvisits allowed only on Wednesdays andSundays.

The effects on little Audrey weresignificant. First, she was unable to walkafter being immobile for so long. Second,she needed a more specialised educationthan St Peter’s could provide. But third,her long dependence on nursing careplanted a lasting desire to be a nurseherself one day. She soon learned to walkagain, and her parents transferred her tothe (fee-paying) primary section of

Tunbridge Wells County GrammarSchool for girls. Like many small girls,she enjoyed dressing up in a nurse’scostume. But Audrey was more seriousthan most, so, aged 11 she joined St JohnAmbulance as a cadet. Going weekly tothe Monson Road Station, Audrey nowsays, “It was the making of me.” As wellas first aid, team work and twelve othersubjects, she began to acquire the abilityfor leadership that was to take her to thetop of her profession. Regular training onFriday evenings was reinforced by“public duties” such as making tea andsitting with residents in nursing homes,or helping in the Children’s Ward atPembury Hospital. All of this confirmedher determination to be a nurse. And sheretained her commitment to St JohnAmbulance – she was still involved 66years later.

She stayed at the Grammar Schoolfrom age 7, passing the 11-plus, andcontinued there until she left at 18. WhenAudrey told her headmistress of herambition to train as a nurse, theheadmistress was totally opposed to theidea of nursing for a girl of such delicatehealth. But Audrey persisted and appliedto the six London teaching hospitals. Shehad the satisfaction of being accepted byall of them. After attending interviews ateach one, she opted for St George’s, thesmallest, because they had the bestselection interview. Already she was

From an ‘oral history’ interview by Dr Janet Sturgis

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assessing management styles.Audrey trained at St George’s for 18

months, then stopped to return toTunbridge Wells to work in the Kent &Sussex Casualty Department as sheplanned to marry. But that didn’t workout, so she decided to rejoin her StGeorge’s class – now involved inmidwifery training in Harrow. Here thepupil midwives did their rounds topatients’ houses on bicycles – a real lifeversion of the television series Call theMidwife. Training completed, Audreyreturned to the Kent & Sussex in theresponsible post of Night Sister in 1959.She moved to similarly responsible postsin Gynaecology, then Ear, Nose & Throat,where she discovered how much sheenjoyed teaching nurses in her section.

As a result, rather than follow the usualroute into administration, Audrey optedto train at the Battersea Polytechnic toget the Tutor’s Diploma, funded by ascholarship. At the ceremony where thescholarship was presented, she met theMatron from St George’s who said, “I’dlove to have you back as a tutor.” So shereturned to her training hospital, whereshe led an experimental training scheme.This involved covering the wholesyllabus in two years to allow a full yearas an intern on the wards undersupervision. While it was very effective,this system could cause territorialtensions when a tutor entered thepowerful Ward Sister’s domain. But asAudrey herself had just come fromexperience on the wards, she understoodthe sensitivities and was careful to defer

to the Ward Sister when she didn’t knowsomething. She wanted to avoid creatinga competitive situation – more evidenceof her skill in managing people.

Her next step was to take a role in theSalmon Committee reorganisation of thewhole structure of nursing: replacing thepowerful role of Matrons with a gradedstructure. This meant a Chief NursingOfficer was grade 10, Principal NursingOfficer 9, and so on. Audrey was invitedto lead a pilot of the scheme in Bromley,bringing together the nursing schools ofBromley, Farnborough and Orpington. Atthe time when the scheme was to beimplemented, Audrey’s father wasunwell, so she decided to apply for thetop post at the Kent & Sussex so as toend her commuting and allow more timefor her considerable involvement inTunbridge Wells: as well as St JohnAmbulance, she was active in St John’sChurch and ran its youth club.

Despite being rather young for such asenior post, she was appointed. She wasput in charge of the nurses in the Kent &Sussex, the Homeopathic Hospital,Pembury Hospital, and those inHawkhurst, Edenbridge, East Grinsteadand Tonbridge. As if this weren’t enough,her responsibilities were greatlyincreased when Leybourne Grange’s1,200 patients with learning disabilitieswere added to her charge. This soonpresented a major crisis when a chargenurse stuck a patient with a poker. Therewas of course much publicity whichmeant that the Labour Health MinisterBarbara Castle came down. As always,


Audrey coped with it all, and went on toachieve with rare sensitivity the closureof the institution in favour of suitableplacements for the residents in thecommunity,

Her evident potential meant selectionfor the top management training courseat Henley, where, during 11 weeks shewas the only woman, and “learned to readthe Financial Times before breakfast”.When yet another reorganisation of theNHS meant all had to reapply for theirjobs, Audrey decided to apply for Bristoland Oxford, as pleasant places to live.Instead she was appointed to the SouthEast Thames Region, in charge of 30 ,000nurses from Guy’s, St Thomas’s andKing’s in London, the south-east Londonboroughs and all of Kent and East Sussex,right down to Dover.

