Leafy Tunbridge Wells has long been associated with spas and pampering. Centuries before the recent wave of self-care, treating ourselves and placing more emphasis on our own physical and mental well-being, the Chalybeate Springs were discovered in 1606 by a hungover and thirsty self-indulgent young nobleman. By the time Queen Henrietta Maria, wife of the ill-fated King Charles I, visited the town in 1630, it had already established itself as a spa retreat, with well-to-do visitors flocking from the capital and elsewhere in the country to ‘take the waters’. Fast forward almost 400 years, Royal Tunbridge Wells still basks in its calm, elegant and easygoing atmosphere and remains the ideal town in which to visit a spa. Although boasting centres in four other parts of the country, The Massage Company, can be conveniently found in Royal Tunbridge Wells’ Monson Street. 

Stepping inside what looked like an unassuming glass shop front, I find myself in a slick, minimally styled, large waiting room, in which I am greeted by a friendly receptionist who hands me a consultation form. As a writer that spends the majority of my time sitting slumped in the shape of a hunched prawn at my desk over my laptop, I have always suffered from deep knotted tension in my back, neck and shoulders. Although there is every type of massage and style of treatment available at The Massage Company, including sports, maternity and Swedish, I opt for a deep tissue massage to attempt to sort out my self-inflicted muscle problems. After being greeted by my masseur, a young sporty guy that is superbly professional from the moment he studies my forms, he assesses again through conversation and a series of questions exactly what my problems were and which areas to focus treatment on. 

The massage room itself is the perfect temperature, with the ideal amount of light and darkness in the room to ensure a relaxing time. Alongside this, tranquil spa music plays and the scents of gorgeous aroma-therapy oils fill the air, with eucalyptus and lavender making the experience all the more indulgent. In my opinion, two of the most irritating things I have personally experienced during a professional back massage are; the masseuse chatting to you throughout the massage, giving you no time to really relax and sink into the atmosphere, or, the masseuse applying the wrong pressure – for me this would be a light pressure that feels like more of a tickle that a muscular massage. Thankfully, neither of these scenarios happened at The Massage Company. My masseur remained silent and focused on treatment, whilst I dreamily listened to the sounds of tinkling spa music, and the pressure of treatment was perfect due to sheer professional expertise. 

My masseur knew exactly which areas seemed to be causing the most problems and worked at easing the tension, releasing the pain and working on these knotted muscles. After 45 minutes, my time was up and as always with good massages, I just wished it could have gone on longer. After drowsily getting my things together, I met my masseur outside the treatment room who was ready with a glass of water in hand to ensure hydration. After a massage, The Massage Company’s masseuse will always debrief you, explaining exactly what treatment they have provided, where tension is particularly bad and what to do to help ease this and what habits to avoid. As always, drinking more water is key to getting healthier muscles and avoiding the knotting of muscles, and trying not to sit like a prawn at your desk also helps too. After bidding farewell to my masseur and gulping down the cold water, I floated back out back out to the streets of Tunbridge Wells without the heavy tension and pressure in my shoulders and wished I could feel like that forever.

The Best Place For A Massage In Tunbridge Wells

Overall, The Massage Company is a no-nonsense massage experience which focuses on the real essentials of a good massage, prioritising the more medical approach alongside the scientific anatomy of bones and muscles, instead of a pretentious spa experience. This makes The Massage Company perfect for busy people with muscular problems or those who simply appreciate the benefits of regular massages. Customers can also find The Massage Company in Camberley, Sutton Coldfield, High Wycombe and Putney, where they can get their first massage for £49.95 and sign up to a membership which offers a massage a month for a discounted price.