Est. 1895
131 years on the same street, serving the same town
When Alfred Hobbs first unlocked the door on Mount Pleasant Road, Queen Victoria was on the throne. Four generations later, we’re still Tunbridge Wells’ independent pharmacy — and still doing it the personal way.
1895
Where it began
Independent since day one
A family chemist, not a chain
We’ve never been part of a big group. Every decision — from the brands we stock to the time we spend with you — is made by the people who actually stand behind our counter.
That independence is why we can still do the small things: remember your name, spot when a new prescription doesn’t sit right with an old one, and pick up the phone ourselves when you call.
The world around us has changed enormously since 1895. Our belief hasn’t: that good healthcare is personal, local, and built on trust earned over years — not clicks.
Our story
A century and a third of caring for Tunbridge Wells
Before us
J. Williams, Chemist
The shop carries the lineage of J. Bell & Co of London — the house Jacob Bell, founder of the Pharmaceutical Society, built.
1889
Alfred Ernest Hobbs qualifies
Born in Tunbridge Wells and apprenticed in the town, A. E. Hobbs qualifies as a pharmaceutical chemist after five years in Bournemouth.
1895
The doors open
Alfred Hobbs opens his chemist shop on Mount Pleasant Road, Tunbridge Wells.
Early 1900s
Hobbs & Windemer
For years the shop at 33 Mount Pleasant traded as Hobbs & Windemer, Pharmaceutical & Analytical Chemists — telephone number 111 — before the name became A. E. Hobbs alone.
1916
A pharmacist of the town
A. E. Hobbs is made a Justice of the Peace, having founded the local Pharmacy Association and served on the Council of the Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain.
1914–18
Through the Great War
The dispensary keeps the town supplied while so much else is rationed.
1948
A new National Health Service
Among the first pharmacies in Kent to dispense on the newly-founded NHS.
1980s
A modern refit
The shop is rebuilt around a full retail pharmacy while keeping its independent soul.
Today
Care, evolved
Clinics, vaccinations, Pharmacy First and home delivery — the same counter, far more care.
From the archive
Once upon a time, we were Hobbs & Windemer
Long before the fascia read A E Hobbs, the shop at 33 Mount Pleasant traded as Hobbs & Windemer, Pharmaceutical & Analytical Chemists — and before that as J. Williams, carrying the lineage of J. Bell & Co of London above the window.
These are photographs and printed bills from our own archive: dressed windows, hand-labelled dispensary bottles, and an advertisement offering oxygen for inhalation delivered at any hour of the day or night. Click any of them to look closer.
What we stand for
The things four generations never compromised on
Independent, and proud of it
No shareholders, no call-centre. Decisions are made by the people who serve you, over the counter.
Clinical care you can trust
GPhC-registered pharmacists who know your name and your medicines — and check both, every time.
Here for the long run
We’ve served four generations of Tunbridge Wells families. We plan to serve four more.
Become part of the story.Make us your pharmacy.
Join the generations of Tunbridge Wells families who trust A E Hobbs with their health.