While doing all that plus her TunbridgeWells activities, she chaired the new UKCentral Regulatory Body which was toreorganise nursing education as Project2000 after 1990. Then, as she began tothink about retiring, she was appointed alay member of the General MedicalCouncil and joined the Board ofManagement of a Brighton hospitalseeking to become an NHS Trust. Sheserved as Chair for six years, duringwhich they established a new medicalschool. Her contribution was honouredwhen the new school was named TheAudrey Emerton Centre.

Audrey rose through the ranks tobecome Chancellor and ChiefCommander of St John Ambulance, andwas eventually made Dame Grand Cross

of the Order – along with QueenElizabeth the Queen Mother and otherroyal personages.

In 1987 Audrey was awarded an OBEand in 1997 the John Major Governmentappointed her to the cross benches in theHouse of Lords, where she sits asBaroness Emerton of Tunbridge Wellsand Clerkenwell. However these honoursdid not mean retiring. Aged 77, she didn’tmiss a single day’s debate of the Summer2012 Health Bill: still working in theinterests of nurses as she has throughouther life. JS

The Baroness Emerton DBE DL as a Ward Sisterat the Kent & Sussex Hospital

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It is often claimed that one of thebenefits of living in Tunbridge Wells isthe easy access we have to beautifulcountryside all around. Yet how seldomdo some of us make use of it. A recentOpen Day at the Working Horse Trustnear Eridge provided an excuse to get outinto the fields for some fresh air andexercise (and, it must be admitted, somecake). It was also an opportunity to seesome magnificent animals demonstratingtheir power in harness.

Of course working horses were nevera solely agricultural phenomenon - thepicture below taken at the bottom of StJames Road early in the last centurydemonstrates that. Victorian life in townas well as country would have beengreatly restricted without the use ofhorses.

Horses have been domesticated forthousands of years, but their initial

function was primarily for riding and aspack animals. Oxen were the traditionaldraught animals. One of the early driversfor the development of the heavy horsewas as a platform for heavily-armed andarmoured knights. With the gradualimprovement of roads and of carriagedesign in the 17th and 18th centuries,though, horses began to be used more forroad transport and agriculture. No-onewho studied O-level History in the 1960scan forget Jethro Tull and his treatise onHorse Hoeing Husbandry.

It was in this period of agricultural‘improvement’ that attention was paid tothe development of the different breeds:the Suffolk, for example, for agriculturalwork in the Eastern counties, and theClydesdale in lowland Scotland and theNorth of England. The Shire was perhapsthe most common.

By the 1880s there were some 3.5 to4.5 million draught horses workingin various capacities. They pulled

The relationship between the workinghorse and the railway was an interestingone. The railways destroyed one aspect ofhorse usage - long-distance carriage ofpeople and goods, but at the same timethey needed the horse. Railways werevery good at carrying bulk loads betweenfixed points. But they required theflexibiility of horse transport to get thoseloads to their final destination. One eighthof the cost of coal delivered to the WaterCo in Pembury, including the cost of itsmining and transport from South Wales,was for carriage from Goods StationRoad.

Chris Jones has a day in the countryHome needed for Working Horses


canal barges, fire-engines, omnibuses,waste-carts and brewers’ drays. Theywere used by the military for transportas well as for fighting. Veronica KellyWallace’s article about the Baltic SawMills in the Spring Newsletterdemonstrated their importance in forestryand the timber industry.

With the intoduction of motorisedtransport in the early 20th century,though, the number of working animalsplummeted. By the 1960s, extinction inthis country was a real possibility, andthe situation continues to be of concern.Of the breeds mentioned above, there areonly some 300 Suffolks registered in thecountry, and the number of Shire foalsbeing born is insufficient to maintain thepopulation. The Clydesdale situation is alittle better, but the breed is neverthelessclassified as ‘vulnerable’ by the RareBreeds Survival Trust.

The Working Horse Trust was set upto counter this trend. It has a breeding

programme to help preserve some of thelines, but its main contribution isprobably its educational and publicawareness activities. The Trust currentlyoccupies a farm of some 100 acres,where, over nearly twenty years, itsvolunteers have restored pasture and builtstables and storage. It looks after fifteenhorses, most of whom were born there.They include Suffolks and an Ardennesstallion. (The Ardennes breed is one ofthe oldest. There are only about 40examples left in England.)

