Cavalier Wargames Show, Tonbridge

Cavalier is Tunbridge Wells Wargames Society's annual show, which the club also calls its open day. It brings together traders, visiting clubs putting on games, and visitors who want to shop, play and talk about the hobby. It's a mixed show, so you'll find something whether your shelf holds historical regiments, fantasy warbands or sci-fi squadrons.

It's a modest, community-sized event rather than a huge exhibition hall. The society says recent shows have drawn about 350 paying visitors and around 70 players from visiting clubs. That size is part of the appeal: you can see everything in a few hours, chat to the people running the games and still have time for a second lap of the traders.

Who runs it

Tunbridge Wells Wargames Society was formed at the end of the 1960s by its founder and Life President, George Gush. Early games used 20mm soldiers, many of them converted plastic figures, played in his home wargaming room in Tunbridge Wells. The club marked 50 years in 2018 and describes itself as one of the oldest wargames societies in the UK. Its regular meetings are at Speldhurst Village Hall.

The show also has a charitable side. Since 2009 the society has made a donation to Combat Stress, the charity for veterans and ex-service personnel, after each Cavalier, and the charity has its own stand at the show where you can drop off unwanted hobby items.

Cavalier 2027: Usually February. The status reads Usually held in February. The organiser hasn't published the 2027 date yet, and we'll add it here when they confirm.

The 2026 show was on Sunday 22 February, 10am to 4pm. The show runs for a single day, and the opening hours to plan around are 10am to 4pm (the 2026 hours). One small thing to know: the organiser's page gave both 10am in the main text and 9am in a page summary for 2026, so if you want to be first through the door, check the time on the day's listing before you set off.

The organiser's site has a "Register my interest" page for email reminders about the next show. It's the easiest way to hear about the new date as soon as it's announced.

There are no advance tickets to buy for Cavalier. You pay as you arrive: £7 on the door, cash or card. Under-16s and non-wargaming partners go free, which makes it an easy show to bring a family to, or a partner who'd rather browse than roll dice.

Card is accepted for entry, but keep some cash in your pocket anyway. The bring and buy only takes cash, and that's where many of the best finds of the day turn up.

Facilities on the day

The organiser lists a few useful details for visitors. The venue has step-free access and toilets. Hot and cold snacks are served upstairs by a local caterer, so you don't need to pack lunch unless you want to. Photography is permitted in the show area, which is good news if a demonstration game catches your eye, though it's always polite to ask the players first.

The show is at the Angel Centre, Angel Lane, Tonbridge TN9 1SF, in the centre of Tonbridge next to one arm of the River Medway and close to the Sainsbury's complex.

By train

About 5 minutes on foot from Tonbridge station. The organiser's directions mention services from London Charing Cross on the Ashford and Hastings lines, and trains from Redhill. From the station, leave by the main exit, turn left towards the High Street, cross at the first crossing and go through either Angel Walk or The Pavilion arcade. You'll come out by a car park; cross it or follow the footpaths towards Sainsbury's, and the Angel Centre entrance is off the footpath beside the river. Shows usually fall on a Sunday, so check for engineering works before you travel, as the organiser suggests.

By car and parking

No free parking near the centre. Car parks take the Ringo app or coins. The station car park uses a different parking app, and the organiser links to Tonbridge and Malling Borough Council's car park list for other options. The society's directions sheet covers routes in from the A21 and M25, the A26 from Tunbridge Wells and Southborough, and the B245, A227 and A26 from Hildenborough, Borough Green and Maidstone.

By bus

The organiser notes that Sunday buses are limited to local services that don't go very far afield, so for longer journeys the train or the car is the better bet.

In 2026 the show filled two halls at the Angel Centre, with most of the traders in one and games spread across both. Here's what to expect from each part of the day.

Trade stands

The organiser's 2026 list named 28 traders. Going by that list, the biggest group sells miniatures, with the rest covering books, rules and games, terrain and scenery, paints and brushes, figure cases and general wargaming supplies. It's a good size for a careful browse: walk the whole room before you spend, then go back for the things you can't stop thinking about.

Demonstration and participation games

The 2026 games list had 18 games, 10 demonstration and 8 participation. Demonstration games are there to watch and ask questions about. Participation games are the ones where you're invited to pull up a chair and play a turn or two.

The list leaned historical, with plenty of variety. Demonstration games ranged from the War of the Spanish Succession, the 1745 Jacobite Rising and the Wars of the Roses to the Napoleonic Peninsular War (played with Blücher), Russo-Japanese naval action from 1904, the 1939 invasion of Poland and 1980s Cold War tanks with Team Yankee. Fantasy and sci-fi fans had A Song of Ice and Fire and a Star Wars spaceship battle. Participation games included Impetus, an American Civil War ironclad game, a Dungeons & Dragons 5th edition adventure, a fantasy game set on Mars, and modern and 20th-century games covering Normandy, Vietnam and Mogadishu in 1993. Next year's list will differ, so check the organiser's games page nearer the time.

The bring and buy

The bring and buy is where visitors sell second-hand models, rules, books and kit, and the club's crew handles the selling for you. It's strictly cash for buyers. If you're selling, these are the main rules from the organiser's 2026 conditions:

The painting competition

Tunbridge Wells Wargames Society runs its own painting competition, and Cavalier plays a part in it. On the organiser's site it's a monthly contest for club members, judged by members' votes and scored across a year-long league. There are six classes: multi-base units and single bases, each split into colourful (before the First World War), drab (First World War onwards) and alternative history, fantasy and sci-fi. Prizes normally come as vouchers to spend at Cavalier, which is a lovely excuse to visit the trade stands.

The 2026 show pages we checked didn't describe a separate competition for visitors on the day. If you'd like to bring a model to enter, ask the organiser first, and read our guides to entering a painting competition and what judges look for.

The charity stand

Combat Stress has a stand at the show, just left of the main hall entrance in 2026. The bring and buy turns away single magazines and old or obscure rule sets, but the organiser suggests offering them to the charity stand instead.

Cavalier is a mixed show rather than one built around a single game. The games list leans historical, from horse and musket to the Cold War, but fantasy, sci-fi and roleplaying games turn up too, so most hobbyists will find a table worth stopping at.

Is it good for beginners?

Yes. A smaller show is a gentle first step, and the participation games are made for newcomers: the people running them will explain the rules as you go. If the day gets you thinking about playing regularly, our guide to finding or starting a local club is a good next read.

Can children go?

Yes, and under-16s get in free. A join-in game is usually the highlight for younger visitors. Keep an eye on small hands near the demonstration tables, which are often someone's pride and joy.

Painters and collectors

Painters get trade stands for paints, brushes and new models, and plenty of finished armies on the games tables to study up close. Collectors should head for the bring and buy early.

Details checked against the organiser's website in October 2026. Always check the official site before you travel.

Planning more of your hobby year? Our miniature events around the world page lists shows by region and month, and the UK hobby calendar covers shows and deadlines closer to home.