Donkey Drive

I remember seeing a wonderful picture when visiting Jordan House many months ago, a picture of the young Princess Victoria riding a steed from off the Common from a gentle morning jaunt with her servants sheltering her from the glorious sun. I was reminded of this wonderful image when reading the latest issue of SO Tunbridge Wells magazine, and a piece they had on donkeys. Princess Victoria you see, was riding a donkey off the Common.
You'd never guess that we here in Tunbridge Wells were one of the very first towns to introduce the donkey ride trade would you?
Traditionally seen as a seaside pursuit, the Victorians loved nothing more than hiring a donkey for a ride across the green Common.
After introducing them in 1801, the pastime seems to have survived around 100 years before the fashion for taking the waters moved on and leisure time shifted to the coast, taking with it the donkey rides.
Although not so named anymore, Mount Edgcumbe Road was originally called Donkey Drive and one of the smaller roads weaving across the Common was called The Donkey Stand, where the young boys used to hire out their rides to local asinurians. Another long-lost clue can be found below the beautiful Mount Helena, where you can see the remnants of the caves that stabled the donkeys until the mid-1830s.
Perhaps we should buy ourselves a couple of donkeys and start the tradition again? Would you want to ride one?