Unfortunately the Trust must leave itscurrent premises in September and ishaving difficulty finding a new home. Itneeds 35 to 50 acres of grazing with arange of buildings, ideally near Eridgewhere it has built up a network ofvolunteers. If you know of any suchfacility, or can offer help in the short-term,then please contact the Trustee: JoAmbrose on T/W 750105, or email:[email protected].

Two of the Trust’s Suffolkhorses, harrowing the

wildflower meadow at HighBeeches near Ardingly. The

Trust is keen that its animalsare worked.

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When St. Augustine’s Church wasbuilt in 1838, England was a stronglyProtestant country with a record of 250-300 years of anti-Catholic feelings. Butreligious tolerance was growing. Therehad been Catholic Relief Acts in 1778and 1791and a third act in 1829, usuallycalled the Catholic Emancipation Act,granted full civil and political libertiesto Catholics. Built just nine years later,St. Augustine’s must, therefore, havebeen one of the first Catholic churchesin England since the Middle Ages (theywere forbidden by law until 1791).

There had been limited Catholicactivity in the area before then. Therewere places: Scotney Castle until 1774;the Whyborne estate in Pembury until1660; and Jerningham House on Mt Sion,where a zealous Catholic might findMass, but no church as such. Yet in 1838,there were already three Anglicanchurches and five non-Conformistchapels in the town, serving a rapidlygrowing population of nearly 8,000.

Catholicism in England had nohierarchy and no real structure ororganisation at that time. It was controlledby eight Apostolic Vicars, appointeddirectly by the Pope, each with a regionof the country divided into ‘missions’,which were much bigger than any parishcould have been. A full hierarchy of 12

dioceses, eachwith a structure of canonries and parisheswas not established until 1850. This wasdone by Papal Bull, without reference toany established ‘authority’ in England.This caused considerable disquietamongst some Anglicans (the term ‘Papalaggression’ was used). Queen Victoria issaid to have asked. ‘Am I Queen ofEngland, or not?’.

So, when St. Augustine’s was built itwas not a parish, but a Jesuit MissionCentre for a wide area stretching fromRiverhead near Sevenoaks, to Rye; andfrom Edenbridge to Cranbrook. A majorpart of its subsequent history relates howthe Mission became a Parish, and howits boundaries shrank as daughter parisheswere created and in due course becameindependent. Today the parish boundariesare broadly those of the old Borough ofRoyal Tunbridge Wells.

The original St. Augustine’s was at thejunction of Grosvenor Road and HanoverRoad - the site currently occupied byTesco. The choice of this site by theJesuits was indirectly due to John Wardwho, with Decimus Burton as hisarchitect, had decided in 1826 to developsome 56 acres of the 874 acres he ownedto the north of Tunbridge Wells as the‘Calverley New Town’. By the late 1830sother developers had built on Crown

A short history of St. Augustine’sCatholic Church, Tunbridge Wells,

by John Cunningham.

Decreasing BoundariesIncreasing Congregation


Fields (the area now covered by RoyalVictoria Place) most of Grosvenor Roadand the area between Hanover Road andCulverden. There was already a BaptistChapel in Hanover Road. The land theJesuits acquired, however, was stillundeveloped. It lay outside the Wardestate and from the church deeds wouldseem to have been acquired by HenryHopkins, a Maidstone timber merchant,in 1835. He sold it to John Thomas andHenry Lashmar (the latter, a retailer inthe Pantiles and believed to be a Catholic)in 1836: and they sold it to the Jesuits in1837. The price the Jesuits paid was£756.16s.7d.

The church was designed in Palladianstyle by Joseph Ireland (1780-1841), awell-known and well -regarded architectof the day, and built of the local sandstonewhich was a feature of Calverley NewTown. It had a length of 70 ft fronting onto Grosvenor Road and a width of 34 ftfronting on to Hanover Road. The totalcost for the land and the building was£5,400.2s.0d. Most of the cost (£3,921[73%]) was funded by the Jesuits

themselves (the rest came from donationsand public subscriptions).

The initial congregation numberedabout 50. For the first 28 years they wereserved by Jesuit ‘Missioners’ - seven intotal. In 1866 the mission was transferredto the now-fully-established CatholicDiocese of Southwark, and the first Priestwas appointed: Father (later Canon)Joseph Searle. He is described as havinghad a ‘fiery no-holds-barred tongue’. Heinitially begged to be excused the postbut the bishop insisted, and he eventuallyserved for 42 years. Fortunately he hadprivate income as parish funds neverseemed to match necessary expenditureand he was forced to subsidise it.

