Tonbridge

A visit to Tonbridge, which I hadn't been to for ages.   As it was the cheapest way to go, I got the train to Bromley South, and then the bus, which runs hourly and stops just outside the station.   It's quite a long journey, passing through Sevenoaks, but the countryside is very pretty, if a bit sodden - no, very sodden.   In Tonbridge, the River Medway was several times its normal size, dirty, and very fast flooding; the low lying fields beside it were covered in water.

Tonbridge isn't very big, but is extremely interesting, with lots of history and interesting things to see. - although it is much better to go in the summer when everything's open than at the beginning of January.  

My first stop was Tonbridge Castle - or rather, what remains of it.   Built 900 yeas ago, and now owned by Tonbridge and Malling Borough Council, there now isn't very much left, except the gatehouse, although in its heyday, it was huge, and the gatehouse was reputed to be one of the finest in England.   It is now a museum and tourist information centre, although the museum wasn't open.  

The original castle was built by Richard FitzGilbert who, following the Norman Conquest, was granted land at Tonbridge to guard the River Medway crossing.   He erected a simple motte-and-bailey castle, moving 60,000 tons of soil in the process.   However, trouble was to come.   In1088, some of his descendants, the Clare family,  rebelled against King William II; after a two day siege, the castle surrendered, and both it and the town were burned to the ground.   It didn't do to rebel agains the king in those days.   That wasn't the end of the matter, however; the Clare family rebuilt the castle, and by 1260 the current gatehouse was completer, built over 30 years by either Richard de Clare, Earl of Hereford or his son Gilbert.

The castle was lived in until 1521; after that it remained unoccupied until the late 18th century, except for a short period during the Civil war.

Despite the rain and the wind, I did manage to climb up to the top of the castle ruins, nearly getting blown away in the process.   But it was worth the effort; from the top there is a grand view of the surrounding countryside - although at the moment it looks mostly like a huge sheet of water.

Another treat in Tonbridge was learning about Jane Austen's connection with the town.   The Austens were a Wealden family, and Jane had a large number of relatives in Tonbridge, many of whom were  buried in the parish church, although there is no evidence that she actually visited it herself.   I spent quite a while in the parish church, partly because it was raining, but also because there was so much to see.

Tonbridge is definitely worth another visit, but preferably when it is warm and sunny.