Tonbridge Town Defences

Also known as, or recorded in historical documents as; Tonebrugg

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

Medieval town wall was built from 1259 in the reign of Henry III. None of the wall survives, but part of the ditch remain and the whole course may be traced. Excavations in 1976 confirmed these defences, when a ditch and a clay bank were found. A town wall was licensed in 1259. Murage granted 1318.

This site has been described as a;
Urban Defence.
The confidence that this site is a medieval fortification or palace is Certain.
Cropmarks/slight earthworks remains.

The Ordnance Survey Map Grid Reference is TQ58794673

PastScape number; 409300

Books

Creighton, O.H. and Higham, R.A., 2005, Medieval Town Walls (Stroud: Tempus) p24, 72, 83, 158. 261
Pettifer, A., 1995, English Castles, A guide by counties (Woodbridge) p130
Bond, C.J., 1987, 'Anglo-Saxon and Medieval Defences' in Schofield, J. and Leech, R. (eds) Urban Archaeology in Britain (CBA Research Report) p92-116
King, D.J.C., 1983, Castellarium Anglicanum (London: Kraus) Vol1 p239
Barley, M.W., 1975, 'Town Defences in England and Wales after 1066' in Barley (ed) Medieval Towns in England and Wales (CBA research reports) pp57-71 plan p67
Turner, H.L., 1971, Town Defences in England and Wales (London) p176
Chalkley Gould and Downham, 1908, in Page, Wm (ed), VCH Kent Vol1 p425

Journal Articles

Streeten, A.D.F., 1976, 'Excavations at Lansdowne Road, Tonbridge, 1972 and 1976' Archaeologia Cantiana Vol92 p105-118
Webster, A., 1976, Kent Archaeological review Vol45 p128
Webster, L.E. and Cherry, J., 1973, ‘Medieval Britain in 1972’ Medieval Archaeology Vol17 p169
Giles, C.B., 1972, ‘Investigations and Excavations during the Year' Archaeologia Cantiana Vol87 p230
Simpson, W.D., 1940, Journal of the British Archaeological Association Vol5 p72
Wadmore, 1886, Archaeologia Cantiana Vol16 p26-7

Primary (Medieval documents or transcriptions of such documents - This section is far from complete and the secondary sources should be consulted for full references.)

Calendar of Patent Rolls (1258-66) p108

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Tonbridge Town Defences

Medieval town wall was built from 1259 in the reign of Henry III. None of the wall survives, but part of the ditch remain and the whole course may be traced. Excavations in 1976 confirmed these defences, when a ditch and a clay bank were found. A town wall was licensed in 1259. Murage granted 1318.

The Ordnance Survey Map Grid Reference is TQ58794673

Sources of information, references and further reading