The two events in the next 25 yearswhich had a major impact on the parishand the town, were the foundation of St.Augustine’s School and the constructionof the campanile. The school no longeroccupies its original site - alongside thechurch in Hanover Road, and has gonethrough many developments, but it stillthrives today in the form of St.Augustine’s Primary School and St.

The original St. Augustine’s,at the junction of Grosvenorand Hanover Roads. FromColbran’s 1841 guide.

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Gregory’s Comprehensive School.However the campanile is no more:the clock survived until 1967, butits carillon ceased its ringing duringthe First World War.

The clock overlooked bothGrosvenor and Hanover Roads andcould be seen and heard fromhundreds of yards. There can be noquestion that the clock and bellsmust have made the inhabitants veryaware of the presence of theCatholic Church in TunbridgeWells. The clock played a part in thelives of all those who lived and workedwithin earshot, because it was designatedan official timekeeper under the FactoriesAct. It continued to chime for 88 years.

St. Augustine’s in Hanover Road wasnever an entirely satisfactory building. Ithad been built to seat 250 people at a timewhen there probably at best 50 Catholicsin Tunbridge Wells, but the congregationsoon grew to exceed capacity. By 1898there were 488 Catholics in the parish.

The building also suffered from damp.It is not surprising that over time thefeeling grew in the parish that a newchurch was needed. The diocese ofSouthwark, who were its residual owners,decided to sell the site and it went for£80,000 to Tesco Supermarkets. Themoney was put aside to fund a newchurch, but the big question was: whereshould the new church be?

The site of St. Augustine’s today (inCrescent Road) had been a candidatesince the very beginning, but there wereproblems which could have provedinsuperable. The site was then occupiedby ‘Greystones’ - a large three-storeyhouse, with an attachment called ‘TheCottage’ and grounds of nearly an acre.

The issue was whether a church wouldbe allowed on the site under planningregulations, or more precisely whetherTunbridge Wells Borough Council wouldgive permission. Or, more precisely still,whether the councillors would agreebecause, somewhat surprisingly, therewere still some in those days, just under50 years ago, who were known to bepositively anti-Catholic.

It took six years to obtain permission,and even then, only because a PlanningInspector overruled Council opposition.

St Augustine’s in its final form in HanoverRoad - with the campanile and the school

building to the right.


As part of its anniversary celebration,the church has published a history, ‘175Years of St. Augustine’s Parish, TunbridgeWells, 1838-2013’. (A5 format, 140pp, 90illustrations incl. 32 in colour, price£4.95+ postage), obtainable from theChurch, or Waterstone’s.

No less than 7 planning applications hadbeen submitted and 7 rejected. The finalplan was by the architects, RobertMaguire & Keith Murray; and took onlytwo years to build, at a cost of £184,036.It was completed in autumn 1975 .

In the circumstances, it is probably notsurprising that the church is described in

the Pevsner ArchitecturalGuide to Kent as ‘self-effacing’.

St. Augustine’s celebratedits 175th Anniversary onPentecost Sunday, 19th

May, 2013. It now has acongregation of 7,800 – asignificant increase on the50 of 1838. It is probablythe largest Christian

congregation in Tunbridge Wells. JC

St. Augustine’s in CrescentRoad - ‘self-effacing’

You may be interested in the following events organised by other groups.Wed 10th July. A Day at the Wells: Celebrating Tunbridge Ware. Organised

by the Friends of the Museum, Library, & Art Gallery. A day of walks and talks byDavid Wakefield, Dr Ian Beavis and Paul Devlin, a Tunbridge Ware craftsman fromDover. Includes coffee and lunch at Woods on the Pantiles. Cost to Friends £20, tonon-members £25. Latter price includes a free booklet on Tunbridge Ware. Pleasecontact Colin Evans on T/W 545835 or Glen Horn on 07906510334.

Sun 14th July Brass on the Grass. Wadhurst Brass Band play in a traditionalconcert in the beautiful grounds of Woodbury Park Cemetery, 2.30pm. Bring yourown chair, rug or cushion. In St John’s Church Hall if wet. Admission £5.

Sat 10th Aug Outing to Margate Cemetery and the Rev Edward Hoare’sRamsgate. Friends of Woodbury Park Cemetery. Details from David Bushell on T/W 521114

Other Societies

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References in the last Newsletter to the triumphal arch in the park of MereworthCastle led to many interesting discussions. The ‘castle’ was built in the 1720s byColin Campbell. The design was based on Palladio’s 16th century Villa Capra (orVilla ‘La Rotonda’) in the hills above Vicenza. The picture of Mereworth below isfrom a Sprange guide of the 1780s, which suggests that it was a popular outing forvisitors to the Wells.

