Groombridge
Encyclopedia
Groombridge is a village
of about 1,600 people. It straddles the border between Kent
and East Sussex
, in England
. The nearest large town is Tunbridge Wells
, about 4.5 miles (7.2 km) away by road.
The main part of the village ("New Groombridge") lies in the Withyham
civil parish
, which forms part of Wealden
District of East Sussex. Across the county boundary lies the much smaller and older part of the village ("Old Groombridge"). This is within the Speldhurst
civil parish, which forms part of the Tunbridge Wells Borough
of Kent.
New Groombridge has a primary school associated with the church of St Thomas, part of the Diocese of Chichester
. It has a general store, a bakery, a post office, a hairdresser, a car dealership and the Junction Inn public house
. Old Groombridge has the church of St John, which is part of the Diocese of Rochester
. It also has the Crown Inn public house, but no shops.
is a popular visitor attraction, boasting an impressive 700-year history beginning in 1239. Groombridge Place has been owned by some of Kent's most distinguished families, including the de Cobhams and Sir Richard Waller, ancestor of the poet Edmund Waller
and of Tim Waller, co-founder of the East Grinstead Hash House Harriers, as well as of Winston Churchill.
www.burrswood.org.uk
. Other stations included: Three Bridges
, Rowfant
, Grange Road
, East Grinstead
, Forest Row
, Withyham
, High Rocks
, Tunbridge Wells West
and Tunbridge Wells Central
. The line was operated by the London, Brighton and South Coast Railway
, then Southern
, and later British Rail
. Groombridge station was finally closed on 6 July 1985.
Groombridge is now on the Spa Valley Railway
and is at present the southern terminus of that line. The current Groombridge station
is on the east side of Station Road, and a joint ticket for the railway and Groombridge Place is available. A canopy has been erected on both sides of the station, using the former canopy supports from Gravesend West station
. A brand new signal box has been constructed on the site and signalling is being installed in conjunction with the extension to Eridge which is planned to open in 2011.
Village
A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet with the population ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand , Though often located in rural areas, the term urban village is also applied to certain urban neighbourhoods, such as the West Village in Manhattan, New...
of about 1,600 people. It straddles the border between Kent
Kent
Kent is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of...
and East Sussex
East Sussex
East Sussex is a county in South East England. It is bordered by the counties of Kent, Surrey and West Sussex, and to the south by the English Channel.-History:...
, in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. The nearest large town is Tunbridge Wells
Royal Tunbridge Wells
Royal Tunbridge Wells is a town in west Kent, England, about south-east of central London by road, by rail. The town is close to the border of the county of East Sussex...
, about 4.5 miles (7.2 km) away by road.
The main part of the village ("New Groombridge") lies in the Withyham
Withyham
Withyham is a village and large civil parish in the Wealden district of East Sussex, England. The village is situated 10 miles south west of Tunbridge Wells and 3.5 miles from Crowborough; the parish covers approximately .-Geography:Withyham parish lies on the edge of Weald, in the...
civil parish
Civil parish
In England, a civil parish is a territorial designation and, where they are found, the lowest tier of local government below districts and counties...
, which forms part of Wealden
Wealden
For the stone, see Wealden GroupWealden is a local government district in East Sussex, England: its name comes from the Weald, the area of high land which occupies the centre of its area.-History:...
District of East Sussex. Across the county boundary lies the much smaller and older part of the village ("Old Groombridge"). This is within the Speldhurst
Speldhurst
Speldhurst is a village and civil parish in the borough of Tunbridge Wells in Kent, England. The parish is to the west of Tunbridge Wells: the village is west of the town.-Parish Church:...
civil parish, which forms part of the Tunbridge Wells Borough
Tunbridge Wells (borough)
Tunbridge Wells is a local government district and borough in Kent, England. It takes its name from its main town, Royal Tunbridge Wells.The district was formed on 1 April 1974, by the merger of the municipal borough of Royal Tunbridge Wells along with Southborough urban district, Cranbrook Rural...
of Kent.
New Groombridge has a primary school associated with the church of St Thomas, part of the Diocese of Chichester
Diocese of Chichester
The Diocese of Chichester is a Church of England diocese based in Chichester, covering Sussex. It was created in 1075 to replace the old Diocese of Selsey, which was based at Selsey Abbey from 681. The cathedral is Chichester Cathedral and the bishop is the Bishop of Chichester...
. It has a general store, a bakery, a post office, a hairdresser, a car dealership and the Junction Inn public house
Public house
A public house, informally known as a pub, is a drinking establishment fundamental to the culture of Britain, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand. There are approximately 53,500 public houses in the United Kingdom. This number has been declining every year, so that nearly half of the smaller...
. Old Groombridge has the church of St John, which is part of the Diocese of Rochester
Diocese of Rochester
The Diocese of Rochester is a Church of England diocese in South-East England and forms part of the Province of Canterbury. It is an ancient diocese, having been established in 604; only the neighbouring Diocese of Canterbury is older in the Church of England....
. It also has the Crown Inn public house, but no shops.
History
Groombridge PlaceGroombridge Place
Groombridge Place is a moated Manor house in the village of Groombridge near Tunbridge Wells, Kent, England. It has become a tourist attraction, noted for its formal gardens, vineyards and a bird of prey sanctuary. -History:...
is a popular visitor attraction, boasting an impressive 700-year history beginning in 1239. Groombridge Place has been owned by some of Kent's most distinguished families, including the de Cobhams and Sir Richard Waller, ancestor of the poet Edmund Waller
Edmund Waller
Edmund Waller, FRS was an English poet and politician who sat in the House of Commons at various times between 1624 and 1679.- Early life :...
and of Tim Waller, co-founder of the East Grinstead Hash House Harriers, as well as of Winston Churchill.
