| High Rocks | |
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  Shown within East Sussex
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| Site of Special Scientific Interest | |
| Area of Search | East Sussex |
| Grid Reference | TQ560382 |
| Interest | Geological |
| Area | 3.2 ha (7.9 acres) |
| Notification | 1953 |
| Natural England Website | |
High Rocks is a 3.2 hectare (7.9 acre) geological Site of Special Scientific Interest 3 km (2 miles) west of Tunbridge Wells in East Sussex, England. The site was notified in 1986 under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, and is an important geomorphological site for sandstone weathering features.
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Prehistory
The location was formed when the retreating ice sheet at the end of the last ice age uncovered hardened silt deposited when the area was part of the Wealden Lake. There are traces of Middle Stone Age and Iron Age residents, including a 1st-century A.D. fort guarding against the Roman invasion.
Recent history
After King James II visited Tunbridge Wells and made the woodland a resort in the 17th century, The Rocks became a tourist attraction with a maze, a bowling green, gambling rooms and cold baths. The Aerial Walk, a series of bridges linking the tops of the crags was built in the 19th century.
A railway line was established in 1907 and ran until 1952. The Spa Valley Railway, a heritage railway now connects the High Rocks pub beyond the High Rocks turnstiles to Tunbridge Wells and Groombridge.
Current use
The crags are visited by rock climbers and other members of the public. It is also frequently used for wedding receptions. Footpaths lead around the rocks, and it is possible to walk across the top of crags on footbridges. There is a small fee (£2 for adults, £1 for children and £5 for climbers in August 2009) to enter the site, payable to the High Rocks pub opposite.
 Steps leading up to the Aerial Walk. |
 The large chasm and one of the bridges. |
 A rock climber scaling a sandstone crag. |
 The Crooked Bridge of the Aerial Walk. |
References
- History of the High Rocks
- (PDF) SSSI Citation — High Rocks. Natural England. http://www.english-nature.org.uk/citation/citation_photo/1002968.pdf. Retrieved 2008-05-27.
- Old photo postcards
- Commercial establishment running the High Rocks
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