Groombridge

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 convert|4.5|mi 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 baker's, a post office, a hairdresser's, 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.

History

Groombridge Place 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.

Burrswood

"Burrswood" 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 and physiotherapy. Burrswood was founded in 1948, when Dorothy Kerin established her Healing Ministry. 2008 will see its Diamond Jubilee and there will be a commemorative service in Rochester Cathedral later in the year.

Burrswood is located in the village of Groombridge, adjacent to the historic spa town of Royal Tunbridge Wells, 35 miles southeast of London and less than an hour by train.

Railway

Groombridge stood on the Three Bridges to Tunbridge Wells Central Line. 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 one side of the station, using the former canopy supports from Gravesend West station. Plans include the construction of a brand new signal box on the site and installation of signalling for the proposed extension to Eridge.

Trivia

In the PC & 3DO space adventure game Star Control 2, Groombridge [http://uqm.stack.nl/wiki/Groombridge] is a star where there was supposed to be an Easter egg encounter with the game's creators, Paul Reiche III and Fred Ford. The feature got scrapped due to Accolade's wish that the game was finished earlier.However, the art still remained. See [http://web.archive.org/web/20031021045732/home.att.ne.jp/wave/rainbow/Toys_for_Bob/test_groom.htm]

External links

*
* [http://www.groombridge.com/ Village website]
* [http://www.burrswood.org.uk/ Burrswood Christian Hospital website]
* [http://www.groombridge.co.uk/ Groombridge Place website]
* [http://www.groombridgest-thomas.e-sussex.sch.uk/ Primary school website]
* [http://www.raptorcentre.co.uk/ The Raptor Centre, a sanctuary for birds of prey based within the grounds of Groombridge Place]