The borough also contains the towns of Paddock Wood and Southborough, along with numerous villages and surrounding rural areas.

Large parts of the borough fall within the High Weald Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

Political control of the council since 1974 has been as follows:[17][18] The role of mayor is largely ceremonial in Tunbridge Wells.

[21] In the 2016 European Union referendum, Tunbridge Wells was the only district in Kent that voted to remain in the EU (54.89%).

The presence of sandstone outcrops and the chalybeate springs, together with old workings, point to ancient iron manufacturing in the area.

The Weald Clay plain along the northern edge of the borough forms part of the so-called Garden of England, named for its extensive orchards and former hop farms, sheep and cattle.

The BBC has its regional centre at the Great Hall on Mount Pleasant Road in Royal Tunbridge Wells.