Castles · South East England
St Leonard's Tower, West Malling
In or near Mereworth.
St Leonard's Tower is a probable Norman keep in West Malling, in the county of Kent, England. The tower was probably built by Gundulf, the Bishop of Rochester, between 1077 and 1108. It was a three-st
Simon Burchell — CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons licence
Plan your visit
- Typical visit
- 1.5 h–3 h
- Nearest railway station
- West Malling · 1.2 km
- Family-friendly
- Limited wheelchair access
Getting there & planning your visit
To visit St Leonard's Tower in West Malling, you can take a train to West Malling station, which is 1.2 km away. The postcode for your sat-nav is ME19 6PD. Please note that accessibility is limited.
About
St Leonard's Tower is a probable Norman keep in West Malling, in the county of Kent, England. The tower was probably built by Gundulf, the Bishop of Rochester, between 1077 and 1108. It was a three-storey building, constructed of local stone, and would have stood at least 22 metres (72 ft) high. At a later point, probably during the English Civil War, the tower was deliberately damaged to prevent it being used for military purposes, and its uppermost storey was demolished. Concerns grew about the tower's condition in the 20th century and in 1937 it was taken into the guardianship of the state. In the 21st century, it is managed by English Heritage and the exterior is open to visitors.
Photo gallery
Protected designations
- Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty: Kent Downs
Designations sourced from Natural England open data under OGL v3.
From the Wikipedia article
St Leonard's Tower is a probable Norman keep in West Malling, in the county of Kent, England. The tower was probably built by Gundulf, the Bishop of Rochester, between 1077 and 1108. It was a three-storey building, constructed of local stone, and would have stood at least 22 metres (72 ft) high. At a later point, probably during the English Civil War, the tower was deliberately damaged to prevent it being used for military purposes, and its uppermost storey was demolished. Concerns grew about the tower's condition in the 20th century and in 1937 it was taken into the guardianship of the state. In the 21st century, it is managed by English Heritage and the exterior is open to visitors.
Excerpt from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0. See the source article linked in Sources below.
Background
Architecture
St Leonard's Tower is located on the edge of the village of West Malling, on a sandstone promontory, overlooking a valley leading down to the river River Medway. The base of the tower rests directly on the rock, levelled up with masonry to form a plinth. The square tower, or keep, is built of layers of local Kentish ragstone rubble and masonry, with white and grey tufa ashlar detailing and facing. After the post-medieval slighting, it forms a two-storey building around 18 m high; it would previously been three storeys and at least 22 m high. The tower is 10 m across externally, with walls 2 m thick. The first floor has larger windows, and a stone seat overlooking the original entrance,…
Sourced from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Coordinates
- 51.2882, 0.4019
- County
- Kent
- District
- Tonbridge and Malling
- Parish
- West Malling
- Postcode
- ME19 6PD
- Parliamentary constituency
- Maidstone and Malling
- Nearest railway station
- West Malling — 1.2 km
Sources
- wikipedia: St Leonard's Tower, West Malling (CC BY-SA 4.0)
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Frequently asked questions
- Where is St Leonard's Tower, West Malling?
- St Leonard's Tower, West Malling is in Kent, London, United Kingdom (postcode ME19 6PD), in the parish of West Malling.
- What is St Leonard's Tower, West Malling?
- St Leonard's Tower is a probable Norman keep in West Malling, in the county of Kent, England. The tower was probably built by Gundulf, the Bishop of Rochester, between 1077 and 1108. It was a three-st
- How do I get to St Leonard's Tower, West Malling?
- The nearest railway station is West Malling, about 1.2 km away. Drivers can use postcode ME19 6PD.
- Is St Leonard's Tower, West Malling a protected site?
- Yes — St Leonard's Tower, West Malling is part of the Kent Downs National Landscape (AONB).
- Does St Leonard's Tower, West Malling charge admission?
- St Leonard's Tower, West Malling typically charges admission. Check the official site for current ticket prices and opening hours.
- How do I get to St Leonard's Tower, West Malling?
- The nearest railway station is West Malling, about 1.2 km away. Drivers can navigate to postcode ME19 6PD.