ARE YOU A PEMBURY RESIDENT WHO CARES FOR YOUR VILLAGE?
We have a steady membership and are always looking for new members. We also need more committee members to help us to achieve more for the village.
Come and join us and keep Pembury buzzing!
We have a steady membership and are always looking for new members. We also need more committee members to help us to achieve more for the village.
Come and join us and keep Pembury buzzing!
Click the 'Save Pembury' menu item above or the campaign image right to go direct to the campaign page.
LARGE DEVELOPMENTS IN THE VILLAGE
- The Tunbridge Wells Development plan outlined areas of Pembury where estate-style development was considered appropriate.
- The Pembury NDP cannot over-ride this - it gives us 'the right to be consulted' only.
- Without your views being known assumptions you may not like could be made.
- Our autumn 2024 public meeting showed that the village needs to be alert to what is proposed and has the chance to publicly express it's wishes.
- There are two current proposals - Hubbles Farm - 90+ houses with one entrance opposite Bellfield Road on the already congested Hastings Road - see the developer's website - https://hubblesfarmpembury.co.uk and the land between the village and the A21 from Bo-Peep to Canterbury Road.
- We have raised fundamental objections to both current applications and will continue to do so until they benefit the village and include the necessary infrastructure improvements.
Developers current proposal for Hubble's Farm
THE AIMS OF THE SOCIETY ARE:
- The preservation and protection of the beauty and character of Pembury.
- To promote and protect features of architectural and historic interest within the Pembury conservation area and throughout the village.
- Through developing a community spirit, to encourage residents to take pride in Pembury as a safe and attractive place to live in.
- Through the members of the Pembury Society, to ensure that an independent voice is heard in the right Quarters on those issues that are close to the Pembury Society aims.
CLICK THE SECTIONS FOR MORE INFORMATION
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THE ORIGINS OF THE PEMBURY SOCIETY
In the late 1960s Cyril Masterman, a retired gas engineer who is reputed to have invented the humble, but most useful, gas poker, came to live in Pembury and built for himself a wood-tiled bungalow near the Priory at Longhill in Romford Road.
The site had attractive views. He soon found, however, that Pembury was being invaded by developers with grandiose schemes for large scale housing estates.
He wrote a Plan for Pembury which was submitted to the Tonbridge Rural District Council which was at that time our Local Authority. This included a by-pass for the Maidstone Road with a fly-over at its crossing with Church Road. He appears to have had little support from the local authority and decided to try to form a Residents' Association as a pressure group.
In 1973, partly because of the risk of confusion with the name of another village organisation, it was decided to change the name to the Pembury Society and recognition was sought from the Civic Trust. The Trust agreed to register the Society provided it was set up with a written Constitution approved by the Trust. This was done and the first formal meeting of the society took place in 1974.
There is an old adage about anybody, everybody, nobody and somebody - Everyone said something should be done about "it", everybody said somebody would do it, but although anybody could have done it, in the end nobody did it.
But Cyril Masterman appreciated the threat to Pembury and did something about it. There were planning applications for large developments along the Maidstone Road and elsewhere and he advocated a tight boundary around the built-up area, the northern relief road and the protection of trees. At the Appeal hearing on the Woodside Road development proposal, one of the developer's advocates complained, quoting The Merchant of Venice, "the lady doth complain too much"
The lady in the case was our then chairman, Mrs. Holland, but she was quick to retort "but she won her case". This seemed to have some impact on the Inspector; the appeal was dismissed and Pembury was assured of some relief from the prospect of more estates of housing being developed. The Inspector was heard to remark that, for Pembury "ENOUGH IS ENOUGH", -
MEETINGS
Next meeting - Spring Member's Meeting , 15th April 2026 7:45pm, St Peter's Upper Church.
Speaker: Miles Scott - CEO at Pembury Hospital.We hold two general members meetings including an AGM each year
They are free for members and just £3 for visitors.
Annual membership is just £5 per household -
PEMBURY SOCIETY PROJECTS
Here are some of the projects that The Pembury Society has carried out or made contributions to over the years.
- Bygone Pembury book. Funding and publishing
- Partner in Neighbourhood Development Plan
- Campaign to prevent Hendy development
- Refurbishment of War Memorial
- Archaeology on the village green
- Historic Map on the village green. Research & funding
- Various memorial benches around the village
Archaeology on the Green - An ancient site of commerce in the Weald and the village and the site of a Blacksmiths forge.-
Any old iron?
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The Black Horse
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The Camden Arms Hotel
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The Camden Arms Hotel
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Chrurch Porch at St Peter's Old Church
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Oasts of Downingbury Farm
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Downingbury Farm
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Margery Polley Memorial
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Historic Map
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Historic Map
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View across the green
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THE COMMITTEE
The current committee members are;
- Peter Bruce - Chairman
- David Hanes - Treasurer
- Helen Castle - Secretary
- Richard Snow - Publicity Officer
- Kathryn Franklin - Planning Officer
- Tony Nicholls - History Archivist
- Brian Lawrence - Committee Member
- Neil Osmond - Committee Member
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NEWSLETTER & ARCHIVE
Click the image to see and download a PDF version of the multi-page newsletter.
ARCHIVED NEWSLETTER LINKS Spring 2025 Autumn 2024 Spring 2024 Autumn 2023 Spring 2022 Autumn 2019 Spring 2019 Autumn 2018 Spring 2018 Autumn 2017 Spring 2017 Autumn 2016 -
BYGONE PEMBURY BOOKS 1 & 2
BYGONE PEMBURY BOOKS 1 & 2
Bygone Pembury Book 2 has now been published and is priced at £20.
