Hook Green is shut for up to 177 days, to 10 March 2027. Ten roads close for Sunday's hospice run, and the A21 shuts at Lamberhurst on three nights next week.
Updated Friday 18 September 2026. The biggest item on the Tunbridge Wells roadworks list is now live, and it is the longest closure the borough has had in years. Kent County Council has made the order shutting Mount Pleasant, Clayhill Road and Free Heath Road at Hook Green, near Lamberhurst, from 14 September for up to 177 days. At its maximum that runs to 10 March 2027. The reason given is new water mains. (Kent County Council notice dated 11 September 2026)
When the order was first advertised on 3 September the council only intended to make it. It has now been made, so the 177 days are a decision rather than a proposal.
Two more things this week. Ten roads on the west side of town close on Sunday morning for the Hospice in the Weald Run, 09:00 to 12:30. And the A21 shuts both ways between Scotney Castle and Flimwell on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday nights.
This page is built to be checked rather than read once. Below: what is closed and when, what is coming, the two orders you can still object to, the bus gates that catch drivers every day, who runs which road, and the trains.
The three long closures, on one timeline
Sunday morning: ten roads closed for the hospice run
The order for the Hospice in the Weald Run has been made. Through traffic is prohibited on ten roads on the west side of Royal Tunbridge Wells between 09:00 and 12:30 on Sunday 20 September:
- Church Road, between Mount Ephraim and the A26 London Road
- Mount Ephraim, between Church Road and Bishops Down
- Bishops Down, between Mount Ephraim and Langton Road
- Langton Road, between Bishops Down and Holmewood Ridge
- Holmewood Ridge, in its entirety
- Broom Lane, between Holmewood Ridge and Hillswood Road
- High Rocks Lane, between Tea Garden Lane and Hungershall Park
- Hungershall Park, in its entirety
- Major Yorks Road, between Nevill Park and the A26 London Road
- Castle Road, in its entirety
Through traffic is signed the long way round, via the A26 London Road and Eridge Road, London Road, Summersales Hill, Lye Green, the B2188 through Plumyfeather Lane, Cherry Gardens Hill and Hendal Hill, then the B2110 Withyham Road and Groombridge Hill to the A264 Langton Road. (Kent County Council notice dated 11 September 2026)
We have the start times and the route in our report on the hospice run.
The A21, night by night
National Highways publishes a rolling seven day list. This is the week it covers, Friday 18 to Thursday 24 September, as last updated at 15:30 on 18 September.
| Nights | Closure | Times | Reason given |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mon 21, Tue 22 and Wed 23 September | A21 both directions, Scotney Castle to Flimwell lights | 20:00 to 06:00 | Maintenance |
| Mon 21 and Tue 22 September | A21 southbound, Morleys to Vauxhall interchange | 20:00 to 06:00 | Bridge joint inspections, Chipstead interchange to Pembury junction |
| Wed 23 and Thu 24 September | A21 southbound, Morleys Road roundabout to Vauxhall Lane | 20:00 to 06:00 | Barrier repairs |
| Fri 18 and Thu 24 September | A21 both directions, Johns Cross to Northbridge Street roundabout | 20:00 to 06:00 | Surface works |
| Sat 19 and Sun 20 September | A21 both directions, Flimwell to Northbridge roundabout | 20:00 to 06:00 | Surface works |
The one that bites here is Scotney Castle to Flimwell, because that is the Lamberhurst stretch inside this borough. The Johns Cross and Northbridge Street closures are the run down towards Robertsbridge, well south of the county boundary. The Morleys closures are southbound only, on the Tonbridge approach. (National Highways road closure report)
Closures running now on the local roads
These are orders Kent County Council has made. Each runs “on or after” the date given and lasts up to the stated maximum, or until the work is finished.
| Road | From | Up to | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mount Pleasant, Clayhill Road and Free Heath Road, Hook Green | 14 September | 177 days, so to 10 March 2027 | New water mains |
| Sandhurst Road, Clifton Road and Oak Road, Royal Tunbridge Wells | 7 September | 92 days, so to 8 December | Gas main replacement, parking banned |
| Grange Road, Harmony Street, Rusthall Road and Bretland Road, Rusthall, plus Boyne Park, Royal Tunbridge Wells | 24 August | 106 days, so to 8 December | Gas mains replacement, in phases |
| Frog Lane and Little Mount Sion, Royal Tunbridge Wells | 14 September | 5 days, so to about 19 September | Chamber and ducting work; Little Mount Sion is shut to pedestrians too |
| Water Lane, Hawkhurst, near The Old Cold Store at Baretilt Farm | 16 September | 3 days, so to about 19 September | New water connection |
Everything else in the 3 September batch has now run its course: Chilston Road, Camden Road, Romford Road at Pembury, Furnace Lane and Marle Place Road at Horsmonden, the B2079 at Goudhurst, Grandshore Lane at Frittenden, Jarvis Lane at Goudhurst, the Stockland Green Road water job at Speldhurst and the temporary 30mph on the B2188 at Fordcombe.