Burrswood
Burrswood, situated in countryside north-west of Groombridge, is an independent non-surgical hospital which treats the whole person in a Christian environment. Specialities include palliative and respite care, post-surgical care, rehabilitation, counselling, hydrotherapy and physiotherapy. As a charity, Burrswood runs an "Access to Care" bursary fund where individuals may apply for assistance with fees. Burrswood also offers regular healing services, guest house, tea room, gift shop and christian book shop. Burrswood was founded in 1948 when Dorothy Kerin established her healing ministry. In 2008 it celebrated its diamond jubilee and a commemorative service was held in Rochester Cathedral.www.burrswood.org.uk
Railway
Groombridge stood on the Three Bridges to Tunbridge Wells Central LineThree Bridges to Tunbridge Wells Central Line
The Three Bridges to Tunbridge Wells Central Line was a railway line running from Three Bridges in West Sussex to Tunbridge Wells Central in Kent via East Grinstead in East Sussex, a distance of . Opened in 1855, the main section of the line was a casualty of the Beeching Axe the last train ran on...
. Other stations included: Three Bridges
Three Bridges railway station
Three Bridges railway station is located in and named after the village of Three Bridges, which is now a district of Crawley, West Sussex, England...
, Rowfant
Rowfant railway station
Rowfant was a railway station on the Three Bridges to Tunbridge Wells Central Line which closed in 1967, a casualty of the Beeching Axe.The route of the railway line cut a path through the estate of Curtis Miranda Lampson, a wealthy American fur trader and vice-chairman of the Atlantic Telegraph...
, Grange Road
Grange Road railway station
Grange Road was a railway station on the Three Bridges to Tunbridge Wells Central Line which closed in 1967, a casualty of the Beeching Axe.The original proposal to construct the railway line drew objections from one J.H. Wilson, the owner of "The Grange" house, who refused to allow a station on...
, East Grinstead
East Grinstead railway station
East Grinstead railway station serves the town of East Grinstead in West Sussex. The station was formerly divided into two levels: the higher level platforms serving the Three Bridges to Tunbridge Wells Central Line, whilst the lower level platforms received services from the Oxted Line 49 km ...
, Forest Row
Forest Row railway station
Forest Row was a railway station on the Three Bridges to Tunbridge Wells Central Line which closed in 1967, a casualty of the Beeching Axe....
, Withyham
Withyham railway station
Withyham was a railway station on the Three Bridges to Tunbridge Wells Central Line which closed in 1967, a casualty of the Beeching Axe. The station building survived the closure and is now a private residence named the "Old Withyham Station"; much of the trackbed as far as Groombridge and Three...
, High Rocks
High Rocks railway station
High Rocks railway station is a station on the Spa Valley Railway in High Rocks, East Sussex, England.The original High Rocks Halt opened on 1 June 1907 , as part of a London, Brighton and South Coast Railway scheme to boost traffic on its lines . It finally closed on 5 May 1952 due to low traffic...
, Tunbridge Wells West
Tunbridge Wells West railway station
Tunbridge Wells West is a railway station located in Royal Tunbridge Wells, Kent. It is one of two railway stations in Tunbridge Wells constructed by rival companies. The other, Tunbridge Wells Central was opened in 1845 by the South Eastern Railway . Tunbridge Wells West was closed to mainline...
and Tunbridge Wells Central
Tunbridge Wells railway station
Tunbridge Wells railway station serves Royal Tunbridge Wells in Kent, England. The station and all trains serving it are currently operated by Southeastern. It is located directly on the double-tracked electrified Hastings Line....
. The line was operated by the London, Brighton and South Coast Railway
London, Brighton and South Coast Railway
The London, Brighton and South Coast Railway was a railway company in the United Kingdom from 1846 to 1922. Its territory formed a rough triangle, with London at its apex, practically the whole coastline of Sussex as its base, and a large part of Surrey...
, then Southern
Southern Railway (Great Britain)
The Southern Railway was a British railway company established in the 1923 Grouping. It linked London with the Channel ports, South West England, South coast resorts and Kent...
, and later British Rail
British Rail
British Railways , which from 1965 traded as British Rail, was the operator of most of the rail transport in Great Britain between 1948 and 1997. It was formed from the nationalisation of the "Big Four" British railway companies and lasted until the gradual privatisation of British Rail, in stages...
. Groombridge station was finally closed on 6 July 1985.
Groombridge is now on the Spa Valley Railway
Spa Valley Railway
The Spa Valley Railway is a standard gauge heritage railway that runs between Tunbridge Wells, High Rocks, Groombridge, and Eridge railway station, where it links with the Oxted Line. En route it crosses the Kent and East Sussex border, a distance of 5 miles , along the former Three Bridges to...
and is at present the southern terminus of that line. The current Groombridge station
Groombridge railway station
Groombridge railway station is a station on the Spa Valley Railway in Groombridge, East Sussex, England. Once a busy station serving four directions, it closed in 1985 to British Rail services...
is on the east side of Station Road, and a joint ticket for the railway and Groombridge Place is available. A canopy has been erected on both sides of the station, using the former canopy supports from Gravesend West station
Gravesend West railway station
Gravesend West was a railway station on the Gravesend West Line which served Gravesend in Kent. It opened in 1886 and was, for some time, a regular destination for boat trains from London which linked with steamers on the station's pier to ferry passengers to a variety of coastal towns and resorts....
. A brand new signal box has been constructed on the site and signalling is being installed in conjunction with the extension to Eridge which is planned to open in 2011.