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www.fort i f icat ions.org
www.fortifications.org
This leaflet is available in alternative formats please telephone: 08458 247 600
Summer 2005
Tonbridge’s first motte and bailey castle was built after the Norman Conquest by Richard FitzGilbert and with the addition of the gatehouse and the curtain walls, it soon became “as strong a fortress as few be in England”. Today Tonbridge is a delightful town still dominated by the castle. A variety of buildings reflecting a whole range of periods and styles can be found dotted throughout the town, which include Tudor timber-framed buildings and fine 18th century weather-boarded and tiled houses.
Trail length: 1.26 km
Other available leafletsKent: Canterbury, Dover, Rochester, Sandwich, Tonbridge, Hythe, Battle of Britain.
Nord-Pas de Calais: Bergues, Boulogne, Calais, Cassel, Gravelines, Montreuil.
West-Vlaanderen: Leper, Lo, Menen, Nieuwpoort, Oostende, Veurne.
HOW TO GET THERECar: Tonbridge is located at the junction of the A26 and the A21.
Rail: Tonbridge has a mainline access with direct access to London and the south coast (08457 484950) Tonbridge station is south of the town about 10 minutes walk from the start of the trail
Bus: Stops outside the station and the castle
For more information regarding disabled access at Tonbridge please contact:Tonbridge Castle Tourist Information CentreTonbridge, Kent, TN9 1BG Tel: 01732 770929 Fax: 01732 770449E-Mail: tonbridge.castle@tmbc.gov.uk or check the website www.tonbridgecastle.org
Every effort has been made to ensure that all information given in this pack is correct as the time of going to press (Summer 2005). No liability can be accepted by the authors for any loss, damage or injury caused by errors or omissions in this wording.
OTHER PLACES OF INTEREST.Ightham Mote is a superb 14th century moated manor house, 6 miles north of Tonbridge and 21/2 miles south of Ightham off the A227, owned by the National Trust. Special parking arrangements can be made for disabled users. Check the website on www.nationaltrust.org.uk or call 01732 810378
Tonbridge
Access ible Heri tage Trai ls
Tonbridge
BankStreet
STA
RT
8%
17%
4%
11%
4%7%
6%
6cm
Ch
urc
h
4cm
70 cm7c
m
Castle Stre
et
HighStreet
N
No
Pat
h o
n R
oad
Church Street
East
Str
eet
Tarm
acP
avin
g
Wid
th R
estr
ictio
n
Dis
able
d T
oile
t
Dis
able
d P
arki
ng
Res
t A
rea
Ref
resh
men
ts
Cas
tleD
ownh
ill G
rad
ient
Up
hill
Gra
die
nt
Ste
p u
p
Ste
p d
own
Chu
rch
010
0m
Met
res
RO
UTE
DES
CR
IPTI
ON
Star
t at t
he C
astle
car
par
k w
here
ther
e ar
e di
sabl
ed p
arki
ng s
pace
s.
Mak
e yo
ur w
ay th
roug
h th
e ga
teho
use
and
expl
ore
the
baile
y an
d th
e ca
stle
gro
unds
. The
re is
an
info
rmat
ion
cent
re to
you
r lef
t.
R
etra
ce y
our s
teps
tow
ards
the
car p
ark
and
follo
w th
e pa
th o
n th
e le
ft ar
ound
the
moa
t out
side
the
railin
gs. T
here
is a
slo
pe d
ownh
ill.
Follo
w th
e pa
th a
long
the
river
tow
ards
the
Hig
h St
reet
whe
re y
ou
turn
left.
C
ross
the
road
at t
he tr
affic
ligh
ts a
t the
Che
quer
s In
n, a
nd
cont
inue
up
the
Hig
h St
reet
on
the
right
han
d si
de p
ast t
he R
ose
and
Cro
wn
Hot
el. T
urn
right
into
Chu
rch
Lane
. Be
care
ful,
ther
e ar
e no
pav
emen
ts in
Chu
rch
Lane
and
you
will
hav
e to
use
the
road
.
G
o pa
st th
e C
hurc
h an
d ta
ke th
e pa
th to
the
right
dow
n C
hurc
h St
reet
. Cro
ss th
e ro
ad a
nd tu
rn ri
ght a
long
Eas
t Stre
et to
war
ds th
e to
wn
cent
re. B
e ca
refu
l as
ther
e is
no
pede
stria
n cr
ossi
ng a
nd
the
kerb
s ar
e el
evat
ed. E
ast S
treet
is a
lso
quite
nar
row.
Tu
rn le
ft do
wn
the
Hig
h St
reet
to c
ross
at t
he C
hequ
ers
Inn.
Tu
rn ri
ght t
hen
left
into
Cas
tle S
treet
and
bea
r lef
t int
o th
e C
astle
G
roun
ds a
nd m
ake
your
way
bac
k to
the
car p
ark
on th
e rig
ht.
PO
INTS
OF
INTE
RES
T
O
rigin
ally
an
11th
cen
tury
Nor
man
mot
te-a
nd-b
aile
y co
nstru
ctio
n,
the
cast
le w
as e
vent
ually
rebu
ilt in
sto
ne in
the
keep
was
eve
ntua
lly
rebu
ilt in
sto
ne in
the
late
11t
h ce
ntur
y an
d th
e ga
teho
use
adde
d in
the
13th
cen
tury
. Ext
ensi
ve p
rogr
amm
es o
f res
tora
tion
hav
e en
sued
.
Th
e so
uth
curta
in w
all o
rigin
ates
from
the
12th
cen
tury
and
was
ad
apte
d th
roug
h th
e ag
es.
As T
onbr
idge
was
a s
trong
poi
nt d
urin
g th
e Se
cond
Wor
ld W
ar, p
art o
f the
def
ence
s in
clud
ed w
eapo
n pi
ts
that
wer
e du
g at
the
top
of th
e w
all a
nd p
illbox
es a
t eith
er e
nd.
Th
e C
hequ
ers
Inn
is th
e ea
rlies
t rec
orde
d in
n in
Ton
brid
ge a
nd th
e pr
esen
t bui
ldin
g da
tes
from
the
15th
cen
tury
.
Th
e R
ose
and
Cro
wn
Hot
el w
as b
uilt
in th
e 16
th c
entu
ry a
nd is
tim
ber-f
ram
ed th
roug
hout
with
a G
eorg
ian
bric
k fa
çade
. It w
as th
e m
ost i
mpo
rtant
coa
chin
g in
n in
Ton
brid
ge a
nd in
the
1820
s up
to 3
0 co
ache
s pa
ssed
thro
ugh
ever
y da
y.
N
ext t
o th
e Ke
ntis
h w
eath
er-b
oard
ed h
ouse
is T
yger
s H
ead,
a
beau
tiful
med
ieva
l jet
tied
build
ing.
The
chu
rch
is th
e pa
rish
chur
ch
of S
S Pe
ter a
nd P
aul,
once
the
larg
est p
aris
h in
Ken
t.
Th
e M
an o
f Ken
t is
a ch
arac
teris
tic 1
7th
cent
ury
timbe
r-fra
med
bu
ildin
g. T
he in
ns h
elpe
d se
rve
the
need
s of
trav
elle
rs a
nd b
y th
e 17
th c
entu
ry th
ere
wer
e at
leas
t a d
ozen
in a
nd a
roun
d th
e to
wn.
TO
NB
RI
DG
E-A
cc
ess
ible
He
rita
ge
Tra
il
Recommended