The three long jobs, in detail
Hook Green (from 14 September, up to 177 days). Mount Pleasant closes from the Clay Hill Road junction for about 170 metres. Clayhill Road closes from the Mount Pleasant junction to the Furnace Lane junction. Free Heath Road closes from the Furnace Road junction to near the Old School House. The signed alternatives run the long way round through Furnace Lane and the B2100 through Lamberhurst, or for Free Heath Road through Neills Road, Buckland Hill Lane, Sleepers Stile Road and Bartley Mill Road.
Sandhurst Road, Clifton Road and Oak Road (from 7 September, up to 92 days). Sandhurst Road closes from the North Farm Road junction to the Oak Road junction. Clifton Road and Oak Road each close at their junction with Sandhurst Road. Parking is prohibited on all three.
- Northbound diversion: Upper Grosvenor Road, Meadow Road, Goods Station Road, Victoria Road, Garden Road, Lansdowne Road, Sandrock Road, A264 Pembury Road.
- Southbound diversion: A264 Pembury Road, Sandrock Road, Lansdowne Road, Gardens Road, Victoria Road, Goods Station Road, Grosvenor Road, Upper Grosvenor Road.
- Clifton Road traffic is signed via Brook Road and Oak Road; Oak Road traffic via Sandhurst Road, Clifton Road and Brook Road.
Rusthall and Boyne Park (from 24 August, up to 106 days). Still running, in phases. Grange Road from near number 58 to the Woodside Road junction, in three phases. Harmony Street from Upper Street to Rusthall Road, in two phases, with the one way order suspended. Rusthall Road from the A264 Langton Road junction to near number 7a. Bretland Road from the Rusthall Road junction to near number 6. Boyne Park from the Mount Ephraim junction to the Oakdale Road junction, in three phases. Parking is banned both sides for the full length of the works on Grange Road, Harmony Street and Boyne Park.
The 18 month surface programme is still in force
The county’s surface preservation programme took effect on or after 7 September and runs for up to 18 months. Where the work is happening the road closes, waiting is banned and a temporary 20mph limit replaces the existing one. Dates for each road are published in advance and signed on site 14 days before the work starts, so the sign is your warning.
The Tunbridge Wells roads in the schedule are B2169 Bayham Road (Forest Road to the county boundary), Bidborough Ridge (A26 London Road to Gate Farm Road), Cranbrook Road in Cranbrook (Babbs Lane to New Pond Road), Iden Green Road (Standen Street to B2086 Swattenden Lane), Rye Road (Conghurst Lane to Silverden Lane), Waterloo Road (A229 Angley Road to the 20mph gateway), Winchet Hill (Lower Ladysden Farm to the spa entrance), Lamberhurst Road in Horsmonden (Spelmonden Road to the property named Whitewood) and Maidstone Road in Horsmonden (Gateway to Yew Tree Green Road). (Kent County Council notice dated 4 September 2026)
Coming next
Kent County Council says it intends to make these orders. An intention is not a decision and dates can move, but this is the earliest public warning you get.
- B2162 Maidstone Road, Horsmonden, from 21 September, up to 2 days, frame and cover reinstatement near 3 Gaffords Bridge Cottages.
- Kingswood Road, Royal Tunbridge Wells, from 22 September, up to 4 days, water pipe work near the property named Rosset Holt.
- Pearsons Green Road, Brenchley, from 22 September, up to 1 day, tree cutting between Little Knowle and the Crook Road junction.
- Drone light show parking ban, from noon on Friday 25 September to 23:59 on Saturday 26 September. Waiting and parking are banned on the A264 Pembury Road (Calverley Park Gardens to Sandhurst Road), Bayhall Road (Rookley Close to the park entrance opposite Beech Manor, both sides) and Halls Hole Road (Bayhall Road to Dunorlan Farm). Our guide to the show is here.
- Carriers Road, Cranbrook, from 1 October, up to 1 day, 09:30 to 15:30 on a weekday, desilting and duct clearance from the High Street junction for about 112 metres to Jockey Lane.
