Royal Tunbridge Wells Inspector Bone mysteries by Susannah Stacey are also set in and around Tunbridge Wells. In Fanny Burney's 1796 novel "Camilla", several characters make an excursion to Tunbridge Wells, and there are many references to The Pantiles and other local sites. In Bleak House by Charles Dickens the children find a mug in the cupboard entitled "A Present From Tunbridge Wells." David Lean's epic film "Lawrence of Arabia" closes with Mr. Dryden answering King Feisal: "Me, your Highness? On the whole, I wish I'd stayed in Tunbridge Wells", and in the James Bond film "On Her Majesty's Secret Service" Tracy Di
Royal Tunbridge Wells 150 Belgian refugees. The Second World War affected Tunbridge Wells in a different way—it became so swollen with refugees from London that accommodation was severely strained. Over 3,800 buildings were damaged by bombing, but only 15 people lost their lives. Following the war, large-scale housing estates were built at Sherwood and Ramslye (Showfields) to accommodate population growth. Edward Hasted made the assertion that although the wells were originally named the "Queen's-Wells", they soon took on the name of Tunbridge Wells due to their proximity to the town of Tonbridge (then known as "Tunbridge"): In compliment to [queen Henrietta Maria's] doctor,