Raise a glass to the water from the iron-rich Chalybeate Spring at Royal Tunbridge Wells, which since 1606 has been credited with curing ills from infertility and hangovers to obesity and ‘a moist brain’.

The original hamlet, then the elegant town, all sprang up after a thirsty young London nobleman drank from the spring when out on horseback.

Royalty, especially Queen Victoria, loved to take the water at Tunbridge Wells and the 'Royal' prefix followed.

During the summer, Wednesday to Sunday, you can still sample the cool spring water in historic colonnaded walkway The Pantiles, served by a ‘dipper’ in full costume.

A walk uphill through the town from the Georgian-built Pantiles will take you past restaurants and pubs through the chic designer shops of the Victorian High Street and right up to the Royal Victoria Place Shopping Centre, opened by Diana, Princess of Wales, in 1992. Royal Victoria Place has more than 1,750 car parking spaces and offers free parking after 6pm every Thursday.

Shops include most of the popular high street brands plus the famous Bond Street department store, Fenwick with its three floors of designer labels.

And that all makes for a thirsty walk through time.

Don’t miss: Soak up the atmosphere at Jazz on the Pantiles, every Thursday night from May to September at 7.30pm. Grab a pub table near the bandstand to get the best of al fresco performances by top musicians. And by day, catch the regular weekend markets at The Pantiles, with bakery and vegetable suppliers, candle stalls and crafts. There’s always something to draw the crowds in this town.

Take time to explore: Just behind Carluccio’s and right in the centre of town, are the sloping lawns of Calverley Grounds, a lovely place for children to run around. The park was once the gardens for a super-posh villa development and still provides a leafy cut-through from the bottom of town to the top, and vice versa. There is a welcoming cafe. Also, if staying in the area, maybe invest £30 in a Seven Wonders of the Weald discount pass, available from the tourist information centre.

Best-kept secret: Head up to the top of Mount Ephraim to try traditional cod & chips in Shepherd Neame ale batter with chips and creamed peas at the Beau Nash Tavern. Celebrated dandy Richard ‘Beau’ Nash was, generally-speaking, in charge of fun and games in this town in the 18th century. He’d have liked their hand-carved roasted ham and eggs served with tomato chutney and chips too. Go to www.beau-nash.co.uk

Getting there: Tunbridge Wells is on the mainline railway from London Charing Cross to Hastings. Direct services run at least every half hour and services take an hour from London. Motorists can use the A26 or the A21. For parking, it’s safest to bring plenty of pound coins for the multi-storey car parks.