Welcome to the Heritage pages for Trinity Theatre and Arts Centre in Tunbridge Wells. Please read on to explore the past of our beautiful building – and the people who have made it the special place that it is – over the past two centuries.

This section is all about our distant (and not-so-distant) past, so shall we start with a historical quote? Here’s one that now has a delicious irony, from 1896’s hot title Reminiscences, Edward Hoare M.A, by R. T. Townsend (Hodder & Stoughton):

‘Two gentlemen were conversing at Sevenoaks Station, just before the train left the platform. One was heard to say to the other, ‘How is it that you have no theatre at Tunbridge Wells? A large town like that should have a theatre.’ ‘Oh,’ responded his companion, ‘it would never pay. Tunbridge Wells is too religious a place for a theatre’.

We can only wonder what the author of this anecdote – by a Reverend of Trinity about the legacy of his legendary predecessor, Canon Hoare – would think if he could see Trinity today.

Because, as anyone who has seen the building can’t help but note, Trinity was originally built as a church – and a much needed one at that. To find out more, to discover when and why Trinity became the Theatre and Arts Centre that it is today, and to find out about our brand-new, National Lottery Heritage Funded clocktower project, please select one of the tabs to the left.