272 pages of articles, postcards, photographs, maps, cuttings, advertisements and ephemera. Written, compiled and edited by members of The Pembury Society and friends - Published and Distributed by The Pembury Society
Bygone Pembury Book 1 is still available while stocks last and is priced at £20 - 300+ pages - Buy both for just £30!
WE OFFER FREE DELIVERY ONLY WITHIN PEMBURY (PLEASE ALLOW UP TO 5 DAYS) AND FROM ONLY £5.50 THROUGHOUT THE UK OR £16 WORLDWIDE - PLEASE CHOOSE THE APPROPRIATE POSTAGE AT CHECKOUT
Available for purchase below and also at Barnes-Kingsnorth Estate Agents or the Black Horse, who both carry stock, with our grateful thanks for their support.
Please note that Barnes-Kingsnorth can only take payment by cheque or cash & The Black Horse cash only. Contact us at book@pemburysociety.org -
PEMBURY PAST & PRESENT - THE VILLAGE IN PICTURES
The Village Today
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Pembury St Peter's Old Church
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The Black Horse
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The Camden Arms Hotel
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The Camden Arms Hotel
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Chrurch Porch at St Peter's Old Church
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Oasts of Downingbury Farm
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Downingbury Farm
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Dundale Farm
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Bentincks Farm
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High Weald Farmland
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Fletchers Farm Oast
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Marlborough Wood
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Footpath to Dundale Road
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Footpath to Pembury
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Footbridge
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The Bygone Village
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The Green
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The Green
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The Green
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The Green
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The Green
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The Green
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Hastings Road
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Hastings Road
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Hastings Road
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Hastings Road Garage
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Hastings Road
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Henwood Green
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High Street
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High Street
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High Street
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High Street
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High Street
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High Street
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High Street
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High Street
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High Street
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High Street
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High Street
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High Street
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High Street
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High Street
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High Street
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High Street
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High Street
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High Street
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Hospital
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High Street
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High Street
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Hospital
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Hospital
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Hospital
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Hospital
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Hospital
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Hospital
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Hospital
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Hospital
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Hospital
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Hospital
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Hospital
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Hospital
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Hospital
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Hospital
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Hospital
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Hospital
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Hospital
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Hospital
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Hospital
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Kent College
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Lower Green Road
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Lower Green Road
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Lower Green Road
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Pembury Hall
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Pembury Hall
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Pembury Ware
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Petrol Station
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Post Office
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Pembury Postcard
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Pembury Postcard
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Pembury School
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Pembury School
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Margery Polley Memorial
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Margery Polley Memorial
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War Memorial
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Woodsgate
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Woodsgate
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Woodsgate Colour
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Woodsgate Cafe
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Woodsgate Swimming Pool
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Woodsgate
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Workhouse
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Workhouse
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Workhouse Chapel
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Workhouse Entrance
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Workhouse Mens Exercise Yard
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Workhouse Plan
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Workhouse
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Workhouse Cells
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Workhouse Chapel
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Workhouse Chapel
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Almshouses
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Great Bayhall
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Great Bayhall
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Great Bayhall
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Black Horse
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Brickworks
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Bo Peep
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Bo Peep
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Cafe
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The Camden Arms
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The Camden Arms
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Canterbury Road
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Baptist Church
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Baptist Church
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St Peter's Old Church
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St Peter's New Church
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Coach Road View
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Dower House
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Garage
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PEMBURY NDP - NEIGHBOURHOOD DEVELOPMENT PLAN
Response from The Pembury Society
Below is a copy of the development areas in Pembury which have been proposed in the Tunbridge Wells area local plan. As you can see it largely fills in any area up to the A21 bypass. We still only have one surgery and one school.
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TUNBRIDGE WELLS AREA MATTERS
This page is for Tunbridge Wells area documents concerning the wellbeing of Pembury Village
Below is a copy of the route of the 1945 Tunbridge Wells bypass plan (solid red) which would have eliminated much of the torturous traffic problems we have had ever since. We have added a variation of the route to utilise existing roads for minimised impact.
It links the A21 to the A26 around the western and southern sides of the town effectively creating a ring road and avoiding the heavy through traffic that blights the character of an otherwise elegant Spa town.
Much of the land required is still undeveloped.
Below is a traffic impact study based on the Tunbridge Wells area local plan.
Below is the Pembury Society's ideas to alleviate these traffic increases, at minimum impact and cost. Click on the image to download a PDF version.
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MEMBERSHIP - HOW TO JOIN
Why not become a member of the Pembury Society? For just £5 per annum you get all the benefits of the society looking after your interests as a resident of the Village.
You can pay by Standing Order by following the links below, or via post;
THE PEMBURY SOCIETY
C/o Pembury Parish Council Office
Lower Green Road
Pembury
TN2 4DZ
BYGONE PEMBURY BOOKS 1 & 2
272 pages of articles, postcards, photographs, maps, cuttings, advertisements and ephemera. Written, compiled and edited by members of The Pembury Society and friends - Published and Distributed by The Pembury Society
Bygone Pembury Book 1 is still available while stocks last and is priced at £20 - 300+ pages - Buy both for just £30!
WE OFFER FREE DELIVERY ONLY WITHIN PEMBURY (PLEASE ALLOW UP TO 5 DAYS) AND FROM ONLY £5.50 THROUGHOUT THE UK OR £16 WORLDWIDE - PLEASE CHOOSE THE APPROPRIATE POSTAGE AT CHECKOUT
Available for purchase below and also at Barnes-Kingsnorth Estate Agents or the Black Horse, who both carry stock, with our grateful thanks for their support.
Please note that Barnes-Kingsnorth can only take payment by cheque or cash & The Black Horse cash only. Contact us at book@pemburysociety.org
© Copyright - The Pembury Society 2025 - Contact us direct - chairman@pemburysociety.org or via the contact page