- Brenchley Road, Horsmonden, from 4 October, up to 1 day, pole replacement near the property named Shirrenden.
Nothing is advertised beyond 4 October yet. The council’s Tunbridge Wells batches were published weekly on 27 August, 3 September and 10 September, and no new batch had appeared by 18 September, so the 10 September notice is still the live one. Anything starting in the second half of October has not been published at the time of writing.
Two permanent orders you can object to, and the deadline is 28 September
Separate from the closures above, the county is proposing three permanent changes in the borough. Objections close at 12 noon on Monday 28 September.
- Cornford Lane, Pembury: a 6ft 6ins width restriction, except for access, for the whole length of the lane.
- Capel: all horse drawn vehicles and accompanied horses prohibited from the A228 Maidstone Road for its entire length, and from Whetsted Road between the Maidstone Road junction and the Maidstone borough boundary.
- Old Whetsted Road, Capel: all motor vehicles prohibited except for access, from the Whetsted Road junction to the Maidstone boundary.
The plan and the council’s statement of reasons are meant to be viewable at kent.gov.uk/highwaysconsultations or by appointment at Kroner House in Ashford. We could not reach that consultation page today, so we cannot tell you why the council wants these changes, only what it is proposing. An objection has to explain the impact on traffic in the locality to count as valid. (Kent County Council notice dated 4 September 2026)
Three car club bays, and you have until 25 September to object
The county is also proposing three car club bays in the town, each a no waiting at any time restriction except for car club permit holders:
- Mount Sion, in the layby outside Lizanne Court, south west side, 30 to 35.5 metres south east of the High Street junction
- Prospect Road, east side, 22.5 to 28.5 metres south west of the Princes Street junction
- St Lukes Road, west side, 20 to 26 metres north of the Stephens Road junction
The plans can be seen at The Amelia Scott or at tunbridgewells.gov.uk/consultation. Representations go to the Parking Manager at the Town Hall or through that page, by noon on Friday 25 September. (Kent County Council notice, Amendment No.20 Order 2026)
Trains: this weekend is clear, next Sunday is not
Saturday 19 and Sunday 20 September. Southeastern lists no engineering work on the lines through Tunbridge Wells. The work that weekend is elsewhere: no trains via Swanley on either day, buses between Lewisham and Hayes, and on the Sunday no trains to or from London Cannon Street or via Greenwich.
Sunday 27 September is the one to plan around. All routes via Tonbridge close. For this line that means:
- Charing Cross to Hastings trains run only as far as Sevenoaks.
- Accessible buses run Sevenoaks to Wadhurst, calling at all stations except Frant, and Sevenoaks to Paddock Wood calling at Tonbridge only.
- A minibus runs between Tunbridge Wells and Frant.
- Extra trains run between Wadhurst and Hastings, and between Paddock Wood and Ashford International.
- Charing Cross to Ramsgate and Dover trains go hourly and are diverted via Maidstone East, calling additionally at Otford for connections to Sevenoaks.
- Southern’s Edenbridge to Tonbridge service is replaced by buses.
(Southeastern planned engineering work, 27 September 2026, checked 18 September 2026)
Then half term. No trains run between Tonbridge and Wadhurst from Saturday 24 October to Sunday 1 November, nine days, while Network Rail replaces the slab track through Grove Hill Tunnel just south of the station. (Southeastern, Tonbridge to Wadhurst line closure) We have the detail in our report on the Grove Hill Tunnel closure.
The detail of the normal service, including season ticket prices, is on our Tunbridge Wells trains to London page, and the December timetable change is here.
Check these two before you set off
- one.network is the live map of current and planned street works, including the permits water and power companies have taken out at short notice.
- National Highways’ road closure report covers the A21 only, because that is the one road here on the national strategic network. It runs seven days ahead and is republished twice daily on working days.
Statutory closure orders are published on the Public Notice Portal before the cones appear, usually a fortnight ahead. That is where everything in the tables above came from.
The two bus gates
Mount Pleasant Road (Public Realm 2). Traffic is restricted in both directions between the junction with Monson Road and the junctions with Church Road and Crescent Road, 9am to 6pm every day. Apart from public buses and hackney carriage taxis, the only exemptions are goods vehicles collecting from or delivering to premises inside the restriction, and vehicles belonging to residents inside it, along with their guests and visitors.
Grosvenor Road (Public Realm 1). Restricted in both directions between Goods Station Road and Monson Road, 9am to 6pm every day. Generally only buses are exempt.
