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Also known as, or recorded in historical documents as; Tonebrugg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.
The town might have been walled largely through the efforts of its lord because of its importance as a caput of the honour of Clare rather than a strategic centre. (Turner)

The Ordnance Survey Map Grid Reference is TQ58794673

Air Photo from Air Photo and general mapping	1st edition OS Map from Mid to late 19th century maps
Modern Map from Landscape form and features	Modern Map from General location and route planning
Geograph British Isles occasionally has photos of the site and will usually give an idea of the surrounding landscape.

Sources of information, references and further reading

This site's English Heritage (PastScape) Defra or Monument number is 409300
This site's County Historic Environment Record (formerly Sites and Monuments Record) number is TQ 54 NE 3; TQ 54 NE 80 'grey' literature, such as watching brief reports, held by H.E.R.s is often poorly referenced and is unlikely to be recorded in this website.

• 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
    Toy, S., 1954, The Castles of Great Britain p59 [plan]
    Chalkley Gould and Downham, 1908, in Page, Wm (ed), VCH Kent Vol1 p425
    Hasted, Edward, 1798 (2edn), A History and Topographical Survey of the County of Kent Vol5 p196- http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=62902
• Journal Articles
  • Coulson, Charles, 2007-8, 'On Crenellating, in Kent and Beyond - A Retrospection' The Castle Studies Group Journal Vol21 p189-201 esp p191, 193-4
    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 [downloadable via http://ads.ahds.ac.uk/catalogue/resources.html?medarch]
    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
• Guidebooks
  • Anon, 2004, Walking the walls supplement. Historic defences: Tonbridge, Battle of Britain, Ypres and Ostend (Maidstone: Kent County Council)
• 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 [licence to crenellate]
    CPR (1317-1321) p133 [murage grant]