Tonbridge Castle

Also known as, or recorded in historical documents as; Tunbridge

In the civil parish of Tonbridge.
In the historic county of Kent (Modern Authority of Kent, 1974 county of Kent).

Motte and Bailey Castle, first mentioned in 1080. Of the Norman Motte and Bailey the mound, surmounted by a few stones and containing the well, now mostly filled up. This is surrounded by the moat on the north and west sides which connects with the river Medway on the south. Of the C13 curtain wall surrounding the Keep, there survive a portion immediately to the east connecting the mound of the Keep with the Gateway, a small section to the south east of the Council Offices and a long portion on the south fronting the Medway of which the top has been made into a walk in the grounds of the Castle on account of the difference in levels to the north and south of this. Between the first section of the curtain wall mentioned above and the Council Offices is the Gate-house, built in 1230-1260. This is of sandstone ashlar and consists of a large square building with a wide carriage arch through it with 4 circular towers at its angles. High pointed arch with its head recessed in 6 grooves. Within this a lower and less pointed arch with similar head but above the latter a wall almost blocking the space between the heads of the inner and outer arches but leaving a small gap for the lowering of the portcullis with groove below. 3 square holes in the soffit of the inner arch for dropping hot liquid. Embattled parapet above building. Loop lights in flanking towers, and on ground floor of west outer tower an oblique shoot to the dungeons. Within the archway pointed doorways lead to the staircases. The rooms on first floor and hall above this occupy the whole area of the building. The floors have disappeared but the fireplaces remain. On the inner side the gateway is similar but the 2 arches are smaller with another portcullis groove between them and 3 square holes in the soffit of the outer arch. On the first floor above the arch are 3 trefoil-headed lights and on the second floor 2 larger larger pointed windows with the remains of cusping of the tracery. Loop lights in the towers, as on the outer side.

This site has been described as a;
Masonry Castle
Timber Castle.
The confidence that this site is a medieval fortification or palace is Certain.
Major remains.

This site is a scheduled monument protected by law.
This site is a Grade 1 listed building protected by law*. (Images of England number 178646)

The Ordnance Survey Map Grid Reference is TQ58954655

Modern Map from Good for landscape form and features	Modern Map from Good for general location
Air Photo from	1st edition OS Map from

Sources of information, references and further reading

PastScape number; 409297

• Web site links
  • http://www.tonbridge.org.uk/toncastl.html
    http://www.theheritagetrail.co.uk/castles/tonbridge_castle.htm
    http://www.castleuk.net/castle_lists_south/188/tonbridgecastle.htm
• Books
  • Salter, Mike, 2000, The Castles of Kent (Malvern) p76-8
    Thompson, M.W., 1998, Medieval bishops' houses in England and Wales (Aldershot: Ashgate Publishing) p170
    Pettifer, A., 1995, English Castles, A guide by counties (Woodbridge) p130-1
    King, D.J.C., 1983, Castellarium Anglicanum (London: Kraus) Vol1 p235
    Renn, D.F., 1981, ‘Tonbridge and some other gatehouses' in Detsicas, A. (ed), Collectanea Historica: Essays in Memory of Stuart Rigold, (Kent Archaeological Society) p93-103
    Guy, John, 1980, Kent Castles (Meresborough Books)
    Smithers, David Waldron, 1980, Castles in Kent (Chatham)
    Fry, P.S., 1980, Castles of the British Isles (David and Charles) p307-8
    Newman, John, 1976, The buildings of England: West Kent and the Weald (Harmondsworth) p570-1
    Renn, D.F., 1973 (2edn), Norman Castles of Britain (John Baker)
    Toy, Sidney, 1953, The Castles of Great Britain (Heinemann) p58-9, 243-4
    Armitage, Ella, 1912, The Early Norman Castles of the British Isles (London: John Murray) p220-1
    Harvey, Alfred, 1911, Castles and Walled Towns of England (Methuen and Co)
    Chalkley Gould and Downham, 1908, in Page, Wm (ed), VCH Kent Vol1 p424-5
    Mackenzie, J.D., 1897, Castles of England (Heinemann) Vol1 p47-52
    Timbs, J. and Gunn, A., 1872, Abbeys, Castles and Ancient Halls of England and Wales Vol1 (London) p301-3
    King, Edward, 1782, Observations on Antient Castles (London) p93-114
    Hasted, Edward, 1778-99, A History and Topographical Survey of the County of Kent Vol2 p322-32 and plate
    Buck, Samuel and Nathenial, 1774, Buck’s Antiquities (London) Vol1 p143
• Journal Articles
  • Simmons, Sydney, 1998, ‘The Lords and Ladies of Tonbridge Castle' Archaeologia Cantiana Vol118 p45-62
    Simmons, Sydney, 1996, ‘Tonbridge Castle: Further Observations on an ancient Castle' Archaeologia Cantiana Vol116 p101-147
    Thompson, M.W., 1986, 'Associated monasteries and castles in the Middle Ages: a tentative list' Archaeological Journal Vol143 p316
    Streeten, A.D.F., 1976, ‘Excavations at Lansdowne Road, Tonbridge, 1972 and 1976' Archaeologia Cantiana Vol92 p105-l8
    Brown, R, Allen, 1959, 'A List of Castles, 1154–1216' English Historical Review Vol74 [Reprinted in Brown, R. Allen, 1989, Castles, conquest and charters: collected papers (Woodbridge: Boydell Press) p249-280]
    Simpson, W.D., 1940, Journal of the British Archaeological Association Vol5 p63-72
    1905, Archaeological Journal Vol62 p188
    Wadmore, J.F., 1886, ‘Tonbridge Castle and its Lords' Archaeologia Cantiana Vol16 p12-57
    1879, 'The fate of Tonbridge Castle' Archaeological Journal Vol36 p378-9
    (Suckling), 1873, The Antiquary Vol3 p40-1
    King, E., 1782, Archaeology Vol6 p269-290 [reprinted in Antient Castles]
• Guidebooks
  • Hilton, J., 1976, Tonbridge Castle: a Short History, (Tonbridge Design & Print Service)
• Primary (Medieval documents or transcriptions of such documents - This section is far from complete and the secondary sources should be consulted for full references.)
  • The Anglo-saxon Chronicle; Laud Chronicle AD1088
• Antiquarian (Histories and accounts from late medieval and early modern writers)
  • William Camden, 1607, Britannia [http://www.philological.bham.ac.uk/cambrit/kenteng.html#kent11]