There is no exemption for dropping off or picking up passengers, none for Blue Badge holders, and none for residents of adjacent roads including Dudley, Monson, Newton and York Roads. Vehicles leaving Dudley, Newton and York Roads have to exit via Monson Road. Any vehicle seen contravening the restriction is issued a penalty charge notice, and if you appeal you are asked to attach supporting evidence such as a delivery note for an address inside the zone. (Tunbridge Wells Borough Council, Bus Gate/Lane)
The roads that matter here, and who runs them
| Road | Where it goes | Responsible |
|---|---|---|
| A21 | M25 junction 5 and Sevenoaks, past Pembury and Kippings Cross, on through Lamberhurst and Flimwell to Hastings | National Highways |
| A26 | Tonbridge, through Southborough and the town, south to Crowborough | Kent County Council |
| A264 | Pembury and the A21 westward through the town to East Grinstead | Kent County Council |
| A267 | South from the town through Frant towards Mayfield | Kent County Council |
| A228 | Paddock Wood north towards Tonbridge and the Medway towns | Kent County Council |
| A262 | East from the A21 at Lamberhurst through Goudhurst to Cranbrook and Biddenden | Kent County Council |
| A229 | Cranbrook and Hawkhurst, north to Staplehurst and Maidstone | Kent County Council |
The split matters when you are looking for information. Anything on the A21 is National Highways, and their closure report is the definitive list. Everything else is Kent County Council as highway authority, and the permits for those works show up on one.network. Car parks, on-street bays, the bus gates and penalty charge notices are Tunbridge Wells Borough Council.
Parking in the town centre
The three multi-storey car parks nearest the middle of town are Crescent Road (TN1 2LU), Royal Victoria Place (TN1 2PW) and Meadow Road, Upper Grosvenor Road (TN1 2EN), all open 24 hours. (The Amelia Scott, visiting)
Note where they sit in relation to the bus gates. If you are coming in from the north on the A26 and heading for Crescent Road between 9am and 6pm, plan the approach: Mount Pleasant Road between Monson Road and Crescent Road is closed to you.
Station parking is a separate question with its own economics, and we have set out the season ticket and car park numbers on the trains to London page.
What it means for you
- Hook Green is the long one now. Mount Pleasant, Clayhill Road and Free Heath Road are shut for up to 177 days from 14 September, which at maximum is 10 March 2027. If you drive between Lamberhurst and Horsmonden or Bells Yew Green, the detour is now part of your routine.
- Avoid the west side of town on Sunday morning. Ten roads close from 09:00 to 12:30 for the hospice run, including Mount Ephraim, Bishops Down and Langton Road.
- Do not plan a late A21 run on Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday. Both directions shut between Scotney Castle and Flimwell from 20:00 to 06:00, and the diversion is off the trunk road.
- The town’s two gas jobs still finish on the same day. Sandhurst Road and Rusthall both run to 8 December at their maximum, with parking banned for the duration on the worst affected streets.
- This weekend the railway here is clear. Next Sunday, 27 September, it is not: the line through Tonbridge closes and Charing Cross trains stop at Sevenoaks.
- Book half term around 24 October now. Nine days with no trains between Tonbridge and Wadhurst is still the biggest single piece of disruption ahead.
- If you live on Cornford Lane, read the width restriction notice. A 6ft 6ins limit except for access changes what can use the lane permanently, and objections close at noon on 28 September.
- Give the villages extra time in bad weather. Paddock Wood, Lamberhurst, Goudhurst, Horsmonden and the Teise valley are the borough’s flood-prone places, which is why the Local Plan makes flood works part of the Paddock Wood expansion.
Related pages: Tunbridge Wells planning news, things to do in Tunbridge Wells and house prices by parish.
Sources: Kent County Council temporary traffic regulation notices published on the Public Notice Portal, the current one dated 11 September 2026 and the previous one dated 4 September 2026, with the Rusthall and Boyne Park order from the notice dated 21 August 2026 and the Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells surface preservation programme, all checked 18 September 2026; Kent County Council, county-wide traffic movement orders dated 4 September 2026 for the Cornford Lane and Capel proposals; Kent County Council, proposed car club bays, Amendment No.20 Order 2026; National Highways road closure report, for 18 to 24 September 2026, last updated by National Highways at 15:30 on 18 September and read the same day; Southeastern planned engineering work and its Tonbridge to Wadhurst line closure page, both checked 18 September 2026; Tunbridge Wells Borough Council, Bus Gate/Lane; The Amelia Scott, visiting; one.network.
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