The article triggered memories for Miss Josie Whibley, who worked in the Gouldenand Curry bookshop in the 1960s. They often supplied books by post to CountValmarana, the owner of the Villa Capra. He would also occasionally visit the shop,though he would always be attended by Julian Fall, Miss Whibley being far toojunior. She remembers one occasion when she was glad to be in the background. MrFall had suggested to the Count that his home was very like Mereworth Castle. Hewas told in no uncertain terms that it was Mereworth Castle that was very like hishome. Indeed the Villa Capra has been a modelfor architects around the world. There werefour significant copies in England in the 18thcentury: Chiswick House, Mereworth, NuthallTemple, in Nottinghamshire, and Foots Cray,near Chiselhurst. The latter two are no more.However in the 1980s architect Julian Bicknellbuilt Henbury Hall, near Macclesfield (seeright), for the de Ferranti family. CJ

Mereworth Castle and the Villa Capra:the Tunbridge Wells connection


Heritage Open Days

Plans are well under way for this year’s Heritage Open Days, celebrating thehistory and heritage of our area. For the first time, we hope to have a traditionalcraft demonstration - by blacksmith Michael Hart of Horsmonden. He recentlygraduated as a top student from Plumpton Agricultural College – do take theopportunity to see a young businessman taking up the skills which have beenassociated with his village for centuries.

Historic buildings which we hope to featurein this year’s programme include the old winevaults on Mount Ephraim, the Adult EducationCentre and the former workhouse chapel atPembury. Strictly for the more athletic amongour visitors, there may be a possibility of aformer Cold War monitoring station – stillsubject to negotiation with the insurers becauseof its access down a fifteen feet fixed ladder!

This year is the 350th anniversary of Catherine of Braganza’s visit to the Wells in1663. That occasion will be featuring in three guided walks - the Historic Spa Townwalk starting from the Pantiles, a walk along Mount Ephraim and a walk around thelost Bounds Estate in Southborough. It was Roger Farthing who discovered in theroyal archives the financial arrangements for the encampment of the retinue at Bounds.Looking at the history of people at the opposite end of the social scale, there will bea walk featuring the Lew and its Victorian community enterprises (if you don’t knowwhich part of the town that was, you should definitely come!). Or learn about thelost shops and businesses of High Brooms.

It is not too late to offer to open your historic home or workplace or to offer it asa stopping point on a guided walk (especially relevant if you live in Mount Ephraim).Members must also remember that this programme is only possible with many peoplehelping at the various venues and events and behind the scenes. The Civic Societyitself mans the opening of the Pound in Grove Hill Road (offers of help to theChairman, please). It would be really helpful to have more people willing to taketelephone bookings for a particular venue or event (bookings open about two weeksbeforehand) – ideally someone different for each event we need to cover. And lastyear we did not have enough people to take posters and little bundles of leaflets intoshops round the town during August. Please contact Fiona Woodfield by 15 July on01892 544429 [email protected] to offer your help. FW

Heritage Open Days in and around Tunbridge Wells:Thursday 12 - Sunday 15 September 2013

www.heritageopendays.org.uk.

Frieze from the AEC, celebrating theArts, Crafts and Industry

CIVIC SOCIETYForthcoming Events

Meetings start at 7.30pm on the second Thursday in the month (unlessotherwise stated) in the Town Hall. Remember to bring your membership card.

Suggested £2 donation from non-members.

The views expressed in this Newsletter are those of the named author or of the editorand do not necessarily reflect the official views of the Society.

Published by the Royal Tunbridge Wells Civic Society.Registered Charity No. 276545

www.thecivicsociety.org

Sept12th-15th

Sept12th

Entrance to the Town Hall is via the main door. If you are late and find that itis locked, please ring the bell and wait to be admitted.

‘Townscape and Topography’ - the celebratedarchitect Ptolemy Dean is certain to make this a most

thought-provoking evening for members.

Annual Garden PartyAt Somerhill, by kind permission of the Governors. Please

see page 5 for details.Please note change of date and venue.

Jul27th(Sat)

Jul20th(Sat)

Visit to RochesterLocal History Group visit, but open to all members of the

Society. Please see page 2 for details.

Heritage Open DaysPlease see page 23, and check:

www.tunbridgewellsheritageopendays.org(Please note a change in the dates.)

summer - the royal tunbridge wells civic society 2013.pdf · summer 2013. 2 front cover